Author: whatifconcepts

Empowering those that inspire so they can excel at the work that matters.

Can we be more like you and different as the same time?

Political parties provide interesting divisions and equally eye-raising alliances.  I appreciate the following graphic as a representation of the corporate brands which binds and separates Democrats and Republicans.  One could make a case that there is unity and separation in the political brand report published by Good.

I propose that we often find ourselves searching for similarities and differences when reviewing data in the social sector.  We are similar to one enterprise when it is convenient or required but then the data can be re-arrange to show our organization’s competitive advantage and how we are uniquely positioned to succeed.  Our donors, customers, volunteers and communities are sophisticated enough to see the wizard behind the curtain madly moving dials.  Transparency is an easier narrative upon which to build clarity about organizational purpose than the earthquake prone zone of smoke and mirrors.

Discounting Charity

I stumbled across Groupon’s Grouponicus website this evening.  I am wondering about the ethics of giving a $25 microloan for the discounted price of $15 from Kiva.  Similar discounted charitable options exist from DonorChoose.  These are thoughtful gifts but I edge to uncomfortable with the idea that my next gift card to the cause of my choice comes on sale and somebody somewhere is picking-up the difference.  Is the variance being funded by the nonprofit’s general operating funds or some other funding mechanism?  Is not the point of philanthropy to take the full value of your treasure and share them with a cause that inspires you?  Have we decided that we need to move towards Black Friday pricing schemes in order to attract new donors?

Virtual Conference

A fun Friday strategy.  When professional development money gets tight or schedules do not allow you to attend a conference, consider following the conference using social media.  I have collected the highlights of national and regional conferences by using the conference hashtag.  As an example, I do not anticipate being invited to Davos for the World Economic Forum this year but using #WEF or #davos I am able to view real-time postings from the summit and its auxiliary events.  I found links to a number of video clips and resources that were of great interest and value.  Best of all, I was able to do it on my time.  Although I would have loved the journey to Davos it saved me a couple days of travel and thousands of dollars.

Nudge

I would highly recommend the book, Nudge.  It provides a blueprint for building behavioral architects.  Simply put, it can help one understand the choices that make one program work brilliantly and another fail.  These micro-adjustments are often traced back to behavioral tipping points.  I appreciate the authors’ ability to breakdown complex behavioral concepts into the notion of the Planner (best represented by Mr. Spock from Star Trek) and the Doer (seen in the styling of Homer Simpson).  When you consider the little nudges a social enterprise can utilize to standout in a crowded sector, the book is a highly valuable resource.

Where to Start?

The more I read of Beth Kanter and Allison Fine’s, The Networked Nonprofit the more organizations that come to mind who would be well served by its resources and information.  I especially like the idea of capturing free agents (people working outside an organization who work on mobilizing support for a cause). We all know people who are connectors.  Those individuals who posses an innate ability to network every moment of the day and do so in an authentic manner.  Developing strategies to assist these free agents promote your enterprise is a powerful experience with a high return on investment.  I highly recommend Beth and Allison’s book. 

Volunteer for Tomorrow
http://www.generationon.org/

Thanks to my sister who brought this organization to my attention.  It is a great way to find projects in your community that provide an opportunity for volunteers of different ages to come together and contribute.  The website offers a variety of filtering options to select an opportunity that is appropriate for your age-range and perspective.  See what you can find at generationOn.

Deserving

What qualifies a champion as deserving?  When a sports team or individual competitor wins a game or tournament there is often an quick assessment about the quality of the victory.  Frequent descriptions include: unexpected, deserving, stolen, etc.  I often wonder what a deserving victor looks like?  Did the winner travel the appropriate path?  Did they win with style?  Does the team’s values match that of their fans?  Is it an assessment of ethics?


The social sector equivalent comes when a cause attempts to manifest its vision.  The community judge the worthiness of an enterprise’s strategic initiative.  Is the proposed action deserving of the stakeholders’ support?  Does it warrant financial support?  Are individuals willing to recommend it to colleagues and friends?  

Sometimes very needed and appropriate opportunities are not advanced because the community deems them to be undeserving or a lesser priority.  Other scenarios involve what appears to be a frivolous opportunity being advanced because a few people of influence can assemble sufficient resources to move forward without needing a large group of supporters.  


How do you prepare your community to brand your enterprise’s project as deserving?  What steps do you need to do in advance?  Is it contingent on the relationships you maintain?  What is the tipping point?