I’m putting together a course specifically for charities and non-profits. This piece is part of a collection of materials that you can get as handouts, but I’ve also posted it online because even though it was made for the Building Value program, it could be useful for lots more people.
SWOT and PESTLE analyses are two tools that help charities and non-profits figure out where they stand and how they can get better at what they do.
SWOT Analysis is like making a list of what you’re good at and what you’re not so good at, plus the chances you have to do something cool and the stuff that could cause you trouble. It’s all about looking inside your organization.
- Strengths: These are things you rock at. Maybe your charity is super good at getting volunteers.
- Weaknesses: The parts where you’re not so strong. Perhaps it’s hard for you to raise money.
- Opportunities: These are chances out there for you to do better. Like, maybe there’s a new social media app where you could spread your message.
- Threats: Stuff that could make things tough for your charity. It could be another charity doing similar work and competing for attention.
PESTLE Analysis goes wider, looking at the big picture outside your charity to see what external factors could affect you.
- Political: Things like laws or government policies. For example, if the government decides to increase funding for social projects, that could be a big win for you.
- Economic: This could be about how the economy’s doing. In tough times, people might not donate as much.
- Social: Changes in what people care about or think are important. If suddenly everyone’s talking about climate change, that could be an opportunity for environmental charities.
- Technological: New tech stuff that could help or challenge you. Like, can you use new online tools to reach more people?
- Legal: Laws that affect how you operate. Maybe there are new rules about how charities need to report their finances.
- Environmental: This could be actual environmental issues or how the environment affects what you do. If you’re a charity that helps with natural disasters, you need to keep an eye on this.
Example: Imagine a charity called “Tech for Teens” that provides computer skills training to teenagers.
Using SWOT, they might find:
- Strength: Great at partnering with schools.
- Weakness: Not very good at online fundraising.
- Opportunity: A rise in demand for tech skills in the job market.
- Threat: Other organizations starting similar programs.
With PESTLE, they consider:
- Political: New government grants for tech education they could apply for.
- Economic: A recession might make it harder to get donations but also increase demand for free training.
- Social: More people valuing tech skills, which boosts interest in their programs.
- Technological: New software that makes online learning easier.
- Legal: New regulations on digital privacy they need to follow.
- Environmental: Not directly affected, but they make sure to recycle old computers and reduce waste.
By using SWOT and PESTLE, “Tech for Teens” can plan better, play to their strengths, fix their weaknesses, grab new opportunities, and be ready for any threats. It helps them see the big picture and the details of how they can thrive.