Do butterflies need flying lessons? By

Rod Hyatt

CONTENTS
Do butterflies need flying lessons? ............................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 2
Getting ready for take off .......................................................................................................................... 2
Flying ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
Growing .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Being on Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................. 5
Appendix 1 - Organising Board ................................................................................................................ 6
Appendix 2 - Swot Analysis Table ........................................................................................................... 7
Questions to ask when doing a SWOT Analysis ................................................................................... 7
Appendix 3 - Dashboard ......................................................................................................................... 10

1

DO BUTTERFLIES NEED FLYING LESSONS?

INTRODUCTION
Nonprofits face many if not more of the challenges that corporates face in carrying on business every day. In addition, they face unique circumstances because of their reliance on government, foundation and private donor funding and largely volunteer staffing. In a startup situation a new nonprofit faces additional challenges in getting their structure correct; getting their message in front of the correct publics; getting funding and attracting volunteers and staff who will forward their vision and mission. They are as it were newly emerged butterflies spreading their wings and getting ready to explore the world. How do they start? How do they take off? How do they grow? How do they fulfill their purpose?
GETTING READY FOR TAKE OFF
Before taking off in the wide world of nonprofits, it is wise to have a structure in place that prospective staff, volunteers and supporters can look at and decide that this is an organisation that is going somewhere and would be worthwhile being a part of. The first step would be to answer Drucker’s Questions (Drucker 1990, cited in Anheier 2005,
p.253) Drucker suggests five questions for engagement with key stakeholders:
– What is out mission?
– Who are our customers / clients / members / users?
– What do our customers value?
– What are our results?
– What is our plan?
Having answered these questions we would need to answer a further question: What management model would be most appropriate to embrace for our nonprofit? Anheier argues that “the notion of non-profit organisations as multiple organisations and as complex, internal federations or coalitions requires a multi-faceted, flexible approach, and not the use of ready-made management models carried over from the business world or public management. (Anheier, 2000). Gomez and Zimmermann present the development of management models that are more in tune with the realities of non-profit organisations. In their discussion organisations are seen as economic and political systems that have