Activities vs Outcomes

July 19, 2011 • Blog, Development, Philanthropy & Giving • by
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Activities are the things we do. Outcomes are the things we produce. Outcomes are more necessary than activities and today’s donors don’t want to just fund activities, they want to purchase outcomes.

An activity is handing out food at a food pantry. An outcome is helping people move from food dependence to food independence.

An activity is running an after-school basketball league. An outcome is increasing the odds a student ends up in college.

Activities make up the day to day life of social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. Outcomes are why they started the organization to begin with. Read More…

Business is not the Enemy

July 4, 2011 • Blog, Business • by
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Business is not the enemy of positive social change.

Profit is not the enemy either.

In fact if you want to create sustained change in this world, start a business, or at least make money. If you were to look at the organizations that have most changed people’s lives, that effect people everyday, they would almost all be businesses.

The reason that so many people seeking to create positive social change have a distaste (if not outright hatred) of business is because traditionally the mindset has been that business must maximize profit uninhibited. Business leaders acted irresponsibly and unsustainably and even immorally in the pursuit of immediate profit maximization.

However, it does not need to be like this.

Business can incorporate some of the values of the social sector; sustainability, workers rights, etc and still maintain a strong bottom line. In fact, many organizations that incorporate positive social change into their value system see worker retention increase and stronger consumer engagement.