Your Organizational Health Assessment
Taking Your Temperature, Pulse -- and 20/20 Vision

By Terry S. Turner, Marketing and Client Relations Manager
Kansas City

So it’s time for your annual physical. Before you even see the doctor, your temperature, pulse rate and maybe even a quick vision test are measured and recorded. It’s a process familiar to many and has proven accurate for giving the physician an overview of your health. This tried-and-true process also works for nonprofit organizations planning to assess their health with the professional assistance of a consultant.

Like a physician, your consultant can only help you reach your goals after assessing your organizational health. Jeffrey Byrne & Associates, Inc. measures organizational vital signs with an “IQ: Intake Questionnaire ^SM”. This IQ measures the temperature of your volunteer and staff culture, your financial and development pulse, and the clarity of your vision, mission and planning.

However, many times when we begin our IQ, the organization is unable to complete it. They are unaware of their own numbers!  Just as health-conscious adults know their numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and heart rate), nonprofit leaders should also know their organization’s “numbers.” Knowing the following stats will keep you informed of the general well being of your organization and have you prepared to begin a consulting relationship that is thorough, friendly, honest and results-driven.

Taking Your Temperature

Taking the cultural temperature of your nonprofit may take more than 30 seconds, but the process is as painless as a momentary probe into describing your volunteer base, membership clubs, your leadership, the structure of the development department, and the communication links between volunteers, members, staff and leadership. When taking your temperature, know the answers to the following questions.

Volunteers and Leadership
1.         How many leaders make up the Board?
2.         How many leaders participate in committees?
3.         How many members belong to your organization?
4.         Are past leaders available for advice and input?
5.         Are the leaders affluent and/or influential in the community?
6.         Are your leaders giving on a regular basis?
7.         Do you have volunteer groups?  Can you name them and define their purpose?

Staff

• What is the staff organization that supports volunteer efforts and organizational   fundraising?
• Is there enough staffing to complete the current workload?
• Does the budget support maintenance of current staff levels? Of growing staff? Cutting staff?
• Do staff members have the necessary skills to meet current workload and future projects as mandated by the strategic plan?

Communication
Does your organization maintain regular communications with staff, volunteers, members and/or leaders?  If so, by what means?
How often do you communicate with the above constituencies?
Do you have a database that supports communication efforts?
How is the database maintained and managed?

Counting Your Pulse
While the rate your heart pumps blood to the body determines your pulse, the rate at which finances fund programming determines an organizational pulse. For most nonprofits, this means engaging in fundraising activities to maintain a healthy flow of funds. Here’s how to take your pulse!  Know and understand:

Annual Campaigns and Special Events

• Structure of the annual campaign and/or fundraising events;
• Number of total participants in the annual campaign and/or fundraising events;
• Largest gift;
• Average gift; and
• Total raised for the past three to five years.

Budget

• Total operating budget;
• How the budget is funded (through memberships, grants, endowments, etc.);
• Projected projects and activities that are planned outside of the annual budget (campaigns);
• Size and governance structure of endowment and planned giving programs; and
• Service-based and/or governing body funding resources (such as a support organization or church council).

Fundraising Campaign History

• How many capital, endowment or major gift campaigns have been conducted;
• Whether fundraising counsel was used for any campaign;
• The status of each campaign – success in reaching goal, goal not reached, campaign stalled due to environmental circumstances, pledges collected, outstanding pledges that remain, how the campaign helped build capacity by adding new volunteers and donors;
• Total amount raised;
• Access to campaign records including donors and giving levels, recognition and naming opportunities, volunteer participation, committee structure and pledge collection procedures.

20/20 Vision
Just as the drivers’ license bureau tests your vision to ensure safe driving, the forward motion of your organization depends on the clarity of its vision. Your vision statement is your prescription for pointing you in the right direction. All other documents and tools – your mission statement, strategic plan, marketing plan, business plan, and even your fundraising campaigns – are the means for reaching your destination.

For example, at Jeffrey Byrne & Associates our vision is that “in every community, needs are met, missions are advanced, and lives are improved through philanthropy.” All of our work leads us toward accomplishing this because we know our vision, we believe in it, and we live it.

Do your board and volunteers know and understand the vision of your organization?  Do they believe in your mission? Do they passionately share this vision with others, with potential donors and with the community? 

Do the staff members live the vision in their daily duties of advancing the mission in the community? When they seek advice from a consultant, will they be able to articulate the vision and mission with 20/20 clarity? 

When staff and volunteer leaders take the time for regular examinations that measure temperature, pulse and vision, long-lasting benefits are realized. Both the current status of a nonprofit and the success of future growth can depend on defining, assessing and maintaining organizational health.