Forces for Good

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This excellent book by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather Grant studied 12 examples of high-impact nonprofits to determine what makes them effective. While they lay it out in a much more elaborate way, this is my take-away:

1. Form partnerships. Form partnerships with government, businesses, individuals, and other nonprofits. These partnerships should all work to expand your impact, and vary depending upon the type of partner:
   1. Advocate to government.
   2. Work with businesses so that you both benefit.
   3. Inspire individuals to promote your mission.
   4. Form networks of like-minded nonprofits.
2. Share. Share what you know with all of your partners. Share decision making with everyone in your organization. Empower those around you to take your mission farther than you could alone.
3. Adapt. Everything changes, build your organization so that you can adjust as that happens.
4. Sustain. There are three critical internal factors to ensure success in your mission. Shorting yourself in these areas will lessen your ability to sustain your programs and accomplish your mission:
   1. People. Take care of your people. Create a work environment that is attractive to top talent. Bring in people who believe in the mission, give them the tools, education, and compensation that they need to thrive. Give them the power to do so.
   2. Money. Find diverse sources of funding that will reliably support your mission.
   3. Infrastructure. Spend the time and money necessary to establish the organizational capacity required to manage your programs. This includes putting management systems, physical infrastructure such as offices or building, and technology such as computers and software in place.