The Nonprofit Operations Guide: Capacity
Strategy & Operations Jenn Taylor Strategy & Operations Jenn Taylor

The Nonprofit Operations Guide: Capacity

In the final article in this series, we wrap up by connecting everything you’ve learned about strategy, operating models, and operating systems across early stage, maturing and mature organizations to two different but tightly inter-relating definitions of capacity:

  • Strategic capacity is the overall capability of leadership to ensure ongoing health and stability in an organization.

  • Operational capacity is concerned with the finite resources that enable and simultaneously act as constraints on service delivery.

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The Nonprofit Operations Guide: Mature and Institutional Organizations
Strategy & Operations Jenn Taylor Strategy & Operations Jenn Taylor

The Nonprofit Operations Guide: Mature and Institutional Organizations

Mature organizations have committed to a strategy, have documented their processes, and are mostly engaged in extending their reach and seeking more efficient, effective ways of getting their work done. They are characterized by a focus on governance and protecting their operational alignment to perpetuate their ability to provide services.

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The Nonprofit Operations Guide: Early Stage Organizations / Start-Ups
Strategy & Operations Jenn Taylor Strategy & Operations Jenn Taylor

The Nonprofit Operations Guide: Early Stage Organizations / Start-Ups

Early stage organizations are often characterized as “entrepreneurial” and “scrappy” with a “can-do” attitude that tackles every new problem expecting to solve it through pure energy and determination.

Organizations that are early stage can face unique challenges in their operations. They should remain aware of the importance of early stage flexibility and autonomy, as well as the ways in which flexibility and autonomy are impacted by operational decisions to standardize.

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The Nonprofit Operations Guide: Introduction
Strategy & Operations Jenn Taylor Strategy & Operations Jenn Taylor

The Nonprofit Operations Guide: Introduction

You’ve heard of “strategy” — and you’ve certainly heard of “execution.” But have you ever wondered how an organization figures out exactly what it’s going to do every day to execute on its strategy? Or why so much of that day-to-day seems like it comes straight out of an episode of The Office or a Dilbert cartoon? Or if there’s anything we can do about it?

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