Among 465 nonprofits:
Reports on a survey of nonprofits on fundraising challenges, strategies, and results in 2009, by organization size and compared with 2008. Explores factors behind better fundraising results and lower staff morale as well as 2010 goals. Encourages more spending on development - perhaps not surprising since from a development consulting group! But of interst - the findings that 45% of the nonprofits they surveyed had higher fundraising results, 37% lower result in 2009 than 2008.
This new resource explains the benefits of coaching for nonprofit leaders and their organizations and lays out questions to consider from the nonprofits' perspective, including on the costs and duration of coaching and confidentiality issues. Includes quotes from coachees.
A new article in Stanford Social Innovation Review by consultant David LaPiana reads in part:
"Mergers are risky business. They sometimes fail, although not so frequently as in the corporate world. They usually cost more than anticipated. They sometimes create more problems than they solve. And the problems that they allegedly solve—too many nonprofits, too small in size—may not be problems after all.Instead of reflexively pulling out the biggest gun in the partnership arsenal, nonprofits should consider a variety of ways of working together. After facilitating some 200 nonprofit restructurings (including mergers, administrative consolidations, and other partnerships), my colleagues and I have developed a few rules of thumb for when nonprofits should merge, when they should remain fully independent, and when they should undertake unions that lie between these two poles. We've also identified how funders can help—or hurt—the formation of nonprofit partnerships."
Read the fiull piece here
"What started as a highly addictive pastime for early adopters to alert their friends of their whereabouts and compete for virtual mayorship of their corner coffee shop, is steadily evolving into a global vehicle for individuals and businesses to garner social capital. With tech evangelists and small businesses exploring the potential power of Foursquare and other location enabled services, it was only a matter of time before change makers in the non-profit and social enterprise ecosystem "checked-in" and began finding innovative methods to rally support for their causes."
Check out the list here.
Compelling article from Harvard Business Review describing backlash for high paid nonprofit executives.
"What all this reveals is a curse of proximity. A market approach is allowed within the nonprofit sector when the emotional sympathy for the needy is absent; high salaries can be paid to entertain high society without a question. But the moment the thought of a starving child or a struggling mother is introduced, all the rules change. The needy's own images work against them."
From the report: "[ACORN] Founder Wade Rathke and certain former leaders failed to understand the need for basic principles of organizational governance, accountability and compliance, in the drive to grow and succeed. ACORN's longstanding management weaknesses, including a lack of training, a lack of procedures, and a lack of on-site supervision."
Sounds like a classic case of chasing the money rather than focusing on core competencies. Like a lot of people, I received great community organizing training and experience through ACORN and PIRG. These grass roots organizations are at the front lines of eradicating poverty and giving people a voice and a fair shot at justice. Might be time for ACORN to get back to basics.
Innovative thinking is the key to the success of both for and nonprofit business models, and increasing the flow of ideas between these two groups fosters greater creativity, cooperation, and success.
Join with us to build a new synergy between the public and private sectors, one that will that will make Utah an even better place to live, raise our families and grow our businesses.