For Nonprofit Leaders
How to Write a Goal That Actually Gets Done
Write your goal as one sentence: "We will move [measure] from X to Y by [date]." If you cannot fill in all four parts with specifics, no one will know what to do on Monday.
Most nonprofit goals fail because no one can tell what to actually do about them. "Serve more families." "Deepen our community impact." "Grow our donor base." Ask your team what to do about them on Monday morning, and you'll get blank stares.
What makes a goal pass the test?
A goal passes the one-sentence test when it has all four parts:
- A measure: a specific action your team controls
- A starting point (X): where it is today
- A target (Y): where you want it to be
- A deadline: a real date
Free tool
Ready to test your goal?
Answer four prompts and the tool will turn your idea into one sentence your team can act on.
We will move ______ from X to Y by [date].
Three principles for nonprofit leaders
1. Narrow until it hurts. If you put your goal in front of a frontline staffer or volunteer coordinator right now, would they know what to do this week? If not, it is still too broad. Keep narrowing.
2. Protect the one thing. Nonprofits never have enough staff or money for everything. The organizations that thrive pick the one thing that matters most this quarter and build a system to protect it from everything else.
3. Hard times are the real test. When funding is uncertain and the team is stretched thin, a goal no one can act on wastes the time and money you have left.
A nonprofit example
Vague "Increase community awareness." This tells no one what to do.
Sharp "Move first-time volunteer retention from 30% to 50% by December." This gives your team a finish line they can actually see.
Frequently asked questions
What is the one-sentence goal test?
It is a way to check whether a goal is clear enough to act on. Write it as: We will move [measure] from X to Y by [date]. If you cannot fill in all four parts with specifics, your team will not know what to do with it.
Why do most nonprofit goals fail?
Most nonprofit goals fail because no one can tell what to actually do about them. They say where you want to end up, but not what to do first or how you will know it is working.
How is this different from a SMART goal?
It is a simpler, faster version of the same idea. Instead of checking five separate criteria, you force the goal into one sentence that must contain a measure, a starting point, a target, and a deadline.
How specific should a nonprofit goal be?
Specific enough that a frontline staffer or volunteer coordinator would know what to do this week. If they would not, the goal is still too broad. Keep narrowing it.
What if my goal is about something hard to measure, like impact?
Pick a number that stands in for impact and that your team can track. Instead of move our impact, try move families served per month from 40 to 65. The proxy keeps you honest.
How many goals should we set at once?
Fewer than you think. Pick the one goal that matters most this quarter and protect it from everything else. Teams that chase many goals at once usually finish none.
Where does this framework come from?
It is adapted from the 4 Disciplines of Execution framework by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling.
Found this useful? Forward it to a colleague who is juggling too many goals.
Adapted for nonprofit leaders from the 4 Disciplines of Execution framework by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling. Read the full essay: The One-Sentence Test for Goals That Actually Get Done.