Pausing to evaluate your organization is an opportunity to think about how to approach your work from a new perspective.

At Fairmount a core aspect of our approach is guiding the nonprofits we work with to analyze how their organization attempts to improve the lives of their service population. This organizational self-reflection isn’t easy. Giving serious thought to one’s behavior, motives, or impact can sometimes lead to an organization to change how it’s used to operating, which can feel intimidating.

But the benefits of constructive, honest self-analysis is vast. Periodic organizational analysis creates:

1. Course-correction potential

By slowing down and seeing if the behaviors of your organization are helping to actually meet your goals, you’re creating an opportunity to modify your direction, if needed. If you’re driving with a GPS device to your desired destination but realize that sudden external factors, like an accident, have altered your initial route continuing to drive using the original directions doesn’t make sense. Taking a step-back for organizational self-assessment allows you to decide if there’s another route that can get you closer to your destination or if you want to arrive a different place.

2. Efficiency

Taking a 360-degree look at your organization throughout different points during the year allows you to identify more efficient ways to maximize or acquire the resources necessary for you to aid your organization’s service population(s).

3. Team

Inviting your staff to share their perspective about your organization builds a stronger team. Listening and encouraging multiple voices within your nonprofit to assess your organization is a sign that you trust your staff. People who feel appreciated and trusted often are more committed to the organization.

4. Culture-Building

Being willing (and perhaps excited) to take stock of your organization creates the expectation that settling isn’t okay. Consistently pushing to reach the potential of an organization, especially for those that are sustainable and routinely reach their goals, shows staff, volunteers, and your service population that the status-quo isn’t acceptable.

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