The Enquirer’s Sydney Franklin recently took a fascinating look at Cincinnati’s nonprofit building boom. I confess I had little idea of its scale. Across our region, charitable organizations are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in new facilities, expansions, renovations, and capital projects.
As I read her article, however, I found myself asking a question that was outside the scope of her reporting: What exactly is all this building supposed to accomplish?
That may sound like an odd question. Buildings are often necessary. Hospitals need treatment space. Shelters need beds. Food banks need warehouses. In those cases, the connection between the building and the mission is obvious. More space can mean more patients treated, more families housed, or more meals distributed.
But every organization, nonprofit or otherwise, has a core mission. And that mission is ultimately measured through outcomes. The measure of success is not the age, size, or attractiveness of the building. It is the results achieved.
That is why every major capital project should be accompanied by a simple question: How will this building improve outcomes?
What measurable difference will it make? How many more people will be served? How much better will the results be?
Every organization has its own metrics. A school should be able to demonstrate educational achievement. A homeless shelter should be able to demonstrate housing stability. A workforce development program should be able to demonstrate employment outcomes. Donors should know these metrics and understand how success is being measured.
Most importantly, organizations should be able to explain how a proposed building project will improve those metrics. Will more children be educated? Will more families find permanent housing? Will more people receive treatment? Will more lives be changed?
There should be a clear linkage between a new building and improved outcomes. To talk about one without the other is a disconnect.
Too often, nonprofits celebrate capital campaigns, ribbon cuttings, and architectural renderings while giving far less attention to the measurable impact those investments are expected to produce.
A building is not the mission. A building is a tool in service of the mission. The mission is the outcome.
When donors write checks, they are not investing in brick, glass, concrete, or steel. They are investing in the people the organization exists to serve. Every dollar spent − whether on programs, personnel, or facilities − should ultimately be justified by its contribution to that purpose.
Before applauding the next major nonprofit building project, perhaps we should ask a simple question: How will this building improve the lives of the people it was built to serve?
Dennis Doyle lives in Anderson Township and is a member of the Enquirer Board of Contributors.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati’s nonprofit building boom raises a big question | Opinion
Reporting by Dennis Doyle, Opinion contributor / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Dennis Doyle, Opinion contributor | USA TODAY Network
