The Salvation Army is rightfully considered one of the most effective, best-managed nonprofit organizations in America. In five brief paragraphs, they summarize their value-based operating guidelines.
- Keep first things first. To put it another way, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. It requires a constant reminder to everyone in the organization as to why there is a Salvation Army in the world and what its mission is.
- Maintain strict integrity in business. There should never be any question about that. Our word must be our bond, and anyone dealing with us should rest assured that there will be no misrepresentation, no shortcuts, no special interests or conflict of interests.
- People are important. The paperwork and administrative functions in this complicated age are more than burdensome. Sometimes they are overwhelming. Every person must be of immense importance to us. People are the reason for our existence. People are the focus of our mission. People provide our ministry and people receive it.
- Service is essential. We are to shun materialism and avoid greediness on the one hand. On the other, a prudent, careful allocation and use of resources is incumbent as we seek to spread limited resources to meet unlimited needs. Our cherished reputation for making the dollar go further than most other organizations must be more than a reputation. It must be demonstrated every day by our stewardship.
- Results are more important than plans. We are in a bottom-line oriented society. Salvation Army supporters want to know and have a right to know what results are being produced. It is important for us to be able to clearly identify families we have reunited and restored, wayward youth turned in the right direction, alcohol and drug abusers cured, liabilities turned into assets.
The older I get, the less patience I have for the slobbering hyperbole so common in nonprofits — (best, greatest, excellence, leading-edge . . .). Spare me! Are you making a difference in the lives of the people you profess to serve? If you went out of business tomorrow, would we even notice? The bottom line is, are you living you mission, or it all just “happy talk?”
Given the challenges facing the planet, I believe that it is immoral for an organization to suck up resources and not to delivered ten-fold results. Lead, follow, or get out of the way; there is no third option.
