6 Steps to Surviving 2013

Kerryn Krige has written an excellent article giving tips on where not for profit organisations need to focus for stronger, sustainable organisations with greater impact. It is really worth reading the full article. Briefly the 6 steps are:
1. Look beyond the jobs mantra
The need is to focus on building sustainable organisations and businesses. Entrepreneurs create the jobs in the business sector and systems are needed to help them succeed. There needs to be a strong social focus in entrepreneurship so that the increased employment opportunities are linked to positive development.

2. accountability - getting our house in order
 Kerryn proposes that it is only an accountable, robust civill society that can hold others to account. NPOs need to commit to the Codes of  Good Governance. She suggests that accountability and transparency are central to survival in 2013.

3. monitoring and evaluation
basic measurement is essential for non-profit leaders to challenge their assumptions of what does and does not work. This knowledge creation makes it easier for organisations to form partnerships which can lead to a natural consolidation of the sector.

4. from programmes to activism
This seems like a return to our old roots of holding government to account rather than providing services. This then requires that donors to support activism and the rights movement. It feels like the wheel is turning and it is a good call for non-profits to rethink what they are about.

5. rise of the community based organisation (CBOs)
Donors prefer to channel funding through well structured organisations who can look after the funding. This means that less money gets to the programmes. There is a call for the development of the institutional structure of CBOs to be able to access donor funding.

6. making profits out of non profits
Kerryn calls for organisations to take a longer term view on the type of funding needed to survive. This is similar to the field of social entrepreneurship where there is a profit motive on some programmes to subsidise the development work. The African Social Enterpreneurs Network (ASEN) is a fabulous resource.