Whether you’re a newly established and growing organization or an established non-profit, board governance is critical to the overall success of your organization. One important part of that is creating Ends Policies – documents that set forth measurable goals your non-profit plans to reach over a given period. Having these ends goals not only provides clarity on what outcomes you will see but also helps steer any decisions made by the board in specific directions for maximum impact.

In this blog post, we’ll look at why non-profits need ends policies, how to create them and the benefits they provide.

What Are Ends Policies?

End policies are written documents that provide clear direction on what an organization’s goals should be, who is responsible for accomplishing those goals, and how they should be achieved.

For many, Ends Policy and the Strategic Plan may seem to be one in the same.  The fact is they are not.  One involves strategy intended to be interpreted during the process of undertaking actions to accomplish the organization’s goals. The other policy, sets out rules to direct the decision-making process.

In the book Reinventing Your Board: A Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Policy Governance, board governance experts and authors John Carver and Miriam Carver refer to Ends Policy as "The Real Bottom Line."

John Carver and Miriam Carver describe ends policies as not about "determining what the organization does but what it is for."  In the context of Policy governance, John Carver, and Miriam Carver state that "the term Ends refers to the effects (impacts) an organization seeks to have on the world outside itself. Its work will cause something to be different for someone at some cost."

In short, ends policies ensure that all members of the organization understand the expected results, know, and understand who will be positively impacted when those results are achieved, and the tangible benefit(s) to the stakeholder or client communities resulting from ends achievement. Ends policy also defines roles and responsibilities in achieving success and include a detailed timeline for when certain tasks need to be completed.

By creating these Ends Policy documents, non-profit organizations can ensure that everyone, board, committees, management, staff, and volunteers are working lockstep toward the same defined end.  Bottom Line – Ends Policies are your organizations roadmap to success.

Benefits of Establishing Ends Policies

Establishing Ends Policies is an important step in ensuring the board is focused on increasing their organization’s impact on a certain group or community.  As a leader of your non-profit organization, having Ends Policies in place are beneficial.  The following are a few of the benefits you and your organization will receive by having Ends Policies in place and following them:

1.  Clarity

When policy sets the desired outcomes and identifies who will benefit, it creates a clear, shared purpose for everyone involved with the organization. This clarity of purpose helps ensure that everyone is united towards on unified goal with confidence – making success achievable!

2.  Better focus.

Having an Ends Policy in place gives your organization (board, management, staff and volunteers) a roadmap to success. It allows everyone to stay on track and work together towards the same objectives.

3.  Improved accountability

Your organization can take your leadership potential to the next level! Boosting accountability will be instrumental in enabling teams and individuals to set realistic goals that are achievable on time. Plus, it gives a clear idea of who is responsible for what - making sure no stone goes unturned when striving towards success.

4. Increased transparency

When boards ensure everything they do is in line with their established Ends Policy, it not only helps them make informed decisions but also creates a greater level of transparency. This heightened visibility can help to foster trust and confidence from stakeholders such as clients, donors, or funders - essential for any organization's success!

How To Create Effective Ends Policies

Creating effective Ends policies requires careful consideration and planning. Here are some key steps you should take when developing yours:

Step 1: Gather input from key stakeholders.

It is important to get input from all relevant groups to ensure the Ends policy reflects everyone’s needs, expectations and goals. To obtain as much input as possible about what should be included in your policy, the board needs to actively engage its members, management, staff, clients, funders, donors, volunteers etc.

Step 2: Analyze current practices.

It's crucial for non-profits to take the time and step back from their activities, programs, and services to analyze current practices. This process of review is instrumental for crafting effective go-forward strategies that align with an organization’s desired ends while reflecting on past accomplishments or mistakes.

Looking into End policies can help guide this strategic evaluation allowing a meaningful progress report indicating where improvements are necessary – ultimately creating lasting change and greater impact through actionable solutions.

Step 3: Set clear and measurable goals.

Now is the time to reach for new heights! Your leadership team has been presented with an opportunity that could make a real difference - to set goals and objectives which will shape the future of your organization, giving it the ability to deliver increased impact. This means setting targets that embody ambition whilst still being achievable; so, take this chance to stretch yourself and your organization in order make an even greater and lasting impact. 

Step 4: Identify performance indicators.

With your Ends Policies in hand, it's time to get specific about success. Identifying performance indicators is the key step for ensuring that everyone involved knows how progress will be tracked so you can measure and celebrate when goals are reached!

Step 5: Clarify roles & responsibilities.

Outline who is responsible for each aspect of policy implementation. The responsibility for achieving various portions of the developed Ends Policy may fall to the board and other parts to board committees and management.  

Step 6: Set a timeline for implementation and regular review.

In their book, Reinventing Your Board: A Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Policy Governance, John and Miriam Carver refer to the development and regular review of Ends Policies as a "never-ending task."

As an important and ongoing governance role and responsibility, it will be important for the policy to include defined timelines for when it will be put into action and when it will be reviewed (e.g., annually, or biannually).

Step 7: Communicate the policy effectively.

It is important to ensure that management and all stakeholders understand the policy, its purpose, and how it will be implemented. This can help increase support for the organization's mission and objectives. Additionally, providing regular progress updates on the implementation of the policy will help to keep everyone informed and engaged.

Step 8: Monitor progress & adjust accordingly.

As important as it is for the board to define what it expects ("ends") it is of equal importance for the board to regularly inspect the progress the organization is having toward achieving expected results. The regular review allows the board to adjust can be made if necessary.

Conclusion:

Creating and implementing Ends Policies may seem like a daunting task, but it is critical to the success of any non-profit organization.

With clear Ends Policies in place, your organization will be able to increase its impact and better serve its beneficiaries. By following the 7 recommended steps outlined in this blog post, you can create an effective Ends Policy for your non-profit that will set you on the path to success.

Does your non-profit have an Ends Policy in place?

If not, what step will you take today to start developing one?

Your Friend,
Jon Close, UpCloseTeam