When growth isn’t good

On a trip with a group of supporters in 2005, I excitedly pitched a new initiative that had the potential to help HOPE International reach our goal to serve one hundred thousand families and raise $10 million in revenue: apricots in Uzbekistan. Through a connection, I had learned about an apricot farm in the former Soviet Union that would create opportunities to serve families and help raise funds for HOPE.

After my pitch, Wil, a friend and investor, asked, “What is the current unmet demand for what you’re already doing?” At the time, microfinance institutions were at best serving 25% of the global market—and Christian organizations were meeting less than 1% of the global demand.

Jeff, another trip participant asked an even more pointed question: “What expertise does your team have in apricots and farming?” The message was clear: Why would HOPE expand to apricots when there is so much unmet demand for our core mission?

This was about more than just apricots; it was a challenge to focus on our mission.

Apricot farming in Uzbekistan was outside of HOPE’s focus and expertise. And shimmying our way into the apricot market could have taken business away from ministries like Partners Worldwide and Sovereign’s Capital, who serve Christian entrepreneurs with these types of businesses. Worse, trying to “do it all” would potentially undermine the quality of HOPE’s core services, diverting focus and funding from our mission.

Without clarity and focus, we’re tempted to seize every opportunity. In doing so, we not only lose the ability to say no but also the ability to fully say yes. Spread thin, we offer a substandard product or service. Simply stated, when we try to do everything, we almost inevitably do everything poorly.

Our missions are too important to settle for mediocrity.

In the early years of the nonprofit, leaders built multi-sectoral organizations to make a difference across a diverse group of industries. But with over 1.5 million registered nonprofits in the United States today, there is a growing opportunity for nonprofit organizations to narrow their focus, pursuing excellence in what they do best.

Having spent over 20 years in the nonprofit space, I have started seeing this shift toward specialization as leaders direct their attention and expertise to a particular field. And focus leads to more partnerships and creative collaborations.

Warren Buffet said, “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” The same is true for organizations. The leading ones regularly decline invitations that fall outside of their mission to be “really successful” in what matters most. (Their not-to-do list is just as important as their to-do list—perhaps even more so!)

This clarity is, in part, what makes them successful. Recognizing their organizational limits, they’re committed to honing their craft: listening and learning from the people they serve. Ironically a narrower focus on mission helps expand vision—opening the doors to celebrate and collaborate with others for even greater impact.

I’m grateful friends helped me say no to apricots, so we could say yes to pursuing our core mission with excellence.