Leverage Your Nonprofit Organizational Knowledge for Better Redesigns

Lisa Hirst Carnes | November 2023

Illustration of different people holding up speech bubbles.

A few weeks ago, we did a quick content brainstorming session during our morning huddle. A couple of people mentioned organizational knowledge. In our experience, nonprofits with an understanding of their organization produce better results.

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In our twenty-five years of business, we’ve seen a lot. From established organizations with documented processes to emerging ones still figuring things out.

No matter where your organization is on the spectrum, organizational knowledge will help your nonprofit get more done.

Before we dive in, let’s take a closer look at organizational knowledge in general. Organizational knowledge is the collective knowledge, information, and expertise an organization possesses.

It encompasses explicit and tacit knowledge. Explicit information is documented and transferable, such as processes, reports, and databases. Tacit knowledge is more experiential and challenging to formalize, like employee expertise. We all know people who run the show. Without them, the organization would be up a creek.

Organizational knowledge is critical for nonprofit organizations.

Better Decisions

That insider information, organizational knowledge, offers a foundation for making informed, data-driven decisions. Nonprofits can use historical data and expertise within the organization to make decisions. Spelled out, this makes sense!

Innovative Problem Solving

We’ve all heard knowledge is power, but it’s also a catalyst for innovation. By leveraging collective wisdom, nonprofits can develop solutions and adapt to evolving circumstances.

Efficiency and Effectiveness

Organizational knowledge allows us to learn from past successes and failures. It also helps streamline processes, making your programs more effective. This is critical! Have you ever wondered why you’re reinventing the wheel?

Team Backup and Redundancy

Given the nonprofit employee turnover rate of 19%, sharing knowledge is crucial. It ensures that the nonprofit retains critical information as team members change.

Improved Collaboration

Knowledge sharing fosters collaboration and teamwork within nonprofit organizations. When individuals can access and share information, it promotes a culture of collaboration.

Accountability and Evolution

Organizational knowledge supports transparency and accountability. By documenting information about programs, finances, and results, nonprofits can evolve.

Resource Mobilization

Nonprofits always need funding and support from donors, foundations, and other stakeholders. Demonstrating a deep knowledge base and success record boosts an organization’s credibility. When we work with clients who have a deep well of organizational knowledge, it makes a big difference.

Have we convinced you how crucial organizational knowledge is? Well, now what?

Nonprofits must develop knowledge management strategies and tools.

Establish a Knowledge Management System

Create a dedicated knowledge management system or platform to centralize and organize information. This can be as simple as a shared Google Drive or more sophisticated software. We recently started to use Google Workspace Shared Drives for more efficient collaboration.

Determine Key Knowledge Areas

Identify the critical knowledge areas most relevant to your nonprofit’s mission and operations. This may include programs and services, fundraising strategies, volunteer management, etc.

Document Existing Knowledge

Encourage team members to create playbooks for standard practices and procedures. This can be through written documents, training materials, videos, or other formats.

Encourage Sharing and Helpfulness

Promote a culture of knowledge sharing within your organization. Encourage team members to share their insights, lessons learned, and new information.

Commit to Continuous Improvement

Create mechanisms for feedback and evaluation of knowledge management processes. Use this feedback to improve your knowledge management system. Doing so will also foster a culture of continuous learning and evolution.

Measure and Monitor

Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of your knowledge management. Track metrics such as how often team members access the knowledge base. Look for gaps and opportunities.

Commit to Training and Solid Onboarding

Develop a comprehensive training and onboarding process for new employees and volunteers. Include access to the knowledge repository and mentorship from experienced team members.

Adapt and Evolve

Be open to evolving your knowledge management strategy as your nonprofit grows. Stay flexible and adapt to new technologies and best practices.

Organizational knowledge empowers nonprofits to make a positive impact on their communities.