Reinventing the Nonprofit Sector – A Corona Point-Of-View Series

This blog is the first in a series entitled, Reinventing the Nonprofit Sector.  Through this point-of-view series we will explore the forces and conditions reshaping the nonprofit sector’s profile, as well as real-time actions leaders can take in this dynamic environment.  I’ll also share case studies from the books Rippling by Beverly Schwartz and Forces for Good by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant.  I’ll provide a practical guide to action for your nonprofit business model and strategy.

 

Let’s begin the series with two framing questions:

  • What defines the nonprofit sector today?
  • How can we comprehend the breadth and depth of a shift that has been underway for decades?

A recent visit to Arches National Park reminded me that, over time, forces and conditions affect both silhouette and substance.  The nonprofit sector’s features are being reshaped by what I refer to as sector transformers and macro disruptors.

Every industry undergoes change, some of which is driven from within the industry itself and the rest by macro forces that affect multiple industries.  Automobiles and personal electronics are two examples.  Yesterday’s Honda Civic and Discman are today’s 4-door Tesla and even smaller Nano.

As a strategic consultant, I am often asked, “What’s going on with nonprofits today?”  Before I answer that question, let’s consider how the sector has evolved.

 

View each part of this Corona POV Series:

A Shifting Nonprofit Sector

#1 Nonprofit Sector Transformer and Macro Disruptor- You don’t have to be a non-profit to “do good”.

#2 Nonprofit Sector Transformer and Macro Disruptor- The rise of the social entrepreneur.

#3 Nonprofit Sector Transformer and Macro Disruptor- Use of social enterprise practices.

#4 Nonprofit Sector Transformer and Macro Disruptor – Shifting donor expectations.