Happy Holidays!

It's that time of year again to talk about goal setting.  What’s your opinion of New Year’s Resolutions?

Some people don’t like them because they associate them with failure. It certainly is true that a lot of resolutions, personal and professional, dissolve sometime before Valentine’s Day.

Others don’t let the bad reputation of New Year’s Resolutions get in the way. They love the opportunity for a fresh start that comes with the new number at the top of the calendar. Usually, long lists of what needs to change are created.

Unfortunately, the long list often lacks the focus and specifics that are necessary for real change.

A Great Way to Keep A Resolution

It is hard enough to keep resolutions if you are just one person trying to change your own behavior. It only gets that much harder if you are trying to accomplish resolutions within an organization.

But it can be done. Here are the 3 keys:

Key #1: Pick one thing, and one thing only. Successful resolutions are focused and clear. Pick the number one priority for change or accomplishment and state it in a clear way. Read on for some resolution ideas for non-profits.

(This, of course, doesn’t mean this is the only thing you will improve in 2014. But having one major initiative to rally around for the year will be inspiring).

Key #2: Put it on a calendar. Once you’ve selected a resolution, figure out what tasks you need to do to be successful. Then put those tasks on your 2014 calendar.

Key #3: Re-enforce success. When changing behavior of an entire organization, it is important to have mechanisms in place to make sure you are on track and recognize achievement. Make sure your resolution is an agenda item on all your staff meetings and discuss how you are doing. Call out for special attention anyone who is helping move toward the goal.

Resolution Ideas for Non-Profits

Increase Donor Engagement – One thing many non-profits have discovered is this: “one-and-done” appeals to donors are not as effective as fundraising from donors that you engage on a consistent basis. This can be something as simple as setting up a monthly e-newsletters to go to your donors. For larger non-profits, you will likely have a more layered approach. That could include blogging, case studies, and hosting live events.

Remember to make this about engagement, not just constant appeals for money.

Improve Online Presence – If you are not satisfied with the look of your website, you are not alone. Many non-profits have antiquated website appearances. Concerns about costs enter in when you are doing a re-design, but there are a lot of quality web designers available at very reasonable prices.

Of course, sometimes the problem with the website is sparse or outdated content. This is where a resolution with specific tasks can help you improve content a little bit at a time.

Better Tracking Of Key Metrics – Non-profits that have real-time access to key data make better decisions. Better tracking of key metrics also means that it is much less likely that clients will slip through the cracks. Non-profits that commit to better, more precise measurement of key metrics simply perform better.

Those, of course, are just 3 significant areas. You can probably come up with plenty more. What will be the one thing your non-profit gets better at in 2014?

Many resolutions revolve around better serving clients or tracking important data. The right software can be a crucial component of positive change. For more information, download this report, The Unofficial Guide to Electronic Case Management. It’s free, concise, and packed with information that can better help you understand your options.