Annual Traditions, Collaborate, Communicate, Grow, Impact, Nonprofit Trends, Social Impact Architects
I’ve been reading a biography about Steve Jobs and came across a story I loved and wanted to share. Steve Jobs lived down the street from an elderly man who took an interest in him and shared life lessons with him. One day, he asked Jobs to come into his garage, and...
Annual Traditions, Collaborate, Grow, Growth/Scaling Plans, Impact, Impact Measurement, Nonprofit Trends, System Change
Over the holidays, I read about the history of the nonprofit sector in the United States. I did it because I believe that to predict the future, you must understand the past. It is a fascinating study on how organizations adapt to the times. In colonial days,...
Annual Traditions, Communicate, Impact, Impact Measurement, Lead, Nonprofit Trends, Organizational Culture, Storytelling, Strategic Planning
The father of Total Quality Management, William Edwards Deming, was famous for saying, “A bad system will beat a good person every time.” After a decade of work in the social sector, I came across this quote and it was a life-changing moment. It spoke to me and...
Annual Traditions, Collaborate, Communicate, Grow, Impact Measurement, Nonprofit Trends, Organizational Culture, Storytelling, Strategic Planning
No one was surprised when TIME Magazine named the Ebola Fighters as their choice for Person of the Year 2014. In a crisis that had many blunders, these heroes raised our hope for a better outcome. In the social sector, we have many everyday heroes who do not serve for...
Annual Traditions, Fundraising, Grow, Impact, Impact Measurement, Nonprofit Trends, Strategic Planning
Like many of you, we have been wrestling with the 21st century: What will it be? What should it be called? With hindsight, we are clear that the 18th century was the Agricultural Age, the 19th Century was the Industrial Age, and the 20th Century was the Information...
Annual Traditions, Nonprofit Trends
Words have power. Social sector organizations use them to compel philanthropists to donate, promote volunteerism, encourage advocacy, and differentiate themselves from other organizations. Our team has identified some subtle, yet important, word shifts in the social...
