“Why is the nonprofit sector the only sector that gets described by what it is NOT, versus what it is for?” asked Doug Stewart, Executive Director of the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation.
“I am going to start using the term ‘for impact‘ to describe the sector and the organizations within it,” he said.
I think Doug is right. Too often, the third sector of the economy gets viewed more as a “recipient sector” than one that provides leadership and creates results. I see leaders and organizations in the “nonprofit” sector waking up each day to deliver results: to make an impact. I don’t think the purpose of the sector is served well by describing it in terms of deficiency. Rather, we could enhance the “nonprofit” sector’s important work by describing it in terms of its core essence: impact.
Might it be helpful to begin to adopt Doug’s reframing?
And speaking of results, today the Fisher Foundation, in concert with its community partners like United Way, announced the impact and the return on investment of early childhood education – a key areas of focus. To learn more about this work at the Fisher Foundation, a “for impact” organization, you can click here.
michael j. brennan 