NEW ORLEANS – Twenty-three nonprofit executive directors completed an intensive program designed specifically to give them the skills they need to succeed. The program, created by the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) Organizational Effectiveness initiative and Compass Point, a nationally-recognized leader in skill development for nonprofit leaders, combined expert instruction and peer-learning to tackle some of the toughest issues executive directors face.
The GNOF’s Organizational Effectiveness Initiative has a variety of upcoming learning opportunities, including Program Planning for Grant Writing in the Bayou on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, Foundation Center Directory Online on Wednesday, February 3, and Protecting Your Mission: How the Right Coverage Builds a Foundation for Success on Thursday, March 3.
Organizational effectiveness, or OE, is the ability of an organization to marshal its knowledge, skills, and other resources to effectively fulfill its purpose. Also referred to as “capacity building,” OE describes the effort to ensure that nonprofits benefit from good management and strong governance, and are equipped to deliver programs that serve the community.
The GNOF defines an effective nonprofit as one that:
• Has a clear sense of its identity, with a compelling mission that is rooted in community needs, which it can communicate clearly to stakeholders.
• Is stewarded by an engaged, thoughtful, ethical and competent board with best practice governance policies guiding their efforts.
• Delivers programs and services of the highest quality, which have been shown to effectively address community needs.
• Is financially sound, with a diversified funding base able to weather the ever-changing economic and funding landscape.
• Is respected by key stakeholders–clients, funders, donors, members, and the field–and influences the sector and community of which it is a part.
• Utilizes organizational and operational best practices, implemented by knowledgeable and skilled staff, and strives to be an organization of excellence.
• Can respond effectively to the changing landscape of community needs, economic ups and downs, and other unforeseen circumstances.
