“Good judgment is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgment.”—Mark Twain
While it’s easy to pat yourself on the back for a job well done, examining organizational mistakes, struggles, and shortcomings can be unpleasant, but it’s the key to future success. MORE
Back in June we announced the launch of the Fairmount4Free initiative with the goal of supporting small innovative nonprofit organizations that benefit the Greater Philadelphia region. In addition to working with PhilaSoup, we decided to move forward with an additional mini F4F engagement with the African Family Health Organization (AFAHO). MORE
I’ve been thinking about anchors. No, not the seafaring kind, though I do enjoy a legitimate opportunity to wear Topsiders now and again. I’m focused on community anchors – go-to neighborhood organizations – and how they’re evolving to address deeply-entrenched challenges of poverty and blight. MORE
What grabs your attention?
Which organization has invitations, flyers, or newsletters that are so good you just can’t help but pay attention?
The most successful nonprofit leaders have a relentless dedication to not only serve, but to empower their constituents. They strive to offer assistance that develops self-reliance. And they understand that success often means their organization will fundamentally change, or even run itself out of business.
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Since 2003, Pulaski Academy, a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, has compiled a 111-21 record in football, winning the state championship 3 times. Why do I tell you this? Because they’ve done this without punting! MORE
Let’s face it: the social sector is not for the faint of heart. It tackles some of humanity’s most unremitting challenges. While the work can be fulfilling, it can at times seem too great. But within the sector there are (hundreds of) thousands of inspiring individuals who refuse to endorse the conventional thinking that suggests “it’s not possible to end [insert issue here] in one’s lifetime.”
There’s no easy recipe for innovation, but I’m pretty sure it starts with a big idea. Here are five ingredients for creating an environment where big ideas thrive. MORE
Last night marked the end of a fun tradition my boyfriend and I started this summer – sharing mouthwatering food truck finds, listening to great local music, bobbing and weaving through massive crowds, trying absurd new ice cream flavors (and I mean that in the most delicious way possible) and eating more desserts than any human should attempt in one sitting, then collapsing on a street curb in a food-induced coma to watch the rest of the excitement unfold – AKA the Night Market. MORE
Meet ANP. ANP is an Arbitrary Nonprofit that was started by a charismatic individual with a love for delivering quality programming to high-need communities in Philadelphia. ANP is well-known within its neighborhood and the Philadelphia nonprofit sector, but remains relatively small, employing just a handful of staff and operating on a modest annual budget of $300,000. MORE