In fact, Ms. Crutchfield will be leading a high profile panel that takes its title from John Elkington’s latest book, The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Changing the World, on March 3 at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard's JFK
A Chronicle of Philanthropy profile noted that the authors expected their research into successful non-profit organizations to confirm the notion that charities could thrive by modeling themselves after their for-profit counterparts. What they found was something a little different, and the following are some of the traits identified in Forces for Good that distinguish vibrant organizations from those that are less effective.
What High-Impact Nonprofit Groups Do:
- Use leverage to change entire systems
- Do whatever it takes--short of compromising core values
- Engage outsiders in meaningful experiences
- Build long-term relationships
- Nurture networks of nonprofits
- Constantly adapt and balance creativity with structure
- Empower others to lead and take action
- Invest in the basics: people, fundraising, and systems
What Less-Effective Groups Do:
- Focus exclusively on their own organization
- Only provide direct services, avoid politics
- Treat volunteers as free labor or donors as check writers
- See fellow nonprofits as competitors
- Fear change, become mired in bureaucracy, or get overwhelmed with too many ideas
- Maintain a command-and-control hierarchy and allow the CEO to be the "hero"
