Forces for Good Summary
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Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits
Authors: Leslie Crutchfield and Heather Mcleod Grant
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…..what we found surprised us – and flew in the face of perceived wisdom in the field. Achieving large scale social change is not just about building an organization then scaling it up site by site. Many of these groups are not perfectly managed. Nor are they all well marketed. And at least half don’t score well on conventional ratings, because they care more about having impact than they care about having low overhead budgets. They do what it takes to get results.
The 12 Nonprofits
Criteria- A nonprofit founded in the US recently (1965-1994) which has achieved substantial, sustained results and created larger systems change.
- Share Our Strength
- Teach for America
- Exploratorium
- Habitat for Humanity
- La Raza
- The Heritage Foundation
- Self-Help USA
- City Year
- America’s Second Harvest
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Environmental Defense
- Youth Build USA
Advocate AND Serve
Changing laws is hugely powerful, so is doing grassroots work on the ground with real people. Doing both is a synergistic effect.
- start at the top – executives and board must be committed to both
- know the law – talk to lawyers and experts about lobbying
- Develop a plan by talking to other nonprofits that have done it
- Hire policy experts who can acceleration your advocacy efforts
- Find flexible funding from donors who aren’t shy of politics
- preserve your integrity by never fudging data or sacrificing core principles
Make Markets Work
There cannot be fear of corporations and the business, we must recognize the power of business and harness the forces of the market.
- change business practices to do less bad or more good
- partner with businesses to leverage corporate power and resources, or do cause-related marketing
- run your own side business
- hire people with business backgrounds
- know your risks of each path
Inspire Evangelists
Great nonprofits turn donors into enthusiastic evangelists who spread the word and their love of the organization
- create meaningful and emotional experiences
- express your core values
- leverage the power of your community to make more change
Nurture Nonprofit Networks
Great nonprofits see other organizations as partners and allies, not competitors. They work together and build the capacity of others to create more change.
- grow the pie by looking for ways to increase resources for the cause
- cultivate coalitions of organizations that push for a common goal
- know when to go your own way when you need to take a stand
- share knowledge and use your expertise and lessons to help others
Master the Art of Adaptation
Great nonprofits must respond to their environments and change their programs, organizations according to what works. Entrenched bureaucracies fail.
- focus on results, not tactics
- experiment and evaluate the changes
- balance structure and innovation to not get out of control
Share Leadership
Executives of great nonprofits know that they need to develop leaders who have the power to make the organization even better than anyone alone.
- learn to let go of some power in order grow
- appoint a strong second in command – a great COO makes a big difference
- develop leaders in the executive team – give them the power and responsibility to make a difference
- Work with your (larger) board to keep them engaged and contributing to your organisation
Sustaining Impact
Figure out what your org needs to have an impact and invest in that, even if makes look less “lean”, making sure to diversify your funding streams through foundations, donors, and government.
- First figure out your mission then pay great people who buy into the mission.
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