On the Efficacy of Advocacy

The John Hopkins Listening Post Project recently issued a report on how organizations can increase the efficacy of their advocacy efforts in a time- and money-challenged era.

The full report can be found here, but here are some of the big takeaways:

• Understand your limitations. The report found that although nonprofits do engage in efforts to influence public policy, their impact tends to be diminished by lack of resources (no surprise there). Budget constraints, limited staff time to devote to the cause, and lack of expertise are the most common concerns.

• Tell your story. Nonprofits should be directly involved in advocacy efforts by leveraging real-world stories and experiences in the lobbying process.

• Reach out. Intermediary organizations should be utilized to engage members in mission-based advocacy and secure long-term funding streams.

• Educate, educate, educate. Foundations and their boards need to understand how advocacy can help achieve the organization’s mission; policy communities need to be educated about the impact of existing lobbying laws on nonprofit advocacy.

Have a question about your organization’s advocacy efforts? Leave us a comment – we’ll be happy to help.

Can entrepreneurship be taught?

Can entrepreneurship be taught?

That’s the question posed in a recent You’re the Boss blog entry from the New York Times. The blog post mentions one organization in particular, Bizdom U, which operates on the mantra that not only can entrepreneurship be taught; it should be taught. And not just within the walls of the university – but in our public school systems and in our communities, so that we can nurture and mentor the next generation of innovators.

NFTE (The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship) is a similar organization dedicated to providing entrepreneurship education and opportunities to our nation’s youth. Founded on the belief that entrepreneurship education can transform lives, NFTE focuses specifically on bringing its programming to students from low-income communities.

The proof is in the pudding – on average, NFTE youth score higher on math and reading comprehension tests, are more engaged in their schools and communities, and are more likely to pursue higher education.

Youth entrepreneurship education programs like Bizdom U and NFTE are proving that entrepreneurship education can indeed be taught – and that the benefits to the individual and to society are well worth the investment.

Interested in learning more about the programs mentioned above? Want to get your business or organization involved? Leave us a message!

What is Social Entrepreneurship, Anyway?

Wikipedia defines a social entrepreneur as someone who “recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change.”

The PBS New Heroes series, which highlights the stories of twelve social entrepreneurs from various parts of the globe, also makes an important distinction regarding social entrepreneurship: unlike traditional business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs “primarily seek to generate ‘social value’ rather than profits.” And, unlike many non-profit organizations, their work is targeted “not only towards immediate, small-scale effects, but sweeping, long-term change.”

A recent article from the ever-pioneering Stanford Social Innovation Review also offers an interesting introduction to social entrepreneurship. Along with highlighting real world examples of ‘social businesses,’ the article also offers up substantive food for thought regarding the role business ought to play in addressing societal issues and the distinction between social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, and philanthropy.

Innovating for the Common Good

Some examples of social entrepreneurship ventures include:

• KickStart International – Revitalizes impoverished communities by promoting sustainable economic growth and employment creation.

• Barefoot College - Provides basic services and solutions to problems in rural communities, in the areas of solar energy, water, education, health care, rural handicrafts, people’s action, communication, women’s empowerment and wasteland development.

• Grameen Foundation - Uses microfinance and innovative technology to fight global poverty and bring opportunities to the world's poorest people.

Interested in learning more about social entrepreneurship, or perhaps starting up your own social venture? Here are a few resources to get you started:

• Ashoka.org – A global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs, engages communities of entrepreneur and creates the infrastructure needed to develop social partnerships with lasting social and financial value.

• Social Edge - A program of the Skoll Foundation, this global online community helps social entrepreneurs connect to network, learn, inspire, and share resources.

• Social Venture Network – Ideas, resources, conferences and events geared toward nurturing social entrepreneurship around the world.
  

And please feel free to contact us at The ThinkTank if you have any social entrepreneurship ideas or challenges you would like to discuss.

Accountability and Impact: How Does Your Nonprofit Measure Up?

As donor dollars become more competitive and funding opportunities fewer and farther between, nonprofit organizations face increased pressure to demonstrate accountability and impact to their shareholders.

But how should an organization go about demonstrating accountability? And how do you measure impact when your modus operandus involves a more complex theory of change?

In a recent article from the Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge series, Dr. Alnoor Ebrahim discusses the two conversations that every nonprofit organization should be aware of when mapping out strategies for demonstrating success.

In the end, argues Ebrahim, what matters most is developing a set of metrics that reflect and support your mission, goals and objectives, rather than trying to conform to some universal, one-size-fits-all-NPOs standard for measuring social impact.

So, how does your organization measure up?

Hands on Miami Volunteer Open House

Here at The ThinkTank, there's a special place in our hearts for Hands on Miami.

The only organization of its kind in Miami, Hands on Miami recruits and organizes volunteers and matches them with important projects that provide companionship to the elderly, build low-income housing, restore the natural environment, tutor at-risk children, read to children in shelters, and even care for homeless pets.

If you live in Miami and are looking for ways to give back to the community, this organization is a great place to start. Just in time for summer, Hands on Miami is holding a Volunteer Appreciation/Open House Event on Saturday, June 12 at their brand-spankin' new office in the Wynwood Design District.

If you're interested in attending, you can find out more by clicking here.

Raising Funds, Raising the Bar

One of the perks of being a Leadership Miami alumna is that I get to stay connected with some incredibly inspirational folks here in Miami-Dade county-– people who have devoted their entire lives to enriching their communities.

Sandy Moise certainly fits that bill, with an exhaustive record of service within the Miami-Dade public school system and numerous organizations serving Miami-Dade’s women, children and families.

So of course I was not surprised in the least when I discovered, to my delight, that Sandy had decided to run for Miami-Dade County School Board (D-2). Whether it’s leading a classroom, engaging a group of community volunteers, or spearheading efforts to address the many challenges facing our resource-starved school system, I feel a great surge of hope knowing that someone with such compassion, wisdom, and experience is up for the challenge.

With all the recent tumult the Miami-Dade school system has weathered – budget cuts, sweeping layoffs, punitive senate bills out of Tallahassee that shirk systematic reform– it’s vital that we use our power of the vote (and, yes, our power of the purse) to put people in office who know the issues and are committed to seeing real reform through.

For those of you who live in Miami, there will be a fundraising event for Sandy this Thursday, June 10 from 6-8pm at the law offices of Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton. And, if you cannot make the reception and you would like to support Sandy in any fashion, you can always visit her web site at www.sandymoise.com.