Jun
8
Guest post by Anne Sherman, vice president for Nonprofit Strategy, at Growth Philanthropy Network
Like
many in the social sector, I believe strongly that leadership and
talent development are important factor in the effectiveness of
nonprofit organizations. Having worked for over 12 years with nonprofits
and foundations on strategic planning, I have witnessed first-hand the
myriad ways in which leaders—working at all levels of an
organization—can make or break a nonprofit's ability to advance on
achieving its mission. Weak leadership capacity can be a death knell for
a program or an entire organization. Strong leadership capacity, on the
other hand, can really distinguish an organization in terms of
programmatic quality and impact, success in raising money, and readiness
for growth.
Read more...
Jun
6
Guest post by Phil Buchanan, president of The Center for Effective Philanthropy
This is the first in a series of six blog posts, which was originally featured on the CEP Blog.
One of the great puzzles of the day is that we increasingly look,
starry-eyed, to business and markets to address or even solve our social
problems.
We idealize companies and markets in a way that defies reality, creates
unrealistic expectations, diminishes the contributions (past, present,
and future) of nonprofits, and confuses our conversation about the very
challenges we face. We do so despite the unrelenting procession of
examples of the downsides of unchecked pursuit of profit. And in so
doing, we run the risk of dismissing the vital role of nonprofits:
organizations seeking to make a difference without the pressure and
potential conflicts that come with the profit motive.
Read more...
May
29
“Bet on good people doing good things,” was the advice Jeff Skoll
received from Independent Sector Founder John W. Gardner as he moved
from his life as a tech giant at eBay into the world of philanthropy.
Now almost 12 years later, Jeff Skoll will join us at the Independent
Sector Annual Conference in San Francisco to accept the 2012 John W.
Gardner Leadership Award.
Read more...
May
10
Guest post by Jitinder Kohli, Douglas J. Besharov, and Kristina Costa
Social
Impact Bonds are the #1 philanthropy buzzword of 2011 according to the
Chronicle of Philanthropy. So what’s all the fuss about? And how can the
concept help the nonprofit sector?
In essence, Social Impact Bonds
are an arrangement between government and an outside organization in
which the government defines one or more outcomes and promises to pay a
sum of money if they are achieved. The government commits to cooperate
with the outside organization’s efforts to achieve the outcome, and also
promises to leave it free to devise and implement its strategy.
Read more...
Mar
6
What do the Komen controversy and today's culture wars have in common? Find out in Diana's blog!
Read more...
