Don't know where I fit in the scheme of things here, but I have to start somewhere. It's time to strike up a conversation backed by sound research, philosophy and experience. How is it we don't have our own "Wall Street Journal" by now. So much of the real-estate space in nonprofit rags is devoted to a) our own salaries; b) how to raise money; or c) what nifty new accounting software we should buy. I've launched my own blog, the Nonprofit to do my part - kickoff some discussion on real stuff, like revenue recognition, the meaning of charity, the hazards of promising too much, the oxymoron of performance outcomes, etc. etc. Join in, viva la revolution!
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Comments
Nonprofit non-innovation
Hey, Pam, I like your blog, nonprofiteye. Good writing and humor. And I think you've put your finger right on the button about the "dearth" (good word) of innovation. Like you, I think most of the discussion in philanthropy publications is stale and the repetition of old platitudes that have been around forever (my tenure in NPOs is a decade more than yours). A colleague of mine, Lisa Meyers, at FISpace was raising the same question just the other day. There are problems of corporate culture compounded by nonprofit culture. Do I have the answer? Nah, but we can commiserate.
I blogged your blog.
David Collin
Director of Organizational Learning
American Cancer Society
http://www.fispace.org
Blush Blush
Thanks David, I so rarely get to use words like "dearth". Funny that I can manage that but not actually spell the name of my own blog! Oy. The plug is groovy (very), but it's much more inspiring to know there are others out there on the same page. I ready to shake up this industry. Now I just have to figure out how. LOL
==Pam
Back to the topic of innovation
It seems to me there are several reasons there is limited innovation in nonprofits. Nonprofits are usually reactive rather than proactive. By that I mean, they come along and clean up the casualties after the mainstream economy and culture have left them behind. Nonprofits seldom seem to look ahead and anticipate the problems that will be generated by changing times. Some nonprofits are clinging to missions that made sense in the '70s but are just dead horses now.
Something that goes through my mind a lot is: What will the problems be in 2015, 2020 and beyond that we ought to be anticipating, but we're not? What nonprofits will be vying for money and attention in a decade that aren't in Guidestar now"?
There's still time to get the jump on 'em.
David Collin
Director of Organizational Learning
American Cancer Society
http://www.fispace.org