The holiday named for Rev. Martin Luther King Junior is a time for reflecting on the power each of us has to change the world. In his most famous speech, “I Have a Dream” delivered on August 28, 1963, Dr. King envisioned a world where people would be judged “not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
The nonprofit world is full of dreamers. People who, as Senator Edward Kennedy said at his brother Robert’s funeral in 1968, “dream things that never were and say why not.” Here are some tips about the best ways to use your dream to fuel your work.
- Dream Big – Don’t be afraid to set a lofty goal, even if it is difficult to envision yourself reaching that goal. Doing so motivates those around you to put in the major effort that nonprofit work requires. The goals of Teak’s clients inspire us every day, whether it is Health in Harmony reversing climate crisis by halting tropical rainforest deforestation, Lappin Foundation ending hate and antisemitism through Holocaust education, or Boston Schools Fund pushing for every child, regardless of race, ability, income, or neighborhood to attend a high-quality school.
- Articulate Your Dream – It is difficult to build support for your mission if you can’t articulate it. Develop what many call an “elevator pitch” that describes what your goal is in an easy to understand, jargon free sentence. This language should then be used in interviews, on marketing materials, and on social media.
- Find Creative Pathways – Large problems often require out of the box solutions. What seems crazy to some might be an effective strategy in the long run. For example, some have questioned why Boston Uncornered is providing financial support to gang members, until they realize society is already paying three times as much to keep people in prison and that former gang leaders can be the solution to gang violence and urban poverty rather than just the source of it.
- Don’t be Discouraged by Setbacks – The road to your dream may not be a straight line. There will be times when the actions you take don’t get the results you think they should. Rather than abandoning your dream, use your experience to inform your work and to find new paths to the intended result.
- Gather Proof of your Progress – While having a vision is one thing, proving success is another. Reporters and funders will be looking for evidence of the efficacy of your work. Either gather the evidence yourself or team up with experts in the field such as academics to help you produce the statistics that can help you build support. Testimonials are another way to show the impact of your work. Sharing the stories of those you help can add a human face to the problem you are solving. Their feedback can help you shape your programming.
