Non-profit organizations, such as charities and nature-oriented conservationists, are part of the sector of society that aims to promote the common good. They have programs and efforts that are designed to inspire action. When people carry out the positive and desired deeds, that is when non-profit organizations can say that their mission is being fulfilled. Non-profit organizations are known to have virtues and philosophies that constitute their being. Among them is honesty. They are expected to be honest with their transactions, knowing that a huge chunk of their funding comes from their patrons and public donations.
If you are running a non-profit organization, you can easily say that among the factors that build your organization’s credibility and trustworthiness is your transparency. Sometimes, some organization heads believe that their groups are transparent when, in fact, they are not. Now is the right time to promote transparency in your organization. Here are some important things to keep in mind:
Expectation Alignment
The department leaders and the staff have expectations of each other. When these expectations have no basis or common ground, there will be a disconnect between the leadership team and the members. When that happens, the operations will be affected. The first exercise when it comes to transparency is ensuring that you and your team members are on the same page. When you are vocal about these, it will be much easier for you to improve the processes, which in turn will make operations much more efficient.
Hiring a Third-party Checker
Checks and balances are a necessity, especially when it comes to financial management. You may choose to publicize your organization’s donation records, but before you go at it, make sure that they are accurate. To avoid biases and possible grafts, it will be necessary to hire a third-party supplier or a partner. In this regard, it is important that you work with reliable accountants. For example, you can always find a reputable church accounting expert in Southlake, Texas if your non-profit organization is a faith-based one.
Starting an Open Door Policy
Team members find it hard to talk to their leaders when they are always unavailable. Worse than that is when the leaders have their doors closed. In this regard, you should take the initiative. You must take the lead; open the doors, and let the members in. Let them talk about their concerns. You can blur the lines here, especially if nothing important will be compromised. Just make sure that the meetings are properly scheduled.
Not Forgetting Confidentiality
Transparency does not mean that you are going to bare everything. At the end of the day, your organization will need the privacy that it actually needs. Opening up too much will make your organization vulnerable to threats and breaches, which in turn may compromise your finances and reputation.
Promoting transparency in your non-profit organization should be one of the priorities on your list. An organization cannot move forward easily if the heads and the employees are keeping secrets that are actually meant to be public and accessible to everyone in your group.
