Top Organizations for Nonprofit Leadership Development
Five outstanding organizations doing innovative work in the way of developing leaders
Acumen Fund
Fresh out of college, Jacqueline Novogratz journeyed to Africa in an attempt to “save the continent.” Instead, she found that Africans “neither wanted nor needed saving.” What Novogratz discovered is that life-changing poverty alleviation looks different in different countries and doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all model. Acumen Fund is doing inspiring work in the field of philanthropy through microloans and doesn’t just invest in projects- it invests in people. By developing local projects, such as a basket-weaving business, a community well, or a bakery, particularly in developing nations, Acumen Fund is also developing local leaders. If you want a good read on Novogratz’s background and how she came to found the Acumen Fund, check out her book.
Ford Foundation
In the nonprofit sector, there is an ongoing, uphill battle against the dreaded “overhead.” Some organizations have attempted to downplay its importance by attempting to prove to donors that a very small percentage of overall funds are used on general “overhead” costs. Others are fighting the stigma by showing the importance of all those things that fall within the category of overhead. One such organization, the Ford Foundation, literally put money where its mouth is through its BUILD campaign.
In 2016, the foundation gave $1 billion to social justice-oriented nonprofits, “with all funds going to a combination of general operating support and organizational strengthening.” By not directing funds to overhead functions, organizations are limiting the effectiveness of their leaders. While nonprofits should of course focus on their charitable mission, it is important to note that organizations can stint the growth of, or even drive away, their leaders by not investing in organizational development in the form of trainings, workshops, and other such education experiences that many donors may not see the merit of.
TCC & Culture of Good
The Cellular Connection (TCC), which is an authorized Verizon retailer, is teaching us all that you don’t have to be a nonprofit organization to be philanthropic in a big way. In 2013, TCC began to incorporate a “Culture of Good” throughout all of its stores, encouraging all employees to be philanthropic year-round. (TCC also has a nonprofit called TCC Gives, which grants to organizations in the areas around its TCC stores.) Through this Culture of Good, TCC managers and employees participate in backpack giveaways for local students and “care kit” donations to local veterans and nursing homes. TCC employees also have volunteer hours as part of their employee packages, to encourage giving back and building local communities. TCC is truly developing well-rounded and community-conscious employees and future leaders, especially in a niche field not typically related to philanthropic ideals.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
You can’t talk about top philanthropies without mention of the Gates, it seems. Current CEO, Sue Desmond-Hellman, has sought simplicity in her tenure. In a late 2015 Washington Post interview, Desmond-Hellman says this simplicity means “really asking people to move from a rule-based culture to a culture that trusts our employees and looks to them to make the right choices. We want to really make sure we’re focused on values, not processes.” This has also meant looking more internally for previously outsourced consultancy projects. Likewise, simplicity has meant local learning in the form of listening to the community being impacted by Gates Foundation philanthropy.
Center for Effective Philanthropy
For those readers who haven’t yet heard of CEP, it’s an amazing data-driven organization that examines client organizations’ practices and produces client-specific research and sector-specific benchmarking to aid in organizational effectiveness. Whew. Contrary to the previous organizations mentioned above, CEP is actively building leadership development outside of itself.
Through CEP’s reporting and data collection, organizations are encouraged to collaborate with other organizations and strive for internal efficiency through informed strategies. Overall, CEP is driven by innovative leaders encouraging other organizations to be driven by the same. (Interesting side note: CEP’s current president, Phil Buchanan, is also developing leaders of tomorrow through the co-founding of YouthTruth, which, according to the CEP website, is an “initiative of CEP’s designed to harness student perceptions to help educators accelerate improvements in their K–12 schools and classrooms.”)
With five very different organizations represented, you may wonder how your favorite nonprofit can learn a lesson or two. What I hope you find as a common thread is that each organization is continuously developing, both internally and externally, and the best way to do this is through continued assessment and learning. This doesn’t have to be as big as earning every degree out there. In fact, it can be as simple as joining a discussion group (or forming one of your own through the monthly Nonprofit Leadership Tool Chest!) Continued education can be in the form of innovations, too. What’s important, still, is the lessons following the innovation, whether the idea was successful or had room for improvement. As Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellman stated, “What I learned from…those moments [of failure], as leaders, it’s really important to be open and honest about disappointment — not to smooth it over, or in any way feel like you don’t face it directly.”
Never stop learning, never stop innovating, and never stop pushing for good.
