Nonprofit-Performance-360-Vol-2-No-3-Baeza

From the Editor...

“ You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note.” - Doug Floyd

Early this year, I came across the Nonprofit Diversity Report, jointly published by CommonGood Ca- reers and the Level Playing Field Institute. Seeing the report prompted the thinking for this issue. As organizations seek to benefit society, how are we doing in recognizing the uniqueness of our communi- ties? The quote above summarizes the concept that shapes this issue. We understand the beauty of the unique notes in the midst of a symphony, but at times we miss it in the development and function- ing of our organizations. (Plus, with a co-publisher whose background is in musical conducting, we couldn’t think of a more fitting quote to summarize the theme of this issue.) Throughout this issue, we explore the importance of Embracing Your Whole Community. Every day, social benefit organizations across the globe bring impact to countless individuals across a wide variety of service areas. Yet, a haunting question hangs over the social benefit space, “Are we truly embracing our whole community?”This question is not meant to form each of our organizations into some one-size-fits-all framework, but to simply call us to rethink who is in our community. When we talk about diversity, we too often do so from the point of forced implementation. We want to think about this here from a proactive perspective – how do we embrace our whole community and think about the opportunities that are afforded as we bring people together with their unique skills, abilities, and experiences? In the pages of this issue, we will explore some important aspects of this community frame- work. Nonprofit consultants Leah Eustace and Kathleen LaTosch explore the underlying importance of diversity in our organizations, Al Winseman, a senior consultant at Gallup, examines the importance of acknowledging the unique strengths in our teams, and professor Angela Spranger examines diversity and conflict through the lens of the HR practitioner, among others. Even with that framing, we know that community looks different to each organization, and that is why we are spotlighting some nonprofits touching the far reaches of our commu- nity with amazing results. We highlight organizations including our feature, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, as well as The Mission Continues, an organization strengthening the path for returning veterans, and Second Chance, a service organization based in San Diego County working with the formerly incarcerated, homeless, and drug addicted. This issue is about rekindling our passion for why we serve and whom we serve. We must fight the mundane to continue to serve with empathy and resourcefulness. Join us on the journey as we think about the unique strengths and possibilities found in our organizations and our communities. Thanks! TG

Todd Greer

6 I Nonprofit Professional Performance Magazine