Our weekly Wednesday 9am MT/11am ET Clubhouse chats are full of robust conversation about topics within nonprofit fundraising. As always, please feel free to add and reflect on your learnings and experiences! Here’s some key takeaways from our chat about Change Management — how to leave the “old normal” behind in order to embrace new trends in our nonprofit spaces:

1.  The workplace has been forever altered by COVID-19. As the world settles into this new era, nonprofits have to be willing to embrace change in order to maintain relevance and accomplish their missions. When planning strategy, focus on staying nimble and leaning into looking forward rather than falling back into old habits.

2.  Be intentional about how you implement change. Aila Malik shared a helpful tip: You have to communicate to the lowest denominator of change readiness (AKA those who don’t think they need to change) and use a “high information, low intrusion” strategy to communicate the discrepancy between who you want to be and who you are now. If you jump in without getting everyone on board toward a clear objective, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle from the start!

3. Jeremy Haselwood explained that change management is essentially culture management. Many nonprofits have been operating under the same system for decades; before charging forward with a new way of doing things, be intentional about identifying your organization’s core values, pin-pointing the exact outcome you’re aiming for, and securing 100% of leadership buy-in. When change will affect organizational culture, you’re going to need messengers and advocates to achieve success.

4. Utilize archival knowledge! Just because you’re heading into the future doesn’t mean you won’t need  knowledge from the past. Identify the people within your organization who have seen change happen before and bring them into your conversations. If you make these key players feel seen and appreciated, they’re far more likely to be on-board moving forward.

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