Message From the Managing Directors
Dear colleague, As a nonprofit leader, undoubtedly you are experiencing a sea of emotions in light of our nation’s economy and the recent presidential elections. On the one hand, there’s the anxiety of bracing for one of the largest economic downturns in our nation’s history. On the other hand, there’s the eager anticipation of a new presidential administration on the horizon. Is the glass half empty or half full? With this sentiment in mind, we gathered the nation’s leading thought leaders to assist us with this edition of Community Wealth Vanguard to address our action-oriented theme – “A Survival Guide for Uncertain Times.” Regardless of your view, it is clear we are on the cusp of a new era of both change and uncertainty. As a result, your leadership as a social sector executive has never been more important – or more challenged. One of our feature articles, “Leading in a Climate of Fear” suggests that having a compelling vision and unwavering values are not enough. You also need the courage and stamina to make tough decisions, nurture increased efficiency, and identify and seize the right strategic opportunities that will enable you to sustain your organization’s work over time. One example of this type of courage is the story of how MACC CommonWealth, Inc. started 10 years ago. It is a story that you won’t want to miss. While there have been many articles discussing the impact of the economic downturn on the social sector, few articles have identified solutions. We believe that both articles “Fundraising in Tough Times” and the “Nonprofit Finance Fund’s Weathering the Storm” provide not only tips on how to endure the current economic crisis, but also provide insights on how to improve the overall sustainability of your organization now and in the future. For more than ten years, Community Wealth Ventures has helped social change organizations embrace an entrepreneurial approach to increased social impact and sustainability. Our asset-based approach has centered on our core belief that the social sector creates tremendous social value in the community – value that can be harnessed to create new revenue streams and community wealth. In another feature, “CWV’s Top 10 List of Bootstrapping Strategies”, our staff share our top hints for how social sector leadership can be more frugal without sacrificing important client services. Beyond the newsletter itself, we, at CWV, recognize the task at hand and have established the following initiatives to support you: In November, CWV published Streams of Hope - Social Franchising: A New Path to Wealth for Nonprofits, a must-read report for nonprofit organizations seeking new, more reliable funding sources. It serves as both an introduction to social franchising and a handbook for navigating this exciting new income stream. Streams of Hope may be downloaded free of charge on the website of our Social Franchise Ventures initiative. The Sustainability Engine – with the support of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, CWV is undertaking a research initiative designed to shed new light and understanding about what it takes to build a sustainable nonprofit organization. Results of this research will be forthcoming in the 2009. Despite these uncertain times, our team at CWV believes that “whether a glass is half full or half empty depends on the attitude of the person or organization looking at it.” We hope that these resources will offer you a fresh perspective as you lead your organization into 2009. If you have other ideas on how we can support you and your organization during this time, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely,
Heather
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