February 26th, 2008
“Operational excellence.” “Revenue streams.” “Differentiation.” “Cross-selling.” “Quantitative and qualitative research.”
Having learned well from their for-profit brethren, nonprofits now have much to teach, according to a Boston Symphony Orchestra official and a communications consultant. Writing in the current issue of Forbes, Mark Volpe and Roger Sametz argue persuasively a point I’ve been making since starting this […]
By Tom Durso -- 0 comments
February 12th, 2008
Last week the b5 servers got all hinky on us, and posting to and reading the network’s blogs — including the 501(c) Files — was a sketchy proposition for a day or two. That got a lot of us here on the Business Channel thinking about crisis management. For nonprofits, I think, there are a […]
By Tom Durso -- 3 comments
February 5th, 2008
Indiana University’s mission statement talks of maintaining “friendly, collegial, and humane environments,” while Texas Tech’s mentions fostering “personal development” and stimulating “service to humankind.” These two schools were Bob Knight’s most recent employers. Knight retired yesterday after a stunning successful career as an NCAA Division I men’s basketball coach. An uncompromising figure and terrific coach […]
By Tom Durso -- 5 comments
January 30th, 2008
Not having to answer to Wall Street’s all-too-often unreasonable expectations can be a powerful incentive for an organization to shed its for-profit status. I suspect that is what’s behind a Connecticut biotech industry group’s decision to create a nonprofit arm dedicated to developing pharmaceuticals for Third World countries.
New Haven-based CURE has quietly spun off a […]
By Tom Durso -- 0 comments
January 23rd, 2008
The state government of Ohio is the latest to begin exploring whether nonprofits should be taxed. Unlike efforts in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and in Indiana, Ohio’s process is being driven by the executive branch, not the legislature, and it’s aimed at just one segment of the sector: hospitals.
Attorney General Marc Dann, a Democrat elected in […]
By Tom Durso -- 0 comments
January 21st, 2008
Last week New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg made big headlines with a speech in Los Angeles that served, according to the Associated Press, as “a scorching assessment of Washington” with respect to its spending practices. “In remarks clearly aimed at a national audience,” wrote AP’s Michael R. Blood, “the mayor said politics trumps common sense […]
By Tom Durso -- 0 comments
January 11th, 2008
The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Give and Take blog this week linked to Charity Governance’s disapproving view of nonprofit/for-profit partnerships in the wake of the Intel/One Laptop Per Child breakup and asked, “Are corporate partnerships effective for charities?” Here’s what CG blogger Jack Siegel had to say:
… [M]any of these innovative partnerships […]
By Tom Durso -- 2 comments
November 5th, 2007
Inspired by Sean Stannard-Stockton’s comment about mission and meaningful work, I started thinking about the company names he mentioned. The words “Google,” “Apple,” and “Starbucks” don’t usually conjure up images of balance sheets and income statements. Indeed, despite their corporate status, these companies and, importantly, their respective brands inspire a fanatical devotion that includes a […]
By Tom Durso -- 1 comment
October 24th, 2007
Reacting to a Chronicle of Philanthropy piece on the Nonprofit Finance Fund’s Nonprofit Business Analysis program, Tactical Philanthropy blogger Sean Stannard-Stockton speaks cogently on the disconnect that often occurs in discussions over financial structure and mission. Stannard-Stockton’s post includes a note that all professional people, regardless of their sector, would do well to digest:
In the […]
By Tom Durso -- 0 comments
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