Center for Social Innovation

The Holy Grail for Nonprofits

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011

NONPROFIT SUSTAINABILITY: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability by Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka & Steve Zimmerman

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Government, Nonprofit Management

The Elusive Craft of Evaluating Advocacy

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011

The political process is chaotic and often takes years to unfold, making it difficult to use traditional measures to evaluate the effectiveness of advocacy organizations. There are, however, unconventional methods one can use to evaluate advocacy organizations and make strategic investments in that arena.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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The Miracle of Financial Inclusion

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Summer 2011

The founder of the Kashf Foundation argues that microfinance can improve the lives of Pakistan’s next generation.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

What’s Next: Retailing with Heart

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Venture into a Panera Cares café and you’ll see the same menu and racks of freshly baked breads that are staples at the 1,400 Panera Bread restaurants across the United States. The only thing missing is the cash register. Instead, there’s a donation box where customers pay on the honor system.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Nonprofit Management

Social Responsibility Is Now a Business Imperative

Social responsibility is now a business imperative, says Carter Roberts, CEO of the World Wildlife Fund. "Companies still thinking about the environment as a social responsibility rather than a business imperative are living in the dark ages,” he told an audience at the Business School’s annual von Gugelberg Memorial Environmental Lecture.

Resource: News Article

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A Brand Is a Promise to a Customer

Nonprofits may not compete as fiercely as for-profit businesses, but they must find ways to make their brand stand out and evoke emotions from potential supporters, says Professor Jennifer Aaker.

Resource: News Article

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It’s Often Smart to Make the First Move in a Negotiation

Making the first offer in a negotiation can have the power of setting a starting point, Professor Margaret Neale advised a conference of nonprofit managers. She advises being aggressive—“just this side of crazy.”

Resource: News Article

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Location Makes a Difference for Nonprofit Support, Says New Study

Although most nonprofit organizations are small, they collectively represent an important part of a region's economy. An important study by the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business finds that nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area are better funded and spend more per capita compared to the rest of California and the nation. Yet, nonprofit leaders in the Bay Area feel stretched when marshalling resources to meet the needs or aspirations of their organization's mission.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Economic Development, Nonprofit Management

For Nonprofits, Local Buy-In Creates Sustainable Value

Development initiatives that rely heavily on partnerships with local communities are far more likely to create sustainable value, social entrepreneurs agreed during a panel discussion sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation.

Resource: News Article

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Government, Nonprofit Management

Under One Roof

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

One-stop centers offer a safer future for victims of domestic violence.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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For Love or Lucre

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

A veteran social entrepreneur provides a guide to those who are thinking through the thorny question of whether to create a nonprofit, a for-profit, or something in between.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

A New Type of Hybrid

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Social entrepreneurs have taken the hybrid model to a new level, crafting it into what is in effect a single structure that can operate as both a for-profit and a nonprofit.

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Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Better Vision for the Poor

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Several social enterprises are attempting to provide eyeglasses to the 500 million to 1 billion poor people in the world who need them. Some enterprises see the provision of trained optometrists as the key to solving the problem; others are focused on cost reduction; others still are focused on technological innovations. Why haven’t any of these approaches succeeded on a large scale?

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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Increasing Civic Reach

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Nonprofits must have influential board members who connect them to the communities they serve.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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Giving Sector Needs to Get Real

Nonprofits need to do a better job at engaging their givers in their organization if they want to continue to receive funding.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Foundation Hoarding Backfires; Billions Lost

Scared foundations now regret hoarding their grants

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Nonprofit Management

Speaking of Nonprofit Retirees…

Nonprofits need to think seriously about helping their employees’ with post-work survival.

Resource: Blog Post

Topic :

Economic Development, Nonprofit Management

Nonprofit Accounting Rules Not the Solution to For-Profit Accountability

Nonprofit accounting rules should not be forced on anyone.

Resource: Blog Post

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Interview Collaboration Prize Co-Winners

Interview with Abby Suckow and Connie Torrey, Collaboration Prize co-winners from the JCC and YMCA of the Greater Toledo area.

