Q&A: Nonprofit Project Management
How is project management different for nonprofits?
Project management is meant to be broadly applicable and to apply across industries and sectors. At its core, project management strategies support us in collaborative work, helping us marshall people and resources to achieve goals or outcomes.
Because project management as a discipline originated in military and manufacturing environments and has been heavily adopted and influenced by the for-profit sector, the language of project management often feels disconnected from nonprofit work. Beyond variations in terminology (ex., deliverables vs. outcomes), the differences between project management in the for-profit sector and nonprofits boil down to how strategies are applied.
Generally and broadly, nonprofit project management tends to:
Rely more on other measures of project success, such as user satisfaction or strategic alignment, and less on the standard for-profit measures of “on time and under budget.”
Rely less on dedicated, stable project teams, as nonprofit project teams are more likely to vary by project, include outside stakeholders, and be an added responsibility on top of a team member’s primary role.
Focus less on strict monitoring of project progress.
Focus more on supporting stakeholder/user collaboration and engagement (although agile project management methodologies champion this in for-profit environments as well).
Need more support leading successful projects?
Learn about our Project Services, schedule an introductory call with Jami Yazdani, or add a 1-hr Project Coaching Session to our calendar!
