Center for Social Innovation

Your Nonprofit Construction Manager

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2009

The importance of finding dedicated project managers and the money to support them. —By Elisabeth D. Babcock

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Ethics and Nonprofits

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2009

Unethical behavior remains a persistent problem in nonprofits and for-profits alike. To help organizations solve that problem, the authors examine the factors that influence moral conduct, the ethical issues that arise specifically in charitable organizations, and the best ways to promote ethical behavior within organizations. —By Deborah L. Rhode & Amanda K. Packel

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Mission-Driven Governance

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2009

The prevailing governance model is fundamentally adversarial, pitting board members in a never-ending struggle with executives. This model may ensure that the legal requirements of oversight and compliance are met, but it does little to advance the organization’s goals. The authors propose a new and more effective framework, one where board members and executives work together to advance the organization’s mission. —By Raymond Fisman, Rakesh Khurana, & Edward Martenson

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Creating Solidarity Through Unusual Acts of Kindness

What inspires people to act selflessly, help others, and make personal sacrifices? Unusual acts of kindness—like giving something away to someone you don’t even know and getting nothing in return—happens numerous times every day, in the form of blood donation, providing online reviews, and so on. In each case, someone provides a useful good, service, or bit of advice free of charge. In academic circles, this type of giving is referred as “generalized exchange.” Generalized exchange stands in contrast to “direct exchange,” in which payments are made or reciprocity is expected. Professor Frank Flynn and colleagues, Robb Willer and Sonya Zak, looked at these unusual acts of kindness and examined whether generalized exchange systems can create more solidarity than direct exchange systems.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Arts, Culture, and Religion, Environment, Nonprofit Management

How Do You Encourage Recycling?

Recycling programs abound, but people are often lackadaisical about putting plastic, paper, glass, and metal into those bins. How can we get more people to recycle? An intervention recently conducted in Canada is pointing the way, and the message is all about ... well, the messaging.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Leadership, Nonprofit Management

Why Feelings of Guilt May Signal Leadership Potential

Stanford GSB researchers find that how people respond to mistakes can be a "clue to who they are.”

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Government, Human Rights, Leadership, Nonprofit Management

Marketing for Good

GSB Marketing Professor Jennifer Aaker says social media can help for-profits, nonprofits, and government organizations address a deficit of trust in our current culture.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Japanese Alumni Test Their Post-Disaster Leadership Mettle

As Japan shifts from disaster relief to rebuilding, GSB alumni see opportunities for change and renewal.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing, Social Entrepreneurship

What’s Next: MBA Students Venture Out

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2008

MBA students turn their attention to social enterprise.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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Research: Catching Charisma

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2008

Charismatic people spread happiness and well-being.

Education, Nonprofit Management

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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What’s Next: The Giving Museum

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2008

A New York museum teaches about ending world hunger.

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Nonprofit Management

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

What’s Next: The Carrot Is Mightier Than the Stick

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2008

Rewarding the socially responsible with customers.

Arts, Culture, and Religion, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Research: Help People Do the Right Thing

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2008

Just do it—later.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Is it Better to Work in the Front of the House?

Should the focus be on more fulfilling work—or higher salaries?

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Government, Nonprofit Management

The Democracy 2.0 Grant Summit: An Experiment in Collective Grantmaking

Millennial generation reps will create five technology projects that will reduce the influence of wealth and special interest groups in policymaking.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

An Interview with Jane Arsenault, Author of Forging Nonprofit Alliances

Arsenault shares how she has facilitated nonprofit mergers.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Government, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Government Can Do Better for Charity

By treating government as a potential partner, nonprofits can find ways to put its resources to productive use.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Feeback Loops That Matter

Shouldn’t nonprofits and philanthropies be aiming for “customer satisfaction” too?

Resource: Blog Post

Video/Audio : All | Audio | Video

Topic:

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Introduction to Fundraising Planning (Part II)

In this audio lecture recorded at the 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp, Scott Ullman provides a wealth of practical information and how-tos for developing a fundraising campaign. Concrete examples based on a successful nonprofit illustrate both the day-to-day operations and the leadership skills needed to guide any organization towards good planning habits, successful execution, and a sustainable fundraising strategy.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Introduction to Fundraising Planning (Part I)

In this audio lecture, Scott Ullman walks his audience of nonprofit executives gathered at the 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp through the steps of planning a fundraising campaign, including how to integrate fundraising into the day-to-day activities of a nonprofit organization. This program is geared to people who have never undertaken a fundraising plan before, but offers great advice for anyone looking to sharpen their strategy.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Healthcare, Nonprofit Management

