Aug
8
2013
Written by Frances Kunreuther
Each year the people who provide you with technical assistance, organizational development, leadership training, transition management, and a host of other supports for nonprofits meet together at the Alliance for Nonprofit Management conference. This year it is practically in our back yard – in Newark, NJ – and Sean and I will be headed there Friday morning to talk about our new reports on A Series of 5% Shifts.Â
Building Movement Project has a long history with the Alliance even though we are neither a Management Support Organization (frequently referred to as MSOs) nor are we independent consultants. We are part of the many people who try to support the nonprofit – and for us social justice – infrastructure by offering information and support. It is at the Alliance conference where we were first able to showcase our work on generational shifts in leadership, as well as our initial work on social service and social change. It is a place to present our work and learn from others.
The nonprofit sector was once rich with interest on how to support vibrant organizations. The recession and changes in the way we do that work has shifted our thinking. We now focus on alliances, scale, and measureable impact. We are looking for transformational leaders and big vision. And truthfully that has been a welcome change. But what we learned from leaders of nonprofits – younger and older – is that what keeps them up at night are the care and feeding of the staff and the organization. Those of us who often do behind the scenes work rarely have the opportunity to share our insights, challenges, and questions. So thanks to the Alliance for providing that space!