It's a risky world out there. The good news is, funding has grown for many of nonprofit programs. Substantially. The bad news is, many programs are not doing as well. And, with ARRA funding, the media is watching us more closely than ever.
I worry. What kind of risk is this environment creating in nonprofit organizations? We already know that many multi-funded organizations face concerns around getting programs to work together (a.k.a. silos). More money for some, and little to none for others, can exacerbate these concerns.
For example, Weatherization programs are facing substantial dollar and service growth. Are the people in those programs ready to manage this growth? Can the processes used to manage and deliver services accommodate the new demands? How will you be sure your contractors are performing in accordance with the regulations? What affect will all this attention on one program in your organization have on your other programs and your organizational support systems (HR, IT, Fiscal)?
We can ask similar questions in other programs such as Head Start. I recently heard of a program turning down an Early Head Start grant after they realized that were not able to manage it. This is a missed opportunity for the organization and for the community it serves.
Many of these questions can't be answered in a blog post. If learning how to better manage risk, improve operations, and sustain the future of your organization is of importance, then I ask you to consider joining us at the 11th Annual Management Conference for Grant-Funded Programs in July.
This year, I chose Risk Management as our theme for the conference because our team of trainers want to help you understand and address these risks head on.