Nonprofit Boot Camp Keynote

Nurturing a fledgling nonprofit takes dedication, focus, and maybe even a few miracles. In this audio lecture, Van Jones offers a compelling look at life in the nonprofit sector, sharing his own story and some key tips for making a real difference. Collaboration, communication, tenacity, integrity, and irrational exuberance are just a few of the qualities needed to grow a good idea into a sustainable force for social progress.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

High Impact Careers in Nonprofits

[photo - Barak Ben-Gal, Peter Fortenbaugh, Heidi Krauel]

Do you want to have a measurable social impact without giving up a challenging and rewarding career path? Speakers provide a range of perspectives on high-quality jobs in the nonprofit sector. The panel discussion, from Bridging the Gap, the Stanford 2005 Net Impact Conference organized by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, dispels the myth that MBAs going into nonprofits can't have successful, high-profile careers.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Education, Nonprofit Management

Measuring Social Impact

[photo - Rick Aubry, David Bonbright, Paul Brest]

Measuring the social impact created by philanthropic projects has forever been the nonprofit sector's philosopher's stone. This panel discussion, at the Stanford 2005 Net Impact Conference sponsored by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, highlights innovative examples of measurement systems and explores some of the complex problems that arise when attempting to apply metrics to social impact.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Remedying Group Disparities in School Achievement

Inequalities between socially marginalized and non-marginalized groups have led to poorer school and health outcomes for African Americans, Latino Americans, and other non-Asian ethnic minorities. Although many structural factors contribute to these inequalities, this study examines one psychological factor: concern about social belonging — a sense of having positive relationships with others.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Government, Nonprofit Management

A Behavioral Science Perspective on Why People Vote

The investigation into what messaging motivates people to vote and the effectiveness of facilitating a voting plan during a presidential election.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Arts, Culture, and Religion, Environment, Nonprofit Management

The Effectiveness of Message Framing to Influence Behavior

Most observers agree that human consumption is on a crash course with the environment. Although recycling programs have been implemented in many cities around the world, people often do not participate as often as they could. This research examines the effectiveness of messages that highlight the negative consequences of not recycling (loss frames) versus those that emphasize the positive consequences of recycling (gain frames) in influencing people's behavior.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Arts, Culture, and Religion, Health Care, Nonprofit Management

Using People's Irrationality To Do Good

Identifying effective obesity treatment is both a clinical challenge and a public health priority. Can monetary incentives stimulate weight loss? Leslie John presents a study that examines different economic incentives for weight loss during a 16 week intervention.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Know Your Sector

Nonprofits in the U.S. generate $1.1 trillion every year, which is more than the entire economies of Saudi Arabia and Sweden combined. "Know Your Sector", a video created by alum Ben Klasky (MBA '98), is intended as a resource for nonprofit employees, volunteers, and donors to better know the impact of their sector.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Improve Your Nonprofit Organizations in Less Than Two Months

In this audio lecture, Heather Carpenter and Jennifer Chien offer a wealth of practical advice and concrete steps to establish basic organizational procedures and best practices for young nonprofits. Speaking at the 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp, they map out the tasks in key areas such as insurance, human resources, finances, fundraising, and board relations to help executives in start-up nonprofits strengthen and simplify operations, freeing up valuable time to focus on the programs they care about.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Fostering Effective Nonprofit-Corporate Relationships

Nonprofits and corporations can achieve their goals by working together. In this panel discussion, 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp panelists describe the various forms of partnerships between nonprofit and for-profit organizations, their benefits, and their pitfalls. They talk about how to start and develop successful partnerships from the perspective of people who have sat on both sides of the table.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

Your Career Path to Nonprofit Leadership

In this audio lecture, Nonprofit Executive of the Year Jan Masaoka shares practical advice on how to start and develop a career in the nonprofit sector. Speaking at the 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp, she answers questions on which degrees to pursue, how to write a resume, and how to prepare for an interview. She also addresses how to make your own job description, why volunteering matters, what compensation to expect, which fields are getting the funds, whether to start your own organization, and how to grow into leadership roles.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Craigslist Boot Camp Keynote

Mission, vision, and values are the essential ingredients of a transformational process that brings philanthropists and organizations together to meet critical community needs. Kay Sprinkel Grace approaches fundraising with an attitude of pride and power. In this audio lecture, she explains how donors are inspired to invest in an organization that communicates shared beliefs by taking real action to benefit those in need.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

Developing a Message to Win Supporters For Your Cause

Clear communication is the key to informing and inspiring supporters for any cause. Based on his years of experience helping nonprofits succeed, Mal Warwick shares with his 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp audience some tried-and-true methods for getting the message across. As emphasized in this audio lecture, good research and some well-chosen words and images can help an organization articulate its vision and sharpen its unique identity in order to excite contributors and let them know their money will be well spent.