Resource: Blog Post

Video/Audio : All | Audio | Video

Topic:

Leadership in an Uncertain World

Many nonprofit leaders today are on the brink of burnout. Their responsibilities are mounting and their resources are dwindling. In this audio lecture, Katherine Fulton, president of the Monitor Institute, advises nonprofit professionals to slow down, in order to assess the challenges ahead. She offers five leadership tips that enable nonprofit managers to go back to fundamentals, so that they can thrive in an uncertain world.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Leadership, Nonprofit Management

Nonprofit Management: The Art of Organizing Volunteers

"Every year, I say 'Never again,' but I do, and I love it." Does this sound familiar to you? Volunteer organizations enhance the quality of life, usually locally. But anyone who has been involved in a volunteer organization understands their fragility. BigTent, a platform for social groups, hosts 20,000 free, online forums with controls specifically for the needs of volunteer groups. Sheela Sethuraman talks with Laney Whitcanack, COO of BigTent.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Philanthropy, Nonprofit Management

If You Need Something, Just Ask

How likely are people to say "yes" to a request? We grossly underestimate how helpful people will be. We're also poor predictors of how many people will ask us for help. In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation audio lecture, Francis Flynn explores why we are consistently bad at predicting cooperative behavior. He offers his counter-intuitive results from laboratory and fund-raising situations. Does it matter if you are reasonable? How much will it affect success if you first ask: "Will you do me a favor?"

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Cause Marketing, Nonprofit Management

Name Your Price!

Giving things away for the prize people are willing to pay sounds like corporate suicide. In this audio lecture sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford, Leif Nelson shows it's a pathway to corporate citizenship, increased revenue, and an enhanced company image. He walks us through field experiments he conducted at major theme parks manipulating various aspects of the purchasing experience for souvenir action photos.

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Resource: Audio

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Firm Stereotypes Matter

How do you view a nonprofit? A for-profit? A dot-org? Or a dot-com? Judgments of warmth and competence drive consumer behaviors such as the likeliness to visit a website or willingness to buy a product from an organization. Understanding consumer stereotypes plays a significant role in how nonprofits and corporations do business. In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored audio lecture, marketing professor Jennifer Aaker examines the implications stereotypes have on firms.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Education, Nonprofit Management

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:

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

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

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The Power of Leadership in Social Enterprise

Habitat for Humanity is an exemplary social enterprise that has helped build more than 350,000 houses for low-income people in thousands of communities worldwide. In this university podcast, Jonathan Reckford, the organization's CEO, talks about what it takes to be a great leader. He shares lessons learned from his own career, and how he put his knowledge to work in successfully guiding Habitat for Humanity since 2005.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Social Innovations, Nonprofit Management

Crowd-Sourcing Disaster Relief

Incident responders can use social media as they rush to put aid in place after disasters. Jeannie Stamberger, of the Disaster Management Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, shares her studies of crowd-sourcing. When disasters impact populated areas, social media helps agencies quickly identify the extent of the damage. This audio interview covers utilization of social media for disaster response, planning and risk analysis.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Environment, Nonprofit Management

The Role of Social Norms in Energy and Water Conservation

If you stayed in a hotel recently, you may have seen signs that encouraged you to reuse your towel in an effort to conserve resources. What drives you and others to participate in this environmentally and economically beneficial program? Professor Noah Goldstein studies the factors that motivate individuals to engage in prosocial actions using descriptive norms to design effective messages. He presents his research in this audio lecture presented by the Center for Social Innovation.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Ending the Nonprofit Starvation Cycle

A vicious cycle is leaving nonprofits so hungry for decent infrastructure that they can barely function as organizations -- let alone serve their beneficiaries. In this audio lecture, Ann Goggins Gregory and Don Howard of The Bridgespan Group, a leading nonprofit management consulting firm, unveil the forces that deprive organizations of much-needed overhead funding. They then reveal what grantees can do to break out of this nonprofit starvation cycle, so that they can focus on the work ahead.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Leadership in an Uncertain World

Many nonprofit leaders today are on the brink of burnout. Their responsibilities are mounting and their resources are dwindling. In this audio lecture, Katherine Fulton, president of the Monitor Institute, advises nonprofit professionals to slow down, in order to assess the challenges ahead. She offers five leadership tips that enable nonprofit managers to go back to fundamentals, so that they can thrive in an uncertain world.

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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:

Economic Development, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Mirae: Charitable Giving in North Korea

Mirae, a group of affluent housewives in Seoul, is working to prepare for the reunification of the North and South by raising strategic funds. The group ponders how to create a nonprofit in a society that has traditionally thought of charity as an intra-family issue.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

The Seattle Theater Industry

By the close of 2001, theatres in Seattle were experiencing box office slumps. The vibrant theatre industry faced monumental challenges to remaining both critically acclaimed and financially sound.

Resource: Academic Case

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Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The Hewlett Foundation has used a theory-of-change model to structure its planning and evaluation efforts. In 2001, the Foundation endeavored to increase its effectiveness and accountability by formalizing its planning and assessment practices.

Resource: Academic Case

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American Repertory Theatre in the 1990s

The directors of the American Repertory Theatre face major government cuts in funding. How can they best identify new sources of income?

Resource: Academic Case

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The Oregon Shakespeare Festival

From 1999 to 2003, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival completed a huge capital campaign. The case gives an in-depth examination of the organization’s planning process for this campaign.

