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?

As the member of a grant allocations committee of a nonprofit, I was tasked with rating each grant application on a score card that posed the following questions:

1. How well does this project align with the funder’s mission?

2. What is the applicant’s relationship to the funder (do they send people to the funder’s program)?

3. Has the applicant demonstrated a need for the project?

4. How dependent is the applicant on the funder for the success of the project?

During this process, I found myself rating the organizations on all these areas and feeling that deserving groups were not scoring high. It struck me that the missing criteria was the impact that the groups would ultimately have. To create real change, funders need to go beyond alignment to mission or issue area to look for solutions that address root causes of problems, which can be leveraged for the greater good. I offer the following questions for a revised score card:

1. Is the organization addressing a real problem in our society that is not otherwise addressed?

2. Do they have a new way of addressing the problem?

3. What are the criteria for measuring success?

4. Do they have the means and ability to achieve success?

5. What ultimate impact will this have on society?

6. Is this a model that can be replicated by other organizations?

Inherent in this outlook is a disposition for innovation and cooperation, not typical characteristics of nonprofits. It’s time to start thinking larger and demanding more.

WAKE UP CALL: Is your nonprofit addressing fundamental problems in new ways? How can those models or processes be leveraged for greater impact?