Did you start a non-profit organization? You have your team gathered, and the business network is growing stronger and larger every day? Well, even though everything may look good, there will be times when you will run into occasional hiccups. Financing is usually one of the toughest issues to solve, however, there is an even important matter you have to take care of – how to motivate your employees! While all standard companies motivate their employees by giving them better financial security, a non-profit organization does not have that luxury. If you ever asked yourself how non-profits can keep their employees motivated, here is your chance to find out!

This short but information-packed guide will not only teach you how to implement existing strategies, but help you get new ideas to push your employees forwards, and reward them beyond the financial aspect. 

Running a non profit – the requirements

Starting a non-profit requires a certain level of skill and understanding. One must be a visionary, someone who can set goals and push the entire team towards completing them. All non-profit organizations  require:

  • a great idea – being unique is hard, a non-profit organization must have a smart idea that will attract people
  • strong and motivated employees – a quality workforce doesn’t have a price, it is what pushes the goal towards completion
  • a business network – every non-profit needs a network of people who are there to help and support your organization
  • office space – even though you are running a non-profit organization, you still need office space
  • knowledge in running a business – it is not possible to run any business without basic knowledge
  • financial aid –  as a non-profit, you do not generate a return of investment. With that in mind, you must seek financial aid in order to fulfill your goal.

Everything above is crucial for a non profit to succeed. However, if there are no people behind it, an idea will not push itself. With that in mind, let’s see how non profits can keep their employees motivated, and make sure the business keeps running.

1. Each connection is built on trust

Before you even start considering running a non-profit, you must understand that you must become a trustworthy person. Furthermore, your employees must see you in that light. Being a natural leader is easy if people trust you. An excellent way to motivate people is to show them you are a person they can rely upon when needed. If they can put their trust in you, they will follow you. Let them be the first ones to know about your decisions – if you are planning a big office move or something like that.

Furthermore, there are many organizations that help non-profits. This is their way of building trustworthy connections with people who have goals and ideas worth pursuing.

2. Work should never feel like work

Since you are not running a business where people can earn money, working should never feel like work. People must be there because they enjoy it. Building a relaxed atmosphere is essential in keeping your employees motivated. A great way to accomplish that is to gamify the entire experience.

People talking casually in an office
Work doesn’t feel like work when colleagues are friends

If you introduce elements of a game to everyday activities, tedious tasks might turn into fun and interesting challenges.

3. Everyone must have a purpose

One of the major drives for every employee is their paycheck. Everyone must earn money to support their families, that is a fact. Nevertheless, it is possible to have a purpose besides money. Every person has their own goals and dreams. Understanding them is the road to discovering their purpose.

If your employees can express themselves on a personal level, achieve their goals and feel as if they have a purpose, they will be motivated to continue helping you with your non profit organization.

4. Build a positive atmosphere

A path to happiness is easy to accomplish if you are surrounded by positive energy and atmosphere. Furthermore, all employees want to work in that kind of setting. To build a positive atmosphere, you first must beam with positive energy. Next, all the people in your organization should have good relations. Furthermore, it is also important to solve all communication issues between employees. Addressing them in time is the key to building a strong team

5. Set short-term goals and reward people accordingly

Setting a short-term goal is a great way to motivate employees. If they have a weekly goal to accomplish, they will feel successful and satisfied. Furthermore, it gives you an opportunity to reward individuals by giving them praise, or better working hours and different incentives. 

Person making a plan
Make a rewards plan

Have in mind that rewarding an individual has more value than rewarding the entire team. I am not saying you should treat them at a team level, but an individual knows he did something better than the rest. Not only will it boost their confidence, but it will also push others to prove themselves.

Only when all of your employees achieve a level of success on an individual level, you can say that the entire team has performed with satisfying quality.

6. Fantastic office space

People who work in a place they like will always feel better. For this reason, many non-profit organizations invest in office space. If the space you have does not satisfy everyone’s needs, you should consider moving your office to a new place.

A couple of factors to think about are:

  • traffic
  • fresh air
  • natural light
  • enough space
  • quiet surrounding
  • clean office

Have you thought about renting a co-working space? Being cheaper is just one of the benefits.

Modern office
Fantastic office space is one of the ways how non-profits can keep their employees motivated

7. Take care of your employees

Earlier, we talked about trust. However, that is only one way in which you can take care of your employees. For example, giving them feedback is equally important. It lets them know you are tracking their progress and evaluating what they do. This way your employees know that you care about how they perform at work.

Furthermore, if you are making any large changes like changing your office space, it is crucial to take care of your employees during relocation as well.

8. Let your people lead

In the end, one of the best ways non-profits can keep their employees motivated is to let them lead. Assign projects to them, put them in charge, and they will feel great. This is another sign that you are placing your trust in their capable hands.

How non profits can keep their employees motivated – explained!

And there you have it! We hope that this guide gave you enough insight into how non-profits can keep their employees motivated. Not only that, but we also hope that you have enough information to put all of these pieces together, and create an atmosphere that will not only motivate your employees but you as well. As a result, your non-profit should benefit at a higher level, allowing you to complete your goals! Good luck!

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