Fix Your Focus

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In the past two weeks, nearly every United Way I have talked to has mentioned the same thing – lack of focus. Each of the United Ways were very aware of their lack of focus and the impact it was having on their work. They would talk about how difficult it was to explain what their United Way does and the struggle to communicate all the work their United Way is involved in, because of their lack of focus. They would talk about trying to figure out how to allocate funding when every program qualifies, because of their lack of focus. They would talk about the challenge of raising money when grant funders only saw United Way as a pass-through organization, because of their lack of focus.

Not only does a lack of focus make the work more difficult, but it is hard on the staff. Think about how much you can get done when you are really passionate about a project like crocheting a blanket, restoring a car, or renovating your house. When you are at work it is no different. It is difficult to be passionate about your work when there is a lack of focus. Part of the reward of working in the nonprofit sector is knowing you are making a difference, which can be hard to see when there is a lack of focus.

How to Fix Your Focus

Most United Ways are dysfunctional because they try to focus on too many things. By definition, focus is direction, center of activity, emphasis, convergence – note that all of these are singular not plural. Focus is one thing. When a United Way has five focus areas, they really don’t have a focus at all.

Fixing your focus is not adding more, it is removing things. Focus is simplicity, stripping down what your United Way does to a concrete and inspirational reason for being. It is answering questions like:

  • Why is our United Way essential?

  • What problem do donors want our United Way to solve?

  • How will we know our United Way has succeeded?

Fixing your focus requires the discipline to truly focus on one thing.

An Issue Focus

We believe the focus of United Ways should be changing lives and we call this an issue focus. Issue focused United Ways choose a critical issue in their community such as poverty, hunger, kindergarten readiness, high school graduation, homelessness, etc. and lead the community to achieve a bold goal related to their issue. Issue focused United Ways identify and invest in programs to address the issue and achieve the bold goal. Issue focused United Ways seek funding for those programs and ask donors to give to United Way to help achieve the bold goal. Issue focused United Ways communicate about the importance of addressing the issue and how people can give, advocate, and volunteer to address the issue.

With an issue focus, your United Way has only one focus – achieving the bold goal for your issue. If you want to fix your focus, you need look no further than an issue focus. Start focusing your United Way by learning more about an issue focus from our manifesto, video, and case study.