Fast Build Friday: Episode 21- Infrastructure Considerations for Nonprofit or Social-Impact Startups
We think a compelling vision and strategy is at the core of sustainability for nonprofit and social-impact startups. They cannot transform outcomes or sustainably build without both.
Still, should a #startup really spend considerable time creating a compelling vision and strategy when it has to attract funding and resources form donors, partners, and supporters to survive in those early stages?
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is the first of two fundamental #infrastructure considerations for nonprofit or social-impact startups. Nic shares why you need a compelling programmatic vision and strategy in order to build a strong infrastructure and a sustainable organization.
Do you think vision and strategy impact a startup’s infrastructure and sustainability? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 21.
We want to tell you a story…but we will tell you only half of it. Do you still want to hear it?
By not considering #infrastructure as part of your #storytelling, you miss a critical opportunity to tell a compelling story about your organization, your work, and the communities you serve. You are telling half of the story.
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is the role of infrastructure in storytelling. Nic discusses how not talking about infrastructure needs is diminishing the kind of outcome you want to see and the impact that is needed. She also highlights a way to tell a compelling story that considers infrastructure.
At Build Up, we believe that infrastructure is fundamental to telling a compelling story. Knowing your infrastructure needs is the first step. If you would like some guidance in assessing your infrastructure needs, we have included a link here to receive our complimentary Brave Infrastructure Design® Action Plan, which walks you through how to assess your organizational infrastructure needs.
How are you thinking about infrastructure in your storytelling? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 20.
When you think of #innovation, do you also think about accountability? Do you think you need #accountability in your infrastructure in order to innovate?
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is a continuation of last week’s topic about the importance of infrastructure in innovation. Nic shares the second building block about infrastructure and innovation – true innovation requires accountability.
Having built organizational infrastructure for years now, Nic sees accountability as the element that heavily contributes to sustained innovation.
And sustained innovation transforms worlds and lives.
How are you thinking about innovation and accountability in your organization? What do you demand? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 19.
Nic had a conversation with a nonprofit CEO and they talked a lot about how #nonprofits and philanthropies often focus on #innovation as an outcome or a specific point in time.
Their conversation really made us reflect. In the nonprofit sector, we often hear the word, innovation, but we do not talk as much about how an organization “becomes innovative.” And we struggle with determining how to fund innovation or defining innovation in the first place.
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is the importance of infrastructure in innovation. Nic wants us to dissect this topic; this episode explains the first of two building blocks about infrastructure and innovation she will share.
Nic wants this first building block to raise questions for you about how you think about and pursue innovation.
How do you create space for experimentation within your organization? And where do #failure and learning come into play within your #infrastructure? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 18.
Would you be surprised if we told you that I know the key reason why most #nonprofits and #philanthropies are struggling to achieve or scale impact?
Would you be even more surprised if we told you it was because of an ineffective #governance structure?
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is how to build an effective governance structure. Nic shares the two key elements that make a significant difference in a governance structure working well and being considered an organizational strength.
Nic draws on her experience, having built governance structures globally, to share how you can build better governance and have more engaged board members.
Improving your organization’s governance will help improve the way your organization shows up for and provides resources to the vulnerable and marginalized communities it serves.
How are you building better governance? Please let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 17.
How is technology impacting your infrastructure? What have you done differently or should you be doing differently when it comes to leveraging technology to strengthen your infrastructure?
Are you certain that the way your organization views and uses technology is not weakening your infrastructure?
Today’s Fast Build Friday episode is about the role of technology in infrastructure. Nic shares her four key observations about technology that inform nonprofit needs, practice, and, ultimately, culture and policy.
Technology is about more than having the latest app. It is a critical way to share information and resources with vulnerable communities that need them most. We cannot close the digital divide (or the wealth gap or the equity gap) without leveraging technology to strengthen our infrastructure.
How are you thinking about technology and infrastructure? Let us know in the comments!
Follow the link to watch Episode 16.
Based on her work and conversations with leaders throughout the sector, Nic is noticing a focus on how #nonprofits and #philanthropies are considering their people, and how they’re supporting and managing them through all levels and parts of the organization.
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is management of people as a key component of infrastructure. Nic shares the top three needs we are seeing in people management and the core question we encourage organizations to wrestle with when it comes to managing people.
What are you doing to and for your people? And what are your top management needs? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 15.
This week’s Fast Build Friday episode is defining Brave Infrastructure Design®.
At Build Up, we believe Brave Infrastructure Design® starts with envisioning what your organization can be – that bravest vision of what it has to be to serve the communities that need it most – and then envisioning what the infrastructure has to be to support that brave vision.
And then Brave Infrastructure Design® goes a step further in order to transform grant making into investments and funding relationships into partnerships.
We think we lose something critical if we build our #nonprofits and #philanthropies without it.
We also created a Brave Infrastructure Design® Action Plan to help you assess and design a stronger infrastructure to strengthen your impact and funding potential. You can receive your complimentary Action Plan by going to the Home Page and click “Send me my Free Action Plan!”
How will you use Brave Infrastructure Design® in your organization? Let us know in the comments!
You can follow the link to watch Episode 14:
Many for-profit companies are getting involved in supporting change.
Do you know which you should be working with, how to strengthen your partnership, and how to remain compliant with nonprofit laws while partnering with a for-profit company?
Having structured many of these partnerships, I know that regardless of the amount of leverage or resources you bring to a partnership, you should control key aspects of the partnership.
Today’s Fast Build Friday topic is how to successfully form a corporate partnership. In it, Nic shares two considerations to help guide how you engage with corporate partners.
Strong partnerships can have strong impact and change the narrative and course for so many communities. So, let’s make sure they are built well.
What do you think about corporate partnerships? Let us know in the comments!
Follow the link to watch Episode 13.
Do you think your nonprofit infrastructure allows you to seamlessly receive and manage significant grants?
This week’s Fast Build Friday topic is how to receive and manage significant grants with organizational integrity.
We spend a lot of time talking about good grant making, but not as much time talking about good grant “receiving.”
Having built infrastructure for #nonprofits all over the world to receive and manage significant grants, I share my 3 recommendations to design an infrastructure that allows an organization’s values to confidently guide how that organization accepts funding.
How are you managing and receiving grants?
You can follow the link to watch Episode 12.