Management Support Organizations – Their Highest Potential

Management Support Organizations come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on the community, the list might include these and others who provide some form of management support for Community Benefit Organizations: • Nonprofit Resource Center • Volunteer Center • Leadership Organization • Coalitions, Federations, Associations • Neighborhood Empowerment / Community Organizing Organization • Community Convening … Read more

Why Problem-Solving Doesn't Solve Problems (Part 3)

This post is the 3rd & final installment in a series. To begin at Part 1 head here. The Evidence We’ve established that Problem-Solving solves neither complex organizational problems nor complex social problems.  And we’ve posited that the only thing that CAN solve such problems is to look beyond the problem – beyond “zero” – … Read more

Why Problem-Solving Doesn’t Solve Problems

The War on Drugs. The War on Poverty. The War on Illegal Immigration. Fixing a dysfunctional board. Team-building to boost employee morale. What do all these things have in common? If you answered, “None of them have solved the problem,” you would be right.  Decades of fighting drugs, poverty, illegal immigration; decades of trying to … Read more

How Do Hard Times Serve Us?

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill After my daughter was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease several years ago, we went from doctor to doctor, seeking relief. One of those doctors had been going through his own transformation (he has since entirely given up … Read more

Inspiring Boards

Just as I finished yesterday’s post on the power of inspiring boards (vs. always complaining about them), I saw this newly released video from this year’s TED conference. And man if Barry Schwartz doesn’t say the exact same thing, giving statistical proof that inspiration will accomplish what neither rules NOR incentives can. When we humans … Read more

Boards – No Wonder!

The other day, I got this tip from a group that specializes in boards and governance. (I’ve redacted the name of the high-profile organization from whence this VERY long paragraph came. I suggest skimming it – don’t read every word or you won’t get to the good stuff!) “Addressing noncompliant board members can be a … Read more

Social Media Fundraising: Unsustainable, Scarcity-Based Begging?

In a post last week, I noted that Social Media Fundraising is a) not sustainable b) scarcity-based vs. strength-based c) counterproductive if we want to create a better future for our communities In that post, I addressed the last item – the counterproductive nature of Social Media Fundraising vs. creating real impact. Today let’s tackle … Read more

Avoiding the Sirens Song of Social Media Fundraising

These days we are inundated with the lure of fundraising on Twitter and Facebook and sites like KIVA.org. A birthday ask on Facebook that raises $5,000. A Twitter campaign that asks for just $10 apiece, suddenly raising $10,000 to help an individual family or a “boy without arms.” Sites like KIVA.org that ask you to … Read more