The Society of Nonprofit Organizations publishes one of my favorite journals about nonprofit management. It is called Nonprofit World and a recent issue included a wonderful article, 25 Ways to Cut Costs.
We have adapted 10 of those suggestions here.
1. Make maximum use of your board of directors.
Make sure that your board helps you raise money and also save it. Ask them to make use of their own contacts to find individuals and businesses that may be willing to donate the goods and services you need or to be sponsors for your projects and events.2. Piggyback with local businesses.
Ask businesses in your community if you can include your fundraising appeals in their mailings. It gives them a chance to do some good and provides your organization leverage and cost savings for your fundraising.3. Reconsider your paper.
The paper you use in your mailings can represent up to 30% of the cost of your print job. Switch to inexpensive paper. Use lower-weight paper to reduce your postage costs. Let your donors and supporters know that you are forsaking a little quality for cost savings. They will understand and support that decision.4. Adopt teamwork, cooperation, and collaboration approaches.
You can team up with other organizations to buy supplies and even insurance. You might decide to share office space and equipment. You can hold joint meetings and programs.5. Seek out low-cost marketing and public-relations techniques.
Write letters to the editor or provide guest columns on important issues that your organization addresses. Find local ad agencies to see if they will create public service announcements for you.6. Opt for videoconferencing or teleconferencing.
Instead of flying job candidates to your city for interviews, interview them through video or the telephone. You can also bring out-of-town board members right to the board meeting with these techniques.7. Read newspapers for information about corporations.
You may be able to locate prospects for corporate donations, including in-kind contributions. A business that is moving might donate office equipment and furniture. A company that is getting bad press might want improve its public image by helping you.8. Save money on training new people.
Use videotapes, computer based training programs, books, and a personal mentor to cut down on training costs. Most people enjoy self-paced learning and they sure will get a lot from a mentor assigned to help them.9. Save energy.
Set back temperatures during times when your facility is unoccupied. turn off lights and equipment when not in use. Install more efficient lighting. Indoctrinate employees with the importance of saving energy. Monitor costs and let everyone know how much is being saved.10. Audit the necessity of every activity your organization does.
What would happen if you stopped doing it? Does the reason you started that activity still make sense. Can someone else perform that activity at less cost?
