What’s a Nonprofit “Program”? Really?

Written by Carter McNamara | Edited by Rory Hart
Sections of this topic
    Volunteers participating in a nonprofit reading program

    Too Often, What We Call a Program, Really Isn’t

    If you spent the day guiding old ladies across the street and someone gave you a dollar for doing it, would that mean you’re delivering a “program?” What many people call a program is too often just a sporadic set of disconnected activities — it’s not really a program.

    So What’s a Real Nonprofit Program?

    A program is:

    • A highly integrated, ongoing set of activities,
    • Aimed to meet a verified unmet need in the community,
    • By accomplishing certain outcomes among clients and
    • Using sufficient evaluation to verify that it’s meeting that need.

    The quality of the program depends on

    • How well resourced the program is with people, funding, facilities, etc.
    • How well the nonprofit responds to results of evaluations to improve the program

    A program closes the loop — it hears back from its clients to verify if the program is indeed meeting the needs of the clients AND the needs of the community.

    What do you think?

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    For more resources, see our Library topic Nonprofit Capacity Building.

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    Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD – Authenticity Consulting, LLC – 800-971-2250
    Read my weekly blogs: Boards, Consulting and OD, Nonprofits and Strategic Planning.

    Carter McNamara