In the nonprofit sector, we all wear a lot of hats. With so many things going on, it’s challenging to organize projects and still maintain high productivity. Thankfully, modern technology has helped to bridge the gap between minimal resources and achievement to ensure successful project management for nonprofits.
What Is Project Management?
According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), project management is “the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver something of value to people.”
Simply put, project management is the process of guiding a team to complete a specific goal within a specified time, scope, and budget. Within the project management process, there is planning, documentation, execution, and communication. For every project, there is a project manager who is responsible for delegating responsibilities and making sure tasks are completed on time and within budget.
Project Management For Nonprofits FAQs
How can I use project management in my nonprofit?
For nonprofits, common examples of goals that can fall into project management include:
- Creating a new program
- Implementing a continuous learning or process improvement initiative
- Organizing a fundraising or special event
- Rolling out a new system, software, or tool
What are the 4 types of project management?
There are many project management frameworks out there, each with their own set of rules and techniques. Choosing the right one can be difficult, but here are the top four that come up fairly often:
- Waterfall – a linear system in which a project is mapped out into clearly defined steps.
- Agile – an iterative system where a project is broken up into smaller, incremental chunks.
- Lean – a system that looks at the project’s value from the client’s perspective.
- Scrum – a type of Agile methodology that focuses on using small teams, shorter cycles, and frequent communication to manage and track projects.
Why is project management important in nonprofits?
Project management is crucial because it brings direction to projects. It helps to chart the path of a project, guiding your team to move with direction and purpose.
Project Management For Nonprofits Best Practices
To ensure that your project is a success, we’ve gathered some project management best practices to get you off on the right foot:
Draft A Project Brief
A project brief maps out a 10,000 foot overview of your project and scope. It’s a way to define what you are and aren’t doing. Project briefs don’t have to be long and cumbersome documents. At minimum, your project brief should include:
- The name of the project
- The stakeholders
- An overview
- Objectives
- Scope
- Deliverables
- Milestones
- KPIs and success metrics
- Budget, timeline, and resources
Plan to revisit the project brief regularly throughout the project to make sure your team stays on the same page.
Get SMART With Your Goals
When developing your project objectives, follow the SMART framework to ensure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
- Specific: What will the goal accomplish? How and why will it be accomplished?
- Measurable: How will you measure whether or not the goal has been reached?
- Achievable: Is it possible? Have others done it successfully? Do you have the necessary skills, knowledge, competence, and resources to accomplish the goal?
- Relevant: Is the goal related to the problem it is designed to solve?
- Time Bound: When do you expect to complete the project, and does that completion date create a reasonable sense of urgency?
Be Aware Of Scope Creep
Scope creep is when a project’s requirements or tasks are changed so much that it puts the project at risk for not finishing in the planned time frame or within budget. You may have defined a scope initially, but it’s easy for the scope to change or grow along the way.
Establish Clear And Consistent Communication
Regular communication is key when it comes to project management, whether it’s with your team or stakeholders. Without clear and consistent communication, trust and collaboration can take a nosedive. For internal communications, make sure to keep everything in one centralized place. This will help to limit confusion and set expectations going forward.
Prepare (And Plan) for Setbacks
In an ideal world, your project would go off without a hitch and meet every task due date. But that isn’t reality. Even the best laid plans will have setbacks, so expect the unexpected. Be proactive (and flexible)! Have a plan for adjusting timelines, budgets, or task assignments.
Utilize the Five Phases of Project Management
The five phases of project management divide a project into segments that introduce a structured approach, manage expectations, allocate resources, and simplify steps. They help teams streamline communication and progress through the project while keeping in line with an established budget.
1. Conception and Initiation
Before you begin your project, you need to determine the problem you’re trying to solve, the outcome(s) you want to achieve, and how you’ll measure success.
2. Planning
The next phase of your project involves outlining a roadmap that your team will follow to complete the project.
3. Launch and Execution
The launch and execution phase is when you’ll officially kick off your project and get to work.
4. Performance and Monitoring
During this phase, you’ll monitor the project’s progression to ensure that it’s still on schedule and within budget.
5. Project Close (and Analysis)
Closing out a project is more than just turning in the final deliverable and celebrating with your team. It’s important to conduct a project retrospective and analysis to capture lessons learned and best practices for future reference.
Choose The Right Project Management Tool
Choosing the right project management tool for your team can make all the difference. Here are seven free tools that can help you reach your goals:
1. Trello
Trello is perfect for list-makers. It enables your projects to function with a clear organization and flow. With Trello, team members can see real-time updates, keeping everyone informed about completed tasks and pending ones.
2. Asana
Asana is great for staying organized and on track. It offers practical features like project workflows, task assignments, team establishment, due dates, and comments. Relevant updates are sent to team members, ensuring effective communication.
3. Monday.com
Monday.com is a robust project management tool that brings teams together over one shared platform. It allows you to customize project structures using templates, automate tasks, and monitor the status of all your projects in one intuitive dashboard.
4. MeisterTask
MeisterTask offers incredible functionality with their free accounts. It allows you to customize dashboards, collaborate in real-time with the online mind-mapping app MindMeister, and create project plans visually. You can drag and drop ideas into tasks connected to your projects.
5. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 combines powerful project management with intuitive communication features. It includes an activity stream that provides real-time updates, ensuring everyone is informed about project statuses. Bitrix24 also offers standard workflows, email integration, employee workload management, and more.
6. ClickUp
ClickUp has a clean interface and features designed for every type of user. It has tools for simple projects as well as complex systems to track time and create schedules. You can also take advantage of its wide range of integrations.
7. Basecamp
Basecamp focuses on to-do lists and helps teams stay accountable and on the same page. It offers various avenues for communication and collaboration, including message boards, direct messaging, and group chat functions. It also provides a scheduling feature, file storage, notifications, and a customizable interface.
Project Management For Nonprofits Made Easy
Operating efficiently is crucial for nonprofit organizations to continue making an impact in the world. By utilizing affordable and high-caliber project management tools, you can stay focused, organized, and on budget. With the features and benefits offered by the seven platforms listed above, you should be able to find a tool that fits your nonprofit’s needs and helps you achieve greater efficiency and impact.