Nonprofits Everywhere – Hooray!
Last week, I unplugged from email, Blackberry, and voicemail for a nine-day vacation. I’m sure you’ve all enjoyed the times when you change pace, slow down, and relax. It was indeed a great break – but interestingly, I was not taking a break from nonprofits. They’re everywhere – and that’s a wonderful thing. Our trip started with a few days in Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains and ended with some time in Washington, DC. With that itinerary, I’d expected that our time would be dominated by businesses, like hotels and restaurants, and by the National Park Service for our visits to the Skyline Drive, the National Mall, and other historic sites. What I hadn’t really thought about was how much nonprofits would be woven into the trip. Both Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello and George Washington’s Mount Vernon are owned and operated by nonprofit organizations, and are supported by fundraising, fees, and gift shop sales. In DC, the National Mall is a public park, but many of the events and special features are created and supported by nonprofits. We were lucky enough to be there at the peak of the cherry blossoms and the (nonprofit) National Cherry Blossom Festival. I know that this photo looks like a postcard, but I really did take it myself! To round off our nonprofit immersion, we had dinner at the funky Busboys and Poets restaurant, operated by a nonprofit, Teaching for Change.
It’s probably not a surprise that nonprofits are everywhere – and that’s a good thing, right? So maybe we should push back the next time someone brings up the argument that there are too many nonprofits, or that “someone” should prevent new nonprofits from forming. While I was on my nonprofit tour, in fact, there was a blog exchange on this very topic that you can find at Give and Take. I’ll confess that I’ve contributed to this idea on occasion, but my trip and the time I had to reflect on the presence and role of nonprofits has made me re-think this. Come on in! If a group of people have the commitment and passion to help the community, and are entrepreneurial enough to pull together an organization and programs, then I hope they can find their role and support. It isn’t easy. The field may be crowded, and funding is competitive, but important work is being done. Thanks.
Kate – I couldn’t agree more. Saying there are too many non-profits is like saying there are too many businesses. Just because some non-profits have similar missions doesn’t mean they have to merge or cease doing business. Should Burger King merge with McDonald’s? Should Target give up and get out of retail because Wal-Mart is so huge?
Of course, non-profits should always be looking for partnerships that make sense, and certainly merge if the financial advantages are clear. (Although it would be interesting for someone to study all the recent mergers around town and see if they lived up to expectations.)
So, yes, the more the merrier. If you see a mission that isn’t being filled – or you think you can do it better – come on in! Competition only makes us all better.
Soren Jensen, M.A. Nonprofit Management, Hamline University
Comment by Soren — April 9, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
Thanks for the comment, Soren. I would LOVE to see a study of mergers to see the results both financially and in community/mission impact. I think that mergers are good for the right reasons, but are never a goal just for the sake of merging.
Comment by Kate Barr — April 11, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
I was lucky enough to go to last Saturday’s Minnesota Book Awards with my wife who is with Milbrook Press/Lerner Publications. Imagine my happy surprise when I noticed that many of the nominees were from nonprofit publishers like Milkweed and Graywolf. In addition, the leaders of the local friends of the library organizations were well represented as was the Loft Literary Center. The local literary scene is an interesting mix of for-profit and nonprofit companies working together. Local nonprofits are clearly a vital part of our nationally known literary community. I also saw several nonprofit people who are married to book people like me.
Comment by Paul Verrette — April 15, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
Great post, and as a new Washingtonian, I hope you enjoyed your visit. This is a topic I’ve seen discussed every now and then. It was nice to see this side of the argument well represented as you gave some great points. Plus, isn’t healthy competition a good thing? =)
All the best,
SocialButterfly
Comment by SocialButterfly — April 25, 2008 @ 12:22 pm