Resource: Academic Case

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American Heart Association: Reorganization of the Western States Affiliate

In 1997, the American Heart Association’s Western States Affiliate reorganized to increase fundraising revenues for the nonprofit. The affiliate’s CEO wondered how the organization could leverage its model across disparate communities nationally, and what the impact might be on its long-term viability.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Economic Development, Education, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Beginning with Children

An innovative public school’s foundation considers new strategic directions in the wake of the school’s conversion to an independent charter. Will it become an advocacy organization, a think tank, an educational consultant—or choose another path?

Resource: Academic Case

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Joint Venture: Silicon Valley (C)

In 1995, the executive team of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network struggled with the initiative’s role in developing a regional strategy for revitalizing Silicon Valley through collaboration between the public and private sectors. The question was whether or not to focus on a few initiatives or continue with a comprehensive approach.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Healthcare, Nonprofit Management

Center for Science in the Public Interest

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, started in 1971, was a nonprofit consumer group that focused on nutrition and health. The case describes the center’s media and marketing strategy, which led it to develop a reputation for eye-opening reports about restaurant food.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Education, Nonprofit Management

Quest Scholars Program

The Quest Scholars Program faces strategic growth issues. Can the founders refine their mission, replicate their program, and support a financially responsible and sustainable organization?

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

The Altman Foundation

The Altman Foundation was established to serve the people of New York City. By 2005, the foundation was poised to take its strategic philanthropy to the next level by implementing a broader system of research and evaluation.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Economic Development, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

The Annie E. Casey Foundation: Social Investing

In 2002, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, dedicated to building a better future for disadvantaged children, hired a director of social investments. The director faces challenges such as how to enable the long-term sustainability of grantees, track financial and programmatic performance of investments, and resolve the tension between social investment and programmatic strategies.

Resource: Academic Case

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The Double-Goal Coach (A): Beyond "Sportsmanship"

In 1988, Jim Thompson founded Positive Coaching Alliance, a nonprofit focused on helping overcome negative trends in youth involving bad sportsmanship. These cases detail PCA’s efforts to raise awareness of the issues among athletes and the general public with an eye toward changing behavior.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing, Social Entrepreneurship

2004 Venture Philanthropy Summit Overview

Practitioners and academics at a 2004 Stanford University conference discussed the field of venture philanthropy. The overview includes topics such as capacity building, relationships between grantors and grantees, and performance measurement.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Economic Development, Healthcare, Nonprofit Management

Neighborhood Health Clinic

Neighborhood Health Clinic is a nonprofit health center located in an ethnically diverse, underserved, and complicated community. These cases explore the challenges that staff began to face in working together effectively and efficiently, and what course of action the executive team took to address the problems.

Resource: Academic Case

Research Papers : All

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Founders' Values Help Shape Gender Mix in High-Tech

A six-year study of high-tech startups identifies factors that can predict how hospitable firms are to women and challenges the common assumption that access for women is uniformly low across technology firms. The study suggests firms valuing individual achievement and not an emotional attachment have more women. The evidence suggests that differences in hiring, rather than in attrition rates, account for women's underrepresentation in high-commitment firms.

Resource: Research Paper

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Evidence-Based Management

The article discusses evidence-based management in the creation of effective medical organizations. It discusses Kent Thiry's turnaround efforts at Da Vita dialysis centers, and the decision-making process at Oxford's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.

Resource: Research Paper

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Prediction Markets in Theory and Practice

This article summarizes the recent literature on prediction markets, sometimes referred to as "information markets" or "idea futures." Theoretical contributions and lessons from empirical applications are highlighted.

Resource: Research Paper

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Managing Through Challenges: A Profile of San Francisco Bay Area Nonprofits

"Managing Through Challenges" analyzes the nonprofit sector and profiles more than 200 San Francisco Bay Area charities. It compares these nonprofits to those in Los Angeles and the state of California. This study examines the impact of the recession on social sector institutions and discusses critical management issues facing the sector. This report publishes the findings of the Stanford Project on the Evolution of Nonprofits (SPEN)

Resource: Research Paper

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Working Alone: What Ever Happened to the Idea of Organizations as Communities?

Some case evidence and theory suggests that organizations that are more communal have significant advantages. This paper considers why there is an opposite trend toward more arms-length and distant relationships with workers.

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 :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Nonprofit Management, Social Entrepreneurship

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: Innovators

Topic :

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

An interview with Michael DeLapa (MBA '85)

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 :

Sustainable Excellence: The Future of Business in a Fast-Changing World

Businesses are in the business of business. But they are beginning to be in the business of doing social good as well. As companies