A Fresh Look at the Organizations that Deliver Human Services

The nonprofit sector will feel the impact of the Great Recession for years to come, but as our colleague, Nancy Moses, said in www.philasocialinnovations.org “change long overdue and once thought too risky becomes surprisingly possible when there’s nothing left to lose.”

Many nonprofits have been acting like deer in the headlights, knowing their leadership will be retiring but not knowing how to attract the next generation of leadership. Now the Great Recession has forced many organizations to take a sharp look at how they do business. The most successful nonprofits in this time of transition are asking how they can most effectively meet their mission, judge and communicate their successes, and fund their operations. They are looking carefully at collaborations, elimination of programs, and new management approaches. For some, there new organization will include social enterprises. When these organizations seek new leaders, they will find that their revitalization has made them far more appealing to creative, young leaders who want to lead an organization that isn’t afraid to try new tools and ask the hard questions about what it takes to fulfill their mission in the current climate. Over the next few weeks, the team at Cornerstone will be discussing some specific approaches that we have found helpful as we work with our clients.