In today’s dynamic and rapidly changing world, nonprofits face numerous challenges. To tackle these challenges efficiently, many organizations are formalizing their use of Agile methodologies like Scrum.
But what exactly is a Scrum Team within a nonprofit organization?
A Scrum Team in a nonprofit organization typically consists of individuals with different skills and expertise, ranging from project managers and developers to marketers and fundraisers. Each team member brings a unique perspective and set of abilities to ensure the successful implementation of projects and initiatives.
A layman’s way to describe a Scrum team?
A group of colleagues in an organization that have a shared commitment to achieving their mission, vision, and service(s).
To be a Scrum team, and not “only” an Agile team, a team will be following the specific “rules” of Scrum laid out in the Scrum Guide. There will be 3 roles/accountabilities present in the team, 5 events that the team participates in, and 3 artifacts that help make their work visible.
So, what does this actually look like in nonprofits?
A Scrum team could be the Grant Team in an organization. Grant teams are a group of cross-functional colleagues, usually representing a wide range of skills/responsibilities in an organization from finance to program delivery to leadership, that have a stake in seeing grants be successfully applied for and managed.
A Scrum team could be a specific program delivery team within an organization. Program teams, whether focused on running an adult day program for people living with dementia, an after-school tutoring program, or delivering hot meals to home-bound community members, are cross-functional teams focused on providing the highest quality services to community members/clients.
Here are some examples you can check out from our 10-minute video case studies that we have highlighted through our Agile in Nonprofits Online Summit:
- American Forest Foundation – They have multiple Scrum teams within the organization.
- Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas – They have one program team within the organization operating as a Scrum team.
- FINE – They have their organization, which is small, yet mighty, operates as one Scrum team.
Interested in learning more about if running your team as a Scrum is right for your organization? View our journey map to see where your organization can start and strengthen your journey!