The Importance of Honoring The Commitments You Make to a Nonprofit Organization

This afternoon, I had to make an executive decision to cancel an event, which was a truly sad moment for me and the first time that I have had to cancel an event in my entire professional career and definitely in the history of SEM Link. This week, when we sent an email to reconfirm our speaker for the event, they were no longer available and couldn't find a replacement speaker. With the event being a little over a month away, i thought it was a better use of my time and resources, to focus on other programs and operations projects. This fiscal year, we have implemented a brand new marketing and communications plan that includes starting a heavy marketing campaign for our events no later than a month out. Although, I am sad, I know that it was the right thing to do in the bigger picture of what we are trying to do as an organization.

I tell this story to stress how important it is for individuals and corporations to honor the commitments they make to non profit organizations. We all are busy people with many commitments and responsibilities and it is hard to manage it all. Nonprofit organizations achieve their mission with limited resources and are so reliant on the community to provide resources to achieve their mission in the community. Therefore, when you don't honor your commitment to volunteer, make a financial contribution or donate in-kind good, it is not like canceling a lunch or dinner with a friend or colleague. It can truly be detrimental for the nonprofit because the resource that you committed to the organization, could be only option for the non profit to achieve its mission and to do that particular task or project. I encourage you as you evaluate your priorities and review your calendar, make sure that the commitments that you have made to the nonprofit that you have committed your time, talent and resources to, don't fall through cracks and get put on the backburner.