The greatest fallacy in nonprofit thinking is that maintaining the ‘status quo’ is the least risky of all strategic options.

In fact, in this era of rapid change and shifting demographics there is almost nothing as risky as sticking with the status quo.

Most fundraisers — even the most sophisticated among us — intellectually recognize the danger of standing still and avoiding change. The trouble is that very few do anything significant about it. Sure, they pay lip service to the importance of taking risk and embarking on change. And that’s usually where it stops.

As I move around speaking, and sharing thoughts on the importance of taking risks, innovating and challenging status quo thinking, I’m struck by one frightening and almost universal nonprofit response: THE BIG EXCUSE.

The Big Excuse comes in all forms. And I’m sure you’ve seen or heard some version of it. The most introspective and candid among us will even admit to invoking and uttering one or more versions of The Big Excuse at one time or another:

• “That’s important to do: BUT, we just don’t have the time to try it.”

• “That’s important to do: BUT, I’m not sure the timing is right.”

• “That’s important to do; BUT,  we really have to meet this year’s numbers.”

• That’s important to do: BUT, we really have to get our database/infrastructure/staffing/finances/you name it/in place first

• That’s important to do: BUT, we really have to get our basics squared away first.”

This last one  is particularly confounding, particularly since it invariably comes from big, mature nonprofits that have been around for decades. Basics? Really? After 30, 40, 50 years in business?

(The greatest golfer of all time, Jack Nicholas, began every new season by reviewing and re-learning the most basic of basics, his grip on the club. This took him all of five minutes … whereas in nonprofit land it apparently takes somewhere between 18 months and 18 years.

Of course these are all NONSENSE EXCUSES. Excuses made while stuck in the status quo and all the while sliding downhill to a less effective, less productive future.

Nonprofits whose very future existence depends on breaking out of the status quo are a lot like politicians and governments when it comes to dealing with climate change.

Although the necessity for change goes to their very future, most organizations stick with the status quo. Why?   Because, just like climate change, the need for change is a relatively slow moving emergency. There is always something seemingly more urgent on the agenda.

The inevitable reality is that the riptide of conventional wisdom, so-called ‘best practices’ and the persistent fear of ‘not meeting the numbers’ and ‘not having time’ will eventually pull them under.

We all might express the best of intentions, but our fears — our Big Nonsense Excuses — conspire against the best of intentions.

The greatest challenge most nonprofits and their fundraisers face is to be able to distinguish the merely urgent from the truly important. And to then … focus and act on the truly important.

What excuses have you heard – or given?

Roger