Management strategies and key terms

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play a crucial role in promoting social, economic, and environmental sustainability throughout the world, and of course in East Africa (an area of focus for Maktaba.org).

Through a collection of resources for social entrepreneurs and non-profits, we are publishing advice, ideas and stories about our journey to develop a non-profit that delivers free educational resources both digitally and in-person.

NGOs (like Maktaba.org) need a clear and concise plan, as well as a motivated and aligned team. One way to achieve this is by using SMART goals.

Below is an example a hypothetical East African NGO using SMART goals to empower their team.
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. The following are the five elements of SMART goals and how they can help align your NGO team:
1. Specific: A specific goal has a clear and precise definition. It answers the questions "What", "Why", and "How". For...

Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises need to clearly define their organizational goals

We are often asked how we got started with Maktaba and other non-profit initiatives. Step 1 is to define a mission and clear goals for the organization. Much of our efforts are a work in progress...but these are some of the recommended steps for setting the direction of a non-profit.
1. Determine your mission and values: Start by defining your organization's mission and core values, which will provide a clear direction for all decision-making and goal-setting.
2. Identify your target audience: Understand who your target audience is and what their needs and pain points are. This will help you to better align your goals with the needs of your target audience.
3. Conduct a SWOT analysis: Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify your organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, which will help you to better understand your current situation and potential for growth.
4. Define...

1. Deliver free books in Swahili and English to communities all over the world
2. Empower educational communities in East Africa
3. Connect mentors with students around the world

I did management consulting for many years and am part of a small team of volunteers developing Maktaba.org. 

We are still working on our core features as well as trying techniques to reach new readers and people that might enjoy participating in our community....but I thought I'd share some of the ideas we are considering to help out other social entrepreneurs.

Based on research and experience with previous online projects, I have developed a small list of free ideas of how any non-profit might collaborate with influencers and bloggers. Of course influencers and bloggers will promote a website if you pay them, but since we have a limited marketing budget, we are looking for free marketing opportunities. Hopefully others can benefit from these ideas as well.

We'll keep everyone posted on various endeavors we pursue, but our guiding principle is to establish mutually beneficial partnerships that align with both our organizational goals and our collaborator's interests.

Step 1:...

Continuously improve our website: Regularly evaluate and improve our website to provide a better user experience and increase user engagement.

Optimize for search engines: Ensure that our website is search engine optimized (SEO) to increase visibility on search engines and drive organic traffic.

Engage with our audience: Engage with our audience through social media, email, and other channels to build relationships and increase brand awareness.

Content marketing: Create high-quality, engaging content that provides value to our target audience and share it through social media, email, and other channels to attract more visitors.

Paid advertising: Use paid advertising such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads to reach a larger audience and drive targeted traffic to our website.

Collaborate with influencers or bloggers: Partner with influencers or bloggers in your niche to reach their audience and promote our website.

Offer a referral program: Encourage existing users to refer their...

Setting goals is an important part of any successful project or organization, but it's not always easy to get it right. One popular method of goal setting is the SMART framework, which encourages setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. While SMART goals can be effective for some organizations, there are also some downsides that social entrepreneurs should be aware of before relying on them exclusively.
SMART goals can be too rigid and prescriptive. 
By focusing solely on tangible, quantifiable goals, social entrepreneurs may overlook important but intangible factors, such as team morale or company culture...each of which may be critical to success. Additionally, the pressure to meet specific, time-bound targets can lead to an "all or nothing" mentality, where barely missed goals are deemed total failures.
SMART goals can limit creativity and innovation.
By focusing solely on what is known to be achievable, social entrepreneurs may overlook...

What is social entrepreneurship? (source: causeartist)
A term used for business models with a social or environmental focus. A social entrepreneur creates social and/or environmental change, either through a for-profit or non-profit business model. (Check out Chapter 3 in this free PDF about entrepreneurship, or another free entrepreneurship textbook)
The site Causeartist (source of many referenced articles) tends to focus more on social entrepreneurship through the lens of for-profit businesses.
The article is a good read, but in general, social entrepreneurs identify social problems and develop business solutions to address them. Unlike traditional businesses, social entrepreneurs are motived by both profit AND creating an impact.

The importance of website design for non-profits (a podcast)
https://studiohumankind.com/shop (templates are $800+, which we don't need, but we can implement ANY of the design concepts that we like...we just have to identify them and prioritize)

Also,...

It was such an honor to meet with Books for Africa in Minneapolis, Minnesota last week and learn more about their incredible work delivering over 50 million books to every country in Africa! We are excited to partner with them next year to bring books to readers of all ages in Tanzania. We'll need your help. Look forward to updates on how you can start a book drive or fundraiser in your community.
Schools and organizations in Tanzania who need books are encouraged to get in touch regarding partnership.
Shule na mashirika yanayohitaji vitabu, tafadhali wasiliana nasi, tushirikiane.