Mining the Mission | Nonprofits Taking Advantage of the Technology Boom
They’re square pegs that don’t quite fit into round holes, those technology companies profiled by the New York Times last weekend: firms that make money, just not as much as investors would like, and that have social missions at their core. As the article noted, nonprofits with nice revenue streams are hardly new, but what makes these Silicon Valley organizations unique is that they are
driven in part by a set of microelectronics technology trends that have sent shock waves through many industries, from publishing to music and movies.
“Computer technology and the Internet are lowering the cost of doing business,” said John Lilly, the chief executive of Mozilla, the Web browser developer that is being subsidized by advertising revenue from the search engine business.
That blends with the strong sense of social purpose held by a number of the best and brightest in Silicon Valley.
I’d love to see us reach a point at which it is not surprising or newsworthy that there are nonprofits headed by business-savvy leaders who know how to make money, and that there are entrepreneurs who have something besides the bottom line keeping them awake at night. Me, I think we’re rather at that point already, and I suspect a lot of nonprofit observers would agree. Until everyone else catches up, though, it’s good to see these efforts being spotlighted. The diversity and brightness of the sector are things to be trumpeted and celebrated for as long as it takes for minds to be changed. | 501(c)
Tags: Silicon Valley, nonprofits and technology, Mozilla
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POSTED IN: Business affairs, Technology
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