Nonprofit managers never know when the best ideas will come to fruition. These ideas can stem from a quick conversation with a donor or a long-term analysis of trends within the nonprofit industry. Understanding that innovation can come at any time, nonprofit managers need to always keep an eye out for the next idea that will help their organization progress. Below are a list of ways nonprofits managers can work with staff to get the most out of nonprofit planning meetings.  

Working together
Some of the best ideas surface when employees collaborate on a thought, and turn it into an innovation that can improve processes within the nonprofit. When working in a team, nonprofit employees can bring different skills to the table, allowing them to come up with a result that is a combination of shared ideas. Nonprofit managers should encourage collaboration because it could lead to better ways to to managing donors and beneficiaries through improved time efficiency and better processes.

Create a "call to action"
Nonprofit managers should never be satisfied with inefficiencies that are part of their business plan. Keeping this in mind, they should challenge their staff to come up with newer, more innovative ways for certain processes, which can make every one's job a little easier. Nonprofit managers should encourage their staff to think outside the box to come up with ways to make the organization run more smoothly.

Look to the future
One of the most important tasks nonprofit managers must be sure to do is develop financial forecasting models that enable the organization to determine their long-term finances. Financial forecasting and cash flow projections can give nonprofit managers better insights as to what their operations will look like in the upcoming years. By being able to project potential donations and losses, nonprofit managers will have a better idea of whether they can responsibly make certain business decision: Can I afford new equipment; Do I need new revenue streams? How many employees can I hire?.

Don't be afraid to operate on the fly
Many nonprofit managers can boast that some of their most innovative ideas came from when they were operating by the seat of their pants. Taking risks can often lead to ideas that will make a nonprofit more efficient and bring in more donations. Nonprofit managers should know the right times to take a risk, and when to be more conservative.

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