Nonprofit Performance 360 Magazine Vol 3 No 2

From the Editor...

“The rate of change is not going to slow down anytime soon. If anything, competition in most industries will probably speed up even more in the next few decades.” - John P. Kotter, Leading Change The nonprofit sector, even before its formalized tax status, has been a major part of the fabric of the United States throughout most of its history. In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville stated, “Americans of all ages, conditions, and dispositions constantly unite together. Not only do they have commercial and industrial associations to which all belong, but also a thousand other kinds, religious, moral, serious, futile…Americans group together to hold fêtes, found seminaries, build inns, construct churches, distribute books…They establish prisons, schools by the same method…I have frequently admired the endless skill with which the inhabitants of the United States manage to set a common aim to the efforts of a great number of men and to persuade them to pursue it voluntarily.” While this sentiment still rings with sincerity today, the question arises as to whether the nonprofit sector is keeping pace with the rate of change we see in the world around us. Further, advances in new technology, new forms of governance and leadership, and even new classifications by the IRS are forcing nonprofits to re-examine the way that we run our organizations. In this issue of Nonprofit Performance Magazine , our contributors lay the challenges and changes facing the nonprofit sector under the microscope as they think about the nonprofit world being “Under New Management.” The theme is,in part,derived from the title of the new book by our cover personality,David Burkus.In his interview with NPM, Burkus sheds light on the new concepts of management thriving in a variety of organizations, as we continue to move farther away from the Industrial Era and the hierarchical form of management that took shape at that time. Change is the one constant we face in both our personal and professional lives, but it is easy to get left behind. Events and fundraising, leadership styles, board relations, grant processes, and many other parts of the nonprofit organization are being pushed to adapt and change to new structures, new generations, and new technology. Our contributors address these challenges and more in the pages to follow. Lest we fear too much, that “Under New Management” sign often speaks volumes to the community that surrounds it and, in the same way, it offers us a new way forward as we grow our organizations and community impact. Regards! Todd

Todd Greer

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