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Resource: Audio

Case Studies : All | Academic Cases

Topics:

Breaking New Ground: Using the Internet to Scale

Commissioned by KaBOOM! and authored by Katherine Fulton and alumna Heather McLeod Grant of the Monitor Institute, this case study looks at the challenges KaBOOM! faced and lessons the organization learned while pioneering an online strategy to scale its impact. This strategy involves giving away the nonprofit model online for free to empower others to act on KaBoom's behalf.

Resource: Practitioner Case

Topics:

Environment, Nonprofit Management

Wild Salmon Center

The Wild Salmon Center was created to provide anglers access to excellent fishing in return for funding research and conservation. The case discusses the Center’s efforts to protect the pristine watersheds of the Kamchatka Peninsula by developing ecotourism to raise funds for conservation.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

John Goldman: Creating the Next Generation of Philanthropists

John Goldman established the South Peninsula Jewish Community Teen Foundation in 2003, an innovative program that teaches Bay Area Jewish teens to run their own charitable foundation by developing mission statements, raising money, and distributing funds. As of 2009, the program has scaled to four chapters and raised and distributed $178,321 in funds.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Tipping Point Community

This case details the Tipping Point Community's attempts to quantify and grow its impact on poverty in local communities; while it was raising more than $14 million for organizations, it was still struggling to improve performance and outcomes.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Using Social Media to Save Lives: HelpVinayAndSameer.org

This case study presents new evidence on the power of social media for social good, using the example of Sameer Bhatia, whose friends created a website to help him find a bone barrow match to fight leukemia.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Social Service Mergers: HOPE Services and Skills Center

Four years after HOPE Services merged with the Skills Center, everyone considered the merger a success. But as with most for-profit and nonprofit mergers, the change was not without its costs and challenges.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Healthcare, Nonprofit Management

Institute for Healthcare Improvement: The Campaign to Save 100,000 Lives

In December 2004, the president of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement challenged U.S. hospitals to reduce unnecessary deaths by 100,000 in the next 18 months. The case describes a campaign that incorporated lessons from politics and social activism.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Economic Development, Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

As Green As It Gets

As Green as It Gets was a nonprofit economic development organization supporting small, independent producers in disadvantaged Guatemalan communities. The founder pondered how to grow and sustain the organization.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Creating an Online Information Marketplace for Giving

The best nonprofits don’t necessarily get the most money, observed William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Philanthropy Program officer Jacob Harold and president Paul Brest in 2007. From there they started exploring how they could improve the marketplace and how donors give their money. To that effect they hired consulting firm McKinsey & Company to explore the online information marketplace for giving space at a macro level, looking at trends and opportunities. Armed with data they then tried to figure out what to do.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Economic Development, Nonprofit Management

Endeavor

Endeavor selects promising entrepreneurs and helps them develop and grow their businesses through mentorship and guidance. In 2007, founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg looked at the organization's expansion strategy.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Economic Development, Healthcare, Nonprofit Management

Riders for Health: Health Care Distribution Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Riders for Health is a U.K.-based nonprofit dedicated to the improvement of transportation systems for health workers in Africa. In 2007, after 11 years in existence, the organization was at a critical point and had to decide what strategies were necessary to expand.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Breaking New Ground: Using the Internet to Scale

Commissioned by KaBOOM! and authored by Katherine Fulton and alumna Heather McLeod Grant of the Monitor Institute, this case study looks at the challenges KaBOOM! faced and lessons the organization learned while pioneering an online strategy to scale its impact. This strategy involves giving away the nonprofit model online for free to empower others to act on KaBoom's behalf.

Resource: Practitioner Case

Topic :

Environment, Nonprofit Management

Wild Salmon Center

The Wild Salmon Center was created to provide anglers access to excellent fishing in return for funding research and conservation. The case discusses the Center’s efforts to protect the pristine watersheds of the Kamchatka Peninsula by developing ecotourism to raise funds for conservation.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

John Goldman: Creating the Next Generation of Philanthropists

John Goldman established the South Peninsula Jewish Community Teen Foundation in 2003, an innovative program that teaches Bay Area Jewish teens to run their own charitable foundation by developing mission statements, raising money, and distributing funds. As of 2009, the program has scaled to four chapters and raised and distributed $178,321 in funds.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Tipping Point Community

This case details the Tipping Point Community's attempts to quantify and grow its impact on poverty in local communities; while it was raising more than $14 million for organizations, it was still struggling to improve performance and outcomes.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Using Social Media to Save Lives: HelpVinayAndSameer.org

This case study presents new evidence on the power of social media for social good, using the example of Sameer Bhatia, whose friends created a website to help him find a bone barrow match to fight leukemia.

