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?

The post BEST PRACTICES: Habits of High Impact Nonprofits appeared first on Red Rooster Group.

After the three-day Nonprofit Congress in May, the National Council of Nonprofit Associations (NCNA), which produced the Nonprofit Congress, organized a lobbying day to create awareness about the nonprofit sector. The New York delegation was one of many that went to Capitol Hill to lobby our Representatives and Senators about the National Capacity Building Initiative (put forth by NCNA). The bill provides $25 million for training and infrastructure for charities to help them become more effective and sustainable (half the funds from the federal government, half from private sources). That’s me (Howard Adam Levy, Principal of Red Rooster Group) in the yellow jacket, with Fred Fields, from the United Way of New York City, behind me, and Doug Sauer, Executive Director of Council of Community Services of New York State, bottom left.

The lobbying effort was important on three fronts:

1. To generate awareness about the need for funds specifically for non-program activities to allow nonprofits to pay for leadership training and operational costs.

2. To demonstrate to government the impact and importance of the nonprofit sector, which accounts for $1 trillion of the economy and 10% of the workforce.

3. To promote advocating for the nonprofit sector as an essential activity for nonprofits and to show that we can be effective when organized (with the NCNA the organizing body for the social services sector).

WAKE UP CALL: What are you doing to advocate for the nonprofit sector?

The post Creating Awareness for the Third Sector appeared first on Red Rooster Group.

The opening session of the National Nonpofit Congress held in June in Washington, DC, kicked off three days of conference sessions bringing together the best ideas to promote the public sector.

Karrie Galloway, the Director of Friends of Guest House, shares the joys and challenges of helping recovering addicts to acclimate to society.

The post Drawings from the Nonprofit Congress appeared first on Red Rooster Group.