essays – Nonprofits

Enough

Have you done enough? Have you done your best?

These are questions that constantly come up for me, individually, and for the organizations I serve.

Nonprofits have endless to-do lists. As long as there is a need they can address, they continue to have a mission to try to meet those needs. [What is enough?]

👉 The key is determining how BEST to meet those needs, as there will probably never be enough.

Just throwing resources at an issue is rarely the solution. We’ve seen that time after time when disasters strike. Everyone wants to help, but an overflow of people, clothes, or not-really-what-they-need-right-now items can actually overwhelm the situation and the people who are suffering. And the needs often extend long past the initial crisis when the rush of help is offered.

Most nonprofits don’t deal with crisis situations on a regular basis. That doesn’t mean they don’t need to focus on doing their best. They were created to fulfill a mission, and often one that isn’t easily solved or completed.

They may never be able to answer the “enough” question, but they can do their best through planning and effective strategies. 📌

👀 And sometimes doing your best means doing less; focusing on the primary issues you can support with what you have to offer. Expanding to create programs that drift away from the mission only dilutes your ability to succeed. Let others fill those gaps if that’s not your area.

Have you done enough? Is “enough” even possible?

Keep asking that question and defining what is “enough” for you. That will keep pushing you forward.

Focus more on doing your best, though. That will ultimately serve you and the world around you.

Your best is enough. ❤