Comments on: A Celebration of the Life of … http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2009/05/19/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-%e2%80%a6/ Nonprofits Assistance Fund shares thoughts and insights on nonprofit management and finance Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:53:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Kate Barr http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2009/05/19/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-25745 Kate Barr Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:14:47 +0000 http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2009/05/19/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-%e2%80%a6/#comment-25745 Kathy, I think that your comment about the lost capacity is really important. The organizations that you listed (Nonprofits Assistance Fund, MAP, MN Council of Nonprofuits, etc) do pay close attention to vulnerable organizations and reach out with resources and guidance as appropriate. One of the great strengths of nonprofits is their ability to govern and set their own course. Minnesota has a rich array of community resources to help. Kathy,

I think that your comment about the lost capacity is really important. The organizations that you listed (Nonprofits Assistance Fund, MAP, MN Council of Nonprofuits, etc) do pay close attention to vulnerable organizations and reach out with resources and guidance as appropriate. One of the great strengths of nonprofits is their ability to govern and set their own course. Minnesota has a rich array of community resources to help.

]]> By: Kathy Ahlers http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2009/05/19/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-25567 Kathy Ahlers Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:16:00 +0000 http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2009/05/19/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-%e2%80%a6/#comment-25567 I agree that it is sad when the community loses a long-time service-providing organization. I, too, was shocked and dismayed about the two examples mentioned. Beyond the emotional reaction, however, it is important to recognize that the embodied capacity lost is greater than simply the sum of the individuals turned onto the streets. It is analogous to the destruction of soil by paving it over--some of the life spark of the community is killed. This situation (of long-standing organizations closing their doors) points to the need for a comprehensive service gatekeeper that shaky organizations could turn to for help in envisioning major crisis restructuring options, deciding on a course of action, and carrying it out. Because the need is so holistic, perhaps this service provider would best be created by a task force of existing service-provider organizations such as Nonprofits Assistance Fund, MAP for Nonprofits, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Minnesota Council on Foundations, HandsOn Twin Cities, and so on. Once we have seen a need as important as this one--and know that we can do something about it--we are then morally bound to act to create a solution. I agree that it is sad when the community loses a long-time service-providing organization. I, too, was shocked and dismayed about the two examples mentioned. Beyond the emotional reaction, however, it is important to recognize that the embodied capacity lost is greater than simply the sum of the individuals turned onto the streets. It is analogous to the destruction of soil by paving it over–some of the life spark of the community is killed. This situation (of long-standing organizations closing their doors) points to the need for a comprehensive service gatekeeper that shaky organizations could turn to for help in envisioning major crisis restructuring options, deciding on a course of action, and carrying it out. Because the need is so holistic, perhaps this service provider would best be created by a task force of existing service-provider organizations such as Nonprofits Assistance Fund, MAP for Nonprofits, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Minnesota Council on Foundations, HandsOn Twin Cities, and so on. Once we have seen a need as important as this one–and know that we can do something about it–we are then morally bound to act to create a solution.

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