Nonprofit networks have all of the ingredients to create significant impact: branding, funding, scalability, capacity, local insight and connection. Some of the United States’ largest and most recognized nonprofits operate as networks, including Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, Ronald McDonald Charities and Girl Scouts.
However, the dynamics of nonprofit networks are complicated, which can stand in the way of their ability to create more significant impact. In order to measurably advance mission, nonprofit networks – typically made up of a national (or international) organization and independently operating members (affiliates, partners) — need to operate in alignment.
In this post, we review several things nonprofit networks can do to create alignment and maximize their power and potential. This includes developing a shared vision and mission for the network, engaging in network-wide priority setting, focusing on distinct areas of impact and defining decision making processes.
Develop a shared vision and mission for nonprofit network alignment
The creation of powerful vision and mission statements is important for any nonprofit, but it is especially important for a nonprofit network, where the whole is greater than the sum of all parts. In these organizations, vision and mission statements not only need to be powerful, but also aligned across the network.
The process of developing or revisiting a nonprofit network’s vision and mission statements is often driven by the national organization, but should be a collaborative effort with participation from members across the network. For example, Horizons National, a nonprofit network of summer and out-of-school time programs for youth in communities deeply impacted by educational equity, recently updated their national vision and missions statements. Included in the process were members of the national organization’s staff, national board members, affiliate (member) executive directors, affiliate staff and program alumni. The organization also held listening sessions for groups, including board members and affiliate representatives, so they could learn about the vision and mission development process and provide feedback on the statements.
Horizons National’s vision and mission statements:
While some members in a nonprofit network may also create their own vision and mission statements, separate from those of the network, these mission statements should be aligned with the network’s overall mission. In Horizons’ case, affiliates are encouraged to adopt the same vision and mission statements, or use it as the starting point for the creation of their own.
Engage in network-wide priority setting
Like vision and mission statements, strategic planning for members of a nonprofit network should be aligned. In an ideal world, the process starts with the development of network-wide priorities, or even a network-wide strategic plan. Representatives from the entire network are engaged in developing these priorities, and there are opportunities for various levels of engagement in the planning process.
Take a look at this publicly available example from Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), which outlines the organization’s 2025 Strategic Direction, with priorities including:
- Strengthen Organizations
- Improve Programs Quality
- Advocate for Youth Development
- Reach More Youth
- Strengthen the Movement
Then for each priority, they go on to identify objectives and targets. Then they set the actions the Clubs will take to support these objectives and the actions BGCA will take. See the example below.
While this is an operational-level plan, it sets a good example for how strategy development should take place for a nonprofit network.
Once network-wide priorities are agreed upon, the national organization and members can develop their own strategic plans in alignment. The absence of shared network-wide priorities can lead to disparate efforts and many of the commonly held challenges of nonprofit networks, such as role confusion, decision making challenges and even competition for the same funding.
Focus on distinct areas of impact
To leverage the power of a nonprofit network, each part of the network (national office and members) must focus their actions and activities on where they are best positioned to make the greatest impact.
National organizations should ask themselves, what are our unique areas of impact? Where would our members benefit from increased capacity? What are the things our members aren’t as easily able to do themselves? It’s important that the answers don’t focus on what just a few members need, rather what they all need. Things that often rise to the top of that list include:
- Large-scale branding and marketing campaigns
- Nation-wide fundraising campaigns
- National partnership development
- Research and data collection across the network
- Measurement
- Vendor negotiations and master services agreements
- Network convenings, education
- Tools, templates and resource development
- Consulting
- Network-wide agreements, standards, policies and procedures
In some cases, particularly with nonprofit networks that take an evidence-based approach, programs and services may also be developed by the national organization.
At the same time, members should also ask themselves questions, such as, what are our unique areas of impact? How is what we do different from the national organization? This list often includes things, like:
- Program and service delivery
- First-hand insights about the impact of program and service delivery
- Community knowledge and connection
- Local marketing and communications efforts
- Local fundraising
- Local partnerships
With clear understanding between the role of the national organization and members, networks can define guardrails to create clarity about how the network operates.
For example, a national organization might lay out the following:
- We do share strategic planning best practices. We do not hire strategic plan consultants for members.
- We do provide fundraising templates. We do not produce individualized fundraising campaigns for members.
- We do provide guidance for developing partnerships. We do not maintain partnerships on behalf of members.
Define decision making processes for nonprofit network alignment
Gaining alignment across the federation goes a long way to supporting decision making within nonprofit networks. The most successful nonprofit networks understand that decision making and leadership is shared across the network.
Board members at the national organization need to clearly understand the role and purview of the national organization (which typically isn’t as far reaching as many believe). It is helpful to have member representatives on the board to provide that perspective. Likewise, board members at the local level need to understand their member organization’s relationship to the national organization.
The leader of the national organization should work in deep partnership with members. In the strongest networks, this person serves, not as the final authority, but as a convener and facilitator of network-wide conversations and decisions. Many nonprofit networks also have a CEO Council or Executive Leadership Council made up of representatives from national and member organizations who work together to steward and make decisions about the nonprofit network.
To fully leverage the power and potential of nonprofit networks, national organizations and members need to view their relationships as symbiotic – all parts working toward the greater good and ultimate mission impact. If you want to learn more about nonprofit networks, read our recent post about Nonprofit Networks: what they are, how they work and commonly held challenges.
