Being that this is the last post of the semester, I thought it might be prudent to share the development of my ideas concerning effectiveness this semester. Indeed, trying to peg down what constitutes nonprofit effectiveness has been a daily struggle. That is why my definition of nonprofit effectiveness, while more nuanced, is much the same as it was in the beginning of the semester. I really do not think that there is one, or even numerous, ways to determine the effectiveness of a nonprofit due to the diversity of such organizations.
However, there is one 'idea' that I DO think is demonstrative of an effective nonprofit organization. Based upon all the reading that we have done this semester, an effective nonprofit is one that is always seeking to develop, adapt, and improve itself in fulfilling its social mission. We have read that overhead ratios, program ratios, accountability, results reporting are all indicators of effective nonprofits, but, as per usual, all of these things cannot singularly explain nonprofit effectiveness. It largely depends on the organization, its environment, its size, and its mission.
Indeed, I believe that all the measures of effectiveness that we read about are important for future managers in that they provide us with the means to constantly adapt, evolve, and develop when we begin to work in a nonprofit. Being conscious of these indicators allows us to (1) be knowledgeable of environment we will enter; and (2) will provide a way "push the envelope" in both being "effective" and redefining it at the same time.
I guess we weren't far off in the beginning of the semester in our attempt to define nonprofit effectiveness:
It depends....
I agree with you Dan, and I think my takeaway on effectiveness is not so much pursuing perfection in measuring effectiveness, but rather pursuing and advocating “informed effectiveness measurement.” As an administrator, I want to not only broaden my understanding of effectiveness, but help others to do so as well. Charity Navigator, the BBB and others cannot provide the perfect assessment metrics, but soaking up the many approaches offered can only help us make more informed decisions. Our class should start a think-tank on how to advocate informed effectiveness judgments …
ReplyDeleteDan,
ReplyDeleteI very much appreciate your post because I have the same feelings. In today's world, we are constantly changing. As managers, we have to adapt to these changes. There is no such thing as the perfect organization. If Charity Navigator says so, then in my opinion, I am very confident that I could make arguments that the "perfect" organization is actually NOT perfect. Mainly, because there is no such thing!
For the most part, we have to define ourselves what we believe "effective" really is for our organizations. There is no clear cut answer, or any sort of standard across the board. Each organization is unique in its own right. Understanding this alone ensures that we have a good idea of how to make our specific organizations EFFECTIVE.
So, this is not my "real" blog response. I just wanted to take a minute, leave a little message, and let you know that I think you highjacked this post from my final paper...and, I am on to you! The second paragraph gave you away.
ReplyDelete