Resource: Academic Case

Research Papers : All

Topics:

Supporting Equality in Education

How can a certain kind of behavior actually contributes to inequalities? Specifically, do children’s social-class backgrounds affect when and how they seek help in the classroom, thereby teasing out children’s own role in educational stratification? We consider how teachers may use such information to correct these dynamics, and thus contribute to more equal access for all children at school.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Give Them the Gift They're Expecting

When it comes to gift giving, most people are simply not paying enough attention to what others want says Professor Frank Flynn. They miss the boat by ignoring direct requests, wrongly assuming that going a different route will be seen as more thoughtful than something the recipient specifically requested.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Healthcare, Nonprofit Management

Reexploring Differences among For-Profit and Nonprofit Dialysis Providers

To determine whether profit status is associated with differences in hospital days per patient, an outcome that may also be influenced by provider financial goals.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Government, Nonprofit Management

Morally Motivated Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is the private provision of public goods and private redistribution. This paper examines the scope of self-regulation motivated by altruistic moral preferences that are reciprocal and stronger the closer are citizens in a socioeconomic distance.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Government, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Social Pressures Affect Corporate Strategy and Performance

Social pressure plays a major role in determining corporate strategy and performance according to an award-winning paper coauthored by Professor David Baron. The researchers find that social pressure and social performance reinforce each other, greater social pressure is associated with lower financial performance, and financial and social performance are largely unrelated.

Resource: Research Paper

Courses : All

Topic :

Strategic Management of Nonprofits: STRAMGT 368

This course surveys strategic, governance, and management issues facing a wide range of nonprofit organizations in an era of venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. It introduces students to core managerial issues in the nonprofit sector, such as development/fundraising, investment management, performance management and nonprofit finance.

Resource: MBA Course

Innovators : All

Topic :

Ken Saxon (MBA '88)

Nonprofit executives dedicate their lives to many of society’s most intractable problems, yet are often overstretched and under-resourced. Ken Saxon speaks about founding Courage to Lead to build support and community around nonprofit executive leaders.

Resource: Alumni

Topic :

An interview with Michael DeLapa (MBA '85)

Susan Rothstein (MBA '78)

Susan reflects on her experience volunteering with a grassroots NGO in Cambodia and how she gained a new perspective on both the developing world and herself.

Resource: Alumni

Topic :

Board Governance, Business, Cause Marketing, Nonprofits, Social Enterprises, Socially Responsible Business, Environment, Leadership, Nonprofit Management

Michael DeLapa is heavily involved in environmental, land use, and energy issues. He has launched several non-profits in the Bay Area as well as the California Fisheries Fund.

Resource: Alumni

Topic :

Economic Development, Education, Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with J. Charitha ("Chari") Ratwatte (MBA '09)

One of the first two Stanford GSB Social Innovation fellows, Chari works to provide economic opportunities to farmers in Sri Lanka.

Resource: Alumni , Fellow

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Environment, Government, Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Court Gould (EPNL '06)

Court Gould is pushing for Pittsburgh to grow sustainably. He's working hard to inform decision makers about to accomplish that most effectively.

Resource: CSI Affiliates

Topic :

Business, Nonprofits, Nonprofit Management

Freeing the Social Entrepreneur

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2010

Social entrepreneurs are often reluctant to relinquish control and create strong leadership teams. Unless they make this important transition, the organizations entrepreneurs worked hard to create are unlikely to scale or have the desired impact.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

Disaster Relief - How Can Business Help?

In their nonprofit management strategy, the American Red Cross recognizes businesses as key players in emergency preparedness and disaster relief efforts. In this audio interview, host Karl Matzke speaks with Joe Becker, the senior vice president of disaster services at the American Red Cross, who discusses how the national organization leverages the support of the business community to provide assistance beyond in-kind and financial resources, which is an approach applied by many in nonprofit management.

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Resource: Audio

Topic :

Global Issues, Nonprofits, Nonprofit Management

Q&A: Neal Keny-Guyer

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2010

Neal Keny-Guyer believes that wars, earthquakes, and other disasters create opportunities for Mercy Corps to help change society for the better.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Know Your Sector

Nonprofits in the U.S. generate $1.1 trillion every year, which is more than the entire economies of Saudi Arabia and Sweden combined. "Know Your Sector", a video created by alum Ben Klasky (MBA '98), is intended as a resource for nonprofit employees, volunteers, and donors to better know the impact of their sector.

Resource: Video

Topic :

Business, Nonprofits, Online Giving, Philanthropy, Social Enterprises, Nonprofit Management

What’s Next: Wisdom of a Smaller Crowd

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Fall 2010

Philanthropedia cofounder Deyan Vitanov wants to make it easier for donors to see the impact of the organizations they fund. That’s why he has created a new tool that bases its recommendations on the opinions of over 1,000 experts.