In their book, Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits, Leslie R. Crutchfield and Heather MacLeod Grant describe the key practices they uncovered in studying a cross section of nonprofits that achieve large-scale results. Their key findings:
1. Advocate and Serve. While it may seem counterintuitive, the nonprofit organizations that they found had the greatest impact are the ones that both delivered services and advocated for systematic change. Some started out with the service model and become advocates, and some the reverse, but ultimately they found the best success was when they were able to bridge the divide between service and advocacy and become good at doing both. The more they advocate and serve, the greater the levels of impacts they achieve.
2. Make Markets Work. Tapping into the power of self interest and the laws of economics is far more effective than appealing to pure altruism. Not content to rely on traditional notions of charity or to see the private sector as the enemy, great nonprofits find ways to work with the markets and help business “do well while doing good.” They influence business practices, build corporate sponsorships, and develop earned-income ventures – all ways of leveraging market forces to achieve social change on a grander scale.
3. Inspire Evangelists. Great nonprofits see volunteers as much more than a source of free labor or membership dues. They create meaningful ways to engage individuals and emotional experiences that help them connect to the group’s mission and core values. They see volunteers, donors, and advisers not only for what they can contribute to the organization in terms of time, money and guidance but also for what they can do as evangelists for their cause. They build and sustain strong communities to help them achieve their larger goals.
4. Nurture Nonprofit Networks. Although most groups pay lip service to collaboration, many of them really see other nonprofits as competition for scarce resources. But high-impact organizations help the competition succeed, building networks of nonprofit alliances and devoting remarkable time and energy to advancing their larger fields. They freely share wealth, expertise, talent, and power with the peers, not because they are saints, but because it’s in their self-interest to do so.
5. Master the Art of Adaptation. While the organizations they featured are exceptionally adaptive, modifying their tactics is needed to increase their success. They responded to changing circumstances with one innovation after another. Along the way, they’ve made mistakes, and even produce some flops. But unlike many nonprofits, they have also mastered the ability to listen, learn, and modify their approach based on external cues allowing them to sustain their impact and stay relevant.
6. Share Leadership. These CEOs are exceptionally strategic and gifted entrepreneurs, but they also know they must share power in order to be a stronger force for good. They distribute leadership throughout the organization and the nonprofit network-empowering others to lead. And they cultivate a strong second-in-command, build enduring executive teams of long tenure, and develop highly engaging boards in order to have more impact.
WAKE-UP CALL: How many of these traits does your nonprofit have?
