Posts Tagged ‘change’
Posted by Gayle Gifford on April 13, 2009 in 100 Things We've Learned, Big ideas, Effectiveness, Great quotes, Strategic Thinking
“Beware of geeks bearing formulas.” Warren Buffet’s quote in Wired Magazine on the formula that led to the downfall of Wall Street was aptly quoted by Phil Buchanan, the Executive Director of the Center for Effective Philanthropy in an exchange on the Tactical Philanthropy blog.
This reminds me of a quote in Boards that Make A Difference by governance guru John Carver that has always stuck in my head. “A crude measure of the right thing beats a precise measure of the wrong thing.”
All this was stirred up for me by the recent buzz within the world of philanthropy for measures to better direct donor giving to “what works.”
There is a real danger in oversimplifying what works.
While I’m completely in favor of focusing the attention of our sector toward processes that produce real community results, I’m wary of reliance on simplistic nonprofit rating systems (e.g. GiveWell) that attempt to duplicate for mission effectiveness the same style of rating formulas that Charity Navigator and others use to rank nonprofits by their financial metrics. We already know that judging a nonprofit solely upon the percentage of program expenses tells us nothing about community results and, in many cases, not even a terribly lot about nonprofit financial effectiveness.
How can we better use the indicators that do exist to influence whole systems change and not just randomized philanthropic endeavors? Read More >>
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on November 17, 2008 in Big ideas, Profiles of passion and courage
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you must work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
Nelson Mandela
This picture shows Mandela with F.W. de Klerk, his lifelong enemy. De Klerk represented a ruthless and racist regime that used massacre, torture, infiltration and assassination over decades in relentless efforts to destroy Mandela and his colleagues in the South African resistance movement. Yet Mandela had the wisdom to make de Klerk his partner-adversary in creating a new South Africa. Mandela’s own release from prison in 1990 after 28 years, was just one milestone in that long and difficult partnership. Four years later, Mandela’s African National Congress won South Africa’s first non-racial election, ending apartheid and creating a peace which lasts to the present day.
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on November 3, 2008 in Big ideas, Great quotes, Profiles of passion and courage
We believe that ordinary human beings can create a world of opportunity, liberty, civil & human rights, human dignity, shared abundance, beauty, healthy natural resources and healthy, compassionate people together in a world of peace and prosperity.
That’s why we do the work that we do. Because we see nonprofits as essential to bringing that hope to pass.
So, on this momentous day, we thought we’d share a few words in the same spirit from our President to be and wish him great luck and all of our assistance on this journey:
“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it?s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers ? in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people…”
“America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves ? if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
“…This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time ? to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth ? that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can?t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
“Yes We Can.”?Excerpts from victory speech of President-elect, Barack Obama
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on November 1, 2008 in Upcoming Events, Speaking and Training
Here’s a quote for Election Day, and all the days that follow.
“Things do not change, we change.” Henry David Thoreau
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on August 4, 2008 in Great quotes, Tidbits
I start the introduction to my book, How are we doing, with this quote attributed to the late pop artist Andy Warhol:
“They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
I’m always aware that as a consultant, I don’t make change in organizations … the staff, volunteers and board members that I work with do. I can suggest promising practices, I can provide helpful tools, or I can facilitate conversations that can lead to change. But when it comes right down to it, you are the implementer of change.
Change is hard. Making your organization work better is good. Go for it.
Happy Monday.
Gayle
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