Infrastructure can be defined as the people, systems, and technologies that organizations use to ensure success. Infrastructure is essential to any successful organization regardless of industry. It is the core of any well-functioning establishment, including family foundations and public charities.
An organization with sustainable infrastructure will be successful over multiple generations of leadership and staffing. A sustainable infrastructure is supported by systems and technology that will continue to function even in the face of changes to your team or organization.
We recommend starting your infrastructure design work with the following 4 key questions:
What are the core functions of the organization?
What roles are necessary to support the functions of the organization?
What systems are required to support those functions?
How can technology be used to make systems and processes more efficient?
How do I identify the core functions of my organization?
We like to divide functions into 3 buckets: programs, administration/management, and finances. This diagram outlines brief descriptions of these functions. This breakdown makes identifying your needs easier.
How do I identify which roles are necessary to support the functions?
Look at which roles are needed to support each area, starting with Programs. Focus on the role and not the individual person. Building a role for a person means that when they leave the role will cease to exist in the same way and our systems may fail. If we take the time to build a role and place people who are in alignment with the needs of the role, we will be able to fill the role as needed and our systems will remain intact.
How do I identify which systems are needed to support functions?
This is probably the most challenging question and requires interviewing or spending time with the people who work in each area. Here is when you begin to identify things that work, things that don’t, and what the desired workflow should be.
What role does technology play in this process?
Technology is the key to increasing efficiency by reducing the time needed for tasks through automation and reducing the chance of human error. We find that many of our clients struggle with data entry across multiple platforms. Data management is a constant battle. They need strong systems that allow them to access valuable resources and information, but don’t know where to start. In finance and programming, we see issues of human error that are disruptive and detrimental to the goal of the organization. When examining the role of technology, we evaluate how technology may reduce time spent on tasks, reduce human error, enable us to share information efficiently, and most importantly how it will make life easier!
Having a vision for your foundation or public charity is critical. But the vision will never be achievable without the infrastructure to support it and the people who are working every day to make that vision a reality. Dedicate the energy and resources it takes to design and build the infrastructure you, your team, and your organization deserve. You’ll be rewarded with happier staff members and more time to focus on the mission you love.