Adaptation and a Changing Environment

In Chapter 6 of Forces for Good, Crutchfield and Grant discuss the success of organizations who are able to adapt to changing environments. The authors write that "many established, larger organizations become mired in bureaucracy or stuck in old ways of approaching social change that no longer work. They fail to recognize that the world is changing around them, and are unable to modify their programs and tactics on the basis of signals received from the external envirnment or from key stakeholders" (p.151). This is often true of organizations whose founders or original stakeholders are still active in the organization; it is often difficult to realize that the organization which you helped build from just an idea must change in order to remain viable.

I know that this need to adapt is something that Camp Good Days and Special Times, an organization with which I have worked/volunteered, has dealt with throughout its 31 years. When Camp Good Days was founded, it was only the 4th camp in the country for children dealing with cancer, and there were few other programs dedicated to these children. The demand for camping sessions grew rapidly, as parents realized that it was important for their children to be able to have fun as "regular" kids, outside of hospital environments. Eventually, programs for children dealing with cancer became much more widespread--there are now summer camps in almost every state and around the world. Camp Good Days began experiencing less demand and more competition.

Although Camp Good Days isn't a perfect organization by any means, leadership has been very successful at adapting to the changing times. In addition to summer and year-round programs for children dealing with cancer, there are now programs dedicated to siblings and children of those with cancer, children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, children who are currently residing in foster homes, and children affected by domestic violence. There are also successful women's oncology programs, as well as a program dedicated to the spouses of those undergoing cancer treatment. Camp Good Days recently began a program for young adults (ages 18-39) after realizing that this group did not have the opportunities of other groups. The organization has realized that its original mission might not remain competitive in an environment with so many more opportunities, and it has grown and improved its programs in response. Of course, it has been difficult for some people who have been close to Camp Good Days for decades to accept the organizations evolution, but it is difficult to argue with the importance of adapting to a changing environment.

Do you have any experiences with organizations' adapting to changing environments? Or, have organizations you have worked with had trouble accepting that the must adapt/evolve?