Solve to Learn #08:

Dan Prudhomme | March 26, 2023

Not Subscribed Yet?

 Join Free

WHO I’M QUOTING:

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."-Mahatma Gandhi

WHAT’S ON READING RADAR:

"The Lean Nonprofit: The Innovative Leader's Guide to Building a Sustainable Organization by Jacob Harold (@jacobcharold) and Kathleen Enright (Enright4good)

This book is a practical guide that provides advice on how non-profit organizations can apply lean startup principles to build more sustainable and effective organizations. 

"Creating A World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammed Yunus (@MuhammedYunus)

This book is a seminal work on social entrepreneurship that explore the concept of social business and how it can be used to create a world without poverty that can include SMBs. 

SOLVE TO LEARN FRAMEWORK:

SITUATION-FIRST: Most people take an average of 2-3 minutes to jump to a conclusion versus a diagnosis of the facts.

SOLVE: Get to know the situation.

TO (THE OUTLINE): Familiarize yourself with the content and understand the outline.

• STAR Outlining System

1. Situation

2. The 5 Whys

3. Analysis

4. Revenue

LEARN:  Embrace the opportunity and absorb the knowledge!

STAR OUTLINING SYSTEM- SCENARIO

Situation

• A non-profit social entrepreneur runs an organization that provides educational resources to underprivileged children in rural areas.  
• The organization used edutainment and content marketing to engage children and make learning fun.  
• However, the organization has been struggling to generate revenue and attract new donors. 

The 5 Whys

• Why has there been a decline in donations? 

• Because they haven't been able to attract new donors. 

• Why haven't they been able to attract new donors? 

• Because their content marketing strategy is not effective.

• Why is their content marketing strategy not effective? 

• Because they are not reaching their target audience. 

• Why are they not reaching their target audience? 

• Because they haven't identified the right channels to promote their content.

• Why haven't they identified the right channels? 

• Because they haven't conducted a thorough analysis of their target audience and their media consumption habits. 

Analysis

• To increase revenue and attract new donors, the non-profit social entrepreneur decides to conduct a thorough analysis of their target audience and their media consumption habits especially given the background as a former SMB owner.

• They conduct surveys and focus groups with parents and teachers in rural areas to identify which channels would be most effective in reaching their target audience.
• Based on the analysis, the organization decides to focus its content marketing on social media platforms and local broadcast TV. 

Revenue

• Based on the analysis, the organization creates engaging content that is tailored to the preferences of its target audience and promotes it through targeted advertising campaigns on social media and local broadcast TV. 
• They also collaborate with local schools and community organizations to promote their content and increase their reach. 
• As a result, the organization is able to increase its revenue and attract new donors. The social entrepreneur continues to monitor the effectiveness of their content marketing strategy and makes adjustments as necessary based on ongoing analysis and feedback from their target audience.

BURNOUT BUSTING

A burnout busting example is the non-profit social entrepreneur prioritizing self-care and delegating tasks to their team members. Here's how it can be implemented: 

• Identify areas of work that can be delegated.
• Train team members.
• Set clear expectations and communicate regularly.
• Prioritize self-care activities. 
• Take a break or vacation.

As the organization is struggling with revenue and donor retention, the social entrepreneur may feel the pressure to take on more tasks and work longer hours to try to fix the problem. 

Additionally, this approach can help prevent burnout and ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization. 

FUNNY ORIGINS:

One day, while taking a break to enjoy a cup of coffee, a struggling non-profit social entrepreneur accidentally spilled their drink on their laptop, causing it to malfunction. In a moment of frustration, the social entrepreneur exclaimed, "I need a break!"

Suddenly, an idea struck - what if they could combine their passion for education with their love of comedy? They could create an edutainment program that not only taught children valuable skills but also made them laugh.

Thus, the non-profit organization's content marketing strategy shifted towards creating funny and engaging educational content, and the non-profit social entrepreneur was able to prevent burnout by incorporating humor into their work. 

The organization's new approach proved to be a hit with children and parents alike, and soon they were receiving donations from all over the world. 

And so, the accidental coffee spill turned out to be a blessing in disguise, leading to a successful and hilarious approach to education.  

SEAL THE DEAL

Non-profit social entrepreneurship like running an SMB is no easy feat, but with the right strategies, you can achieve your mission and make a positive impact. 

By prioritizing engaging content creation, delegating tasks to prevent burnout, and analyzing revenue streams, you can take steps toward success.

Remember to prioritize self-care and seek support when needed, and never forget the importance of your mission. With these strategies, you can overcome challenges and make an impact. 

Just keep unriddling!

DP

If you like threads like this, join subscribers who received this issue in more detail yesterday and hit the follow button.

RESOURCES

Read past issues of Solve To Learn in Solve To Learn Newsletter.