Innovative Concepts

Markets Prevail?

A portion of the social sector’s work is located on the periphery of the marketplace. We are trying to solve homelessness, and private equity has yet to figure out how to monetize addressing homelessness. Environmental causes aim to protect land and wildlife, working in the liminal space between federal, state, private landowners, and public access. Nonprofits aspire to support local artists, building bridges between educators, art collectors, galleries, and the community.

If the market prevailed, efforts to address the aforementioned areas of focus would be less viable in many cases. The social sector works on problems that are not easy to solve and require enduring commitment. It employs ambassadors who provide uniquely positioned voices and lead with empathy. Nonprofits often toggle between two realities: a human-centered approach and the marketplace.

How might we leverage the market to our advantage without sacrificing our intentions of being a force for good?

Selling to Accountants or Drivers

If we sell a car to an accountant, we might focus on the vehicle’s efficiency, cost per mile to operate, and return on investment. If we sell the car to a driving enthusiast, it may be better to concentrate on the driver experience, emotions of sitting in the car, and the story the driver can tell.

When we talk about our work with others, we do not need to sell to ourselves. Rather, it represents an opportunity to share a narrative with the audience that provides them with a chance to engage with the work. How might we find points of confluence that combine the listener’s story with our work? The authentic merging of two narratives allows another player to join the quest.

Escalation

individuals outside a bar, or NHL players after a cheap shot. We see more people drawn to the event, making it harder for the parties to disengage and defuse the situation.  

There are positive forms of escalation, ones aligned with being a force for good. We might join the effort if we witness people taking action to benefit our community. Last weekend, the White Line’s Ride for Magnus took place in Boulder, CO. Thousands participated to remember Magnus White, a promising young cyclist who was struck and killed by an automobile while training. From Magnus’ memory comes the opportunity to escalate a cause and create a safer future and environment for cyclists and the community.

How might we escalate the work that matters? How might we de-escalate events and ideas that lead to adverse outcomes? How might we be a force for good, focused on being of service to others?

Pay In Route

In my youth, the airline shuttle between Washington DC-NYC-Boston would load passengers right up to the moment of departure, usually on the hour. The moment the aircraft door closed, taxi and take-off followed immediately. Flight attendants rolled carts through the aisle and secured payment for the flight, ran credit cards on an imprinter machine, and provided carbon copy receipts. The duration of the flight was short, and the crew hustled to complete all the transactions during a full flight. The plane landed, and everyone disembarked and headed toward their destination. This model has evaporated in favor of pre-payments and cancellation penalties.

Much of our travel is based on upfront payments. Airlines get paid up to 330 days or more in advance for future tickets. There is a psychological aspect to paying beforehand; it represents a form of investment in a future event. When we match this experience with the social sector and donor contributions, most are positioned as investing in the organization’s future. Few campaigns lead with, ‘Help us pay the pile of invoices on our desk.’ It is more hopeful to supply resources for a future endeavor than assisting with debt collection (although the pandemic created a temporary exception).

How might we find our niche when asking for fuel to support our journey? Do our supporters prefer helping us move forward, or do they understand the costs incurred to arrive at our current location?

The Ski Bus

As a kid, I would take a ski bus from the resort to the ski area’s base. It had large metal racks outside the bus, and you placed your skis into a rack by raising them high enough to slot their tails into the rack. It was the most stressful part of the day. I often needed help and feared the bus would depart before I finished loading or unloading my skis. Most of the time, a kind stranger would give me the little assistance I needed to execute the maneuver successfully. The anxiety almost kept me from going skiing.

The bus was designed for adults before anyone considered the consequences of getting road grime on the ski bases. Now, most buses allow skis to be taken inside the bus.

What barriers have we created, intentionally or unintentionally, that are keeping people from engaging with our cause or benefiting from our services? Are we asking the right questions to assess the barriers?

Right Questions

“Is this the boat?“

This summer, I watched a scenario in which tourists were instructed to board the next ferry that arrived in port. They intended to take the inter-island ferry to a city a few hours away. When a small tender arrived to take a handful of passengers to the ship anchored in the harbor, they attempted to board with their bags. The crew had to explain that the ferry was a much larger vessel that could carry hundreds of people and would travel far beyond the harbor. The tourists insisted that this was the right boat until a ferry agent guided them back to the line.

If we want the right answers, we are better served to ask the right questions.

Predicting the Future- Poorly

If we can predict the future, why did we schedule the gala performance on the night of an enormous summer thunderstorm?  

How might we recognize that we cannot predict the weather and, therefore, probably cannot anticipate other critical future events? Perhaps we should leave space in our planning to adjust and reroute.

Risk Management

If we care about the well-being of those we serve, we might need to make difficult decisions on our fans’ behalf. This might require canceling our signature event. Despite all the planning and costs, risk management considerations are prioritized over the financial or reputational damage. In the fire service, a Safety Officer was positioned at the Command Center during large incidents and could cease any operations they deemed dangerous to the well-being of the responders.

How might we balance delivering our mission while preserving the health and welfare of our community?

Changing Topography
Interactive Topography Sandbox
byu/Kanute3333 inoddlysatisfying

The power of generative conversation is similar to playing in a sandbox. We can build, alter, and discard ideas without worrying about the constraints of reality. Like the Topography Sandbox, we can quickly alter the terrain and consider new possibilities. How might we make room for generative conversation in our next meeting?