Corporate Social Responsibility, Impact Measurement, Social Impact Architects, Social Movements
As we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. next week and witness the power of the recent movements in the last few years, we are reminded of the importance of social movements to our country’s evolution. Movements were believed to have started in the late...
Annual Traditions, Client Flow/Design Thinking, Impact, Impact Measurement, Lean Start-Up, Nonprofit Trends, Organizational Assessments, Organizational Culture, Social Impact Architects, Social Movements, System Change
When I first heard the famous parable about “The River,” I was at a national cardiovascular convening in 2003 held at Mountain Lake Lodge in Virginia (made famous by Dirty Dancing). The presenter told the story: you and a friend are having a picnic by the side of a...
Business Planning, Feasibility Studies, Grow, Growth/Scaling Plans, Organizational Assessments, Program Development, Social Impact Architects
When I was growing up, my mother introduced me to the music of Kenny Rogers. My sister and I loved twirling around our house, singing his songs at the top of our lungs. My favorite was “The Gambler” and the lyrics, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em / Know when to...
Communicate, COVID-19, Fundraising, Guest Blogs, Marketing & Communication, Social Impact Architects
I am a huge fan of Gretchen Rubin and her work on The Happiness Project. While not an expert in happiness herself, she has studied the research, implemented it with friends and family, and summarized her findings in a number of bestselling books. She takes happiness...
Communicate, Evaluation Planning, Impact, Impact Measurement, Program Development, Social Impact Architects, Storytelling
Last month, The New York Times published a great article – Social Programs Can Sometimes Turn a Profit for Taxpayers – that put SROI (social return on investment) and cost-benefit analyses into the mainstream. In it, Seema Jayachandran, an economics professor at...