Third Sector Connector Blog

I recently posted a question to some colleagues on a members-only discussion group, “Does the nonprofit sector need a re-boot? If so, what questions should we be asking?” I received many thoughtful responses and thought I’d share the list of questions that came from that posting here:

1. How can we convert meaningful conversations into actions that produce strong and timely results for the entire nonprofit and philanthropic sector?
2. Are we truly meeting the needs of those we serve, whether it be a soup kitchen or a museum?
3. What is our impact and are we measuring it? Which leads to… how do we raise our bar higher?
4. How do we avoid burn-out and tap into the talents of the next generation of leaders? How much training really is needed?
5. Do we need to rethink compensation at both ends of the spectrum?
6. What is nonprofit ethics and how well do we walk our talk?
7. Why does our sector continue to rely on business modeling and imagery for solutions to our problems?
8. How can we enlist and sustain executive and trustee leadership who see their roles as serving not just their organizations but the sector as well?
9. How can we advance the sector’s identity as a place for those who seek meaning and purpose in life and work and who are rethinking, if not rejecting, acquisition and accumulation as goals for their careers?
10. In the spirit of “never waste a good crisis”, is it possible/wise to promote some rationalization rather than letting social Darwinism dictate the shape of the sector and the strength of its “place at the table” five to ten years out?
11. Accepting that the governance model for the sector might itself require a “reboot”, what role should directors play in any move toward rationalization?
12. Many nonprofits — and their boards — inadvertently sacrifice business basics to mission and service delivery. In the spirit of rebooting the governance model, how can boards better serve to balance stewardship of mission with sustainability of operations?
13. How do we address what our members/consumers/recipients really need not only from a local or personal perspective, but also with a global vision?
14. How do we remain inclusive [bring together stakeholders, maintain and honor diversity, respect many voices] and sustainable [revenue, best practices, and stewardship of resources]?
15. How do Boards stay “honest” and ethical in their stewardship to those they serve?
16. What stops us (as a nonprofit sector) from embracing our value and our power for affecting and effecting positive social change?
17. How can my nonprofit help another nonprofit to advance its mission while also achieving something to help mine move forward?
18. How can we enhance our capacity to talk and think more deeply together about the critical issues facing our communities, our organizations, our nations, and our planet?” (from The World Cafe, (c) 2005)
19. How can we access the mutual intelligence and wisdom we need to create innovative paths forward? (also from the World Cafe)
20. How do we work together to build sustainable infrastructure that will allow us all to flourish?
21. How do we build cross-sector partnerships that are designed to create and drive a new future, not only within individual communities, but regionally, nationally, and across the globe?

Note: The final two questions are ones that I asked in my recent blog post about the blurring of the private, nonprofit, and public sectors.

What strikes you about the questions themselves? What questions do you have to add to this list? Or, what answers do you have to contribute?

Related posts:

1. Got Sector Blur?