As human beings, it’s easy to tell when we aren’t feeling well. We may get a stuffy nose, sore throat, chills, or nausea — the signs are usually clear and unpleasant. But when it comes to the health of your organization, the warning signs aren’t always as obvious.
So how do you know when your organization’s health is in jeopardy?
Vitality focuses on an organization’s ability to grow sustainably. Is it viable enough to explore new strategies, remain stable long-term, and stay both profitable and mission-strong? We believe there are five main components that must be considered when evaluating the vitality and viability of your camp or retreat center.
You must have a clear “why” in order to make an impact. How is your organization making a difference? What are its goals for the future? Is the vision unique and specific enough to have its own thumbprint in the industry?
Without knowing where you’re going and why, you will not move forward. Organizations that fail to breathe life into their purpose and programming often get stuck repeating historical patterns, making it difficult to grow and evolve. Staying active and aligned with your mission fuels the long-term life of your organization.
It’s important to know who you are serving and what competition exists in your area. Is there a community need for your services? How do you stand out from organizations with similar offerings?
Understanding your competitive advantages and your primary audience helps shape your outreach and programming. It also provides realistic insight into your potential for growth.
Without leadership staff, your organization wouldn’t be able to operate — but there’s a big difference between operating and operating well. Although staff members often wear many hats, there still needs to be enough capacity and support to cover the specialized areas of your work.
This includes having a director to hold and articulate the vision, program leadership focused on delivering excellence, finance staff to monitor organizational health, and development staff to drive sustainability. While every organization structures itself differently, these core functions must be met for long-term viability. One or two people cannot fulfill all of these roles effectively while still enabling growth.
The facilities you maintain are essential to your programming. Keeping campers in an environment that meets their basic needs — safety, cleanliness, and comfort — is critical. You also need to assess whether you have the capacity to grow or if your physical space is holding you back.
Without the proper facilities, your organization will struggle to thrive.
The last component to consider is the financial health of your organization. This tends to be the most obvious indicator, but it is often misunderstood.
Revenue is only one piece of the puzzle. Camps also need annual funds to maintain operations, keep up with major maintenance (or catch up on deferred maintenance), and build the capacity for capital improvements and innovation.
We use these five system components to assess the capacity of many organizations we work with. They provide a framework for generative conversations and help supply the evidence needed to make informed decisions. These conversations can be difficult depending on the current health of the organization — but they are necessary.
If you need support evaluating your organizational health, contact us for a consultation. We would be happy to go deeper into these five components and the insights they can offer your team.
