Up until about 24 hours ago I did not like Beyonce’s new song, Run the World. I really thought it sounded the same as some other song I had heard before. You know the feeling when you listen to a song and the hook sounds really familiar. So familiar in fact, that you get the song titles confused.
The same can be said for many nonprofit organizations. Like urban communities overcrowded with churches and liquor stores, there are many areas that are over-saturated with nonprofit organizations said to be ‘serving youth and families.’
But many of these communities still look the same as they did before the organizations existed.
So what changed my mind about Run the World? Beyonce’s live performance at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards. That one performance took a seemingly boring song and changed my mind. I mean, that girl rocked it. The outfit. The moves. The technology. The entire performance was exciting to watch.
I believe YOU can bring that same energy to your organization and to your community.
I challenge you to take the opportunity that the summer months provide and try something new. Some groups have a light load of clients during the summers. Other organizations have a full load of a targeted population (i.e. youth out of school for the summer).
What would it mean to try ONE NEW THING?
- Incorporate social media into your marketing
- Develop a youth council to get their feedback on your programming
- Hold a focus group of parents to identify some program gaps and service needs
- Produce a newsletter
- Hold a fundraiser
- Conduct a survey
Don’t say you can’t before you’ve even tried!
After Beyonce finished performing, I was reminded of something very important. At 29 years old, this southern girl has changed her world and that of many others because she dared to step outside of what was normal or expected or even comfortable.
So can your organization.
Do you really want to run the world? Do you want your nonprofit to be ‘that nonprofit’ – the one that people all across the city want to emulate? If your answer is yes, put one foot in front of the other and step out of the box your organization has been in. Tell yourself that the only thing you have to lose is your dream of your organization creating lasting community change!
You can do it.
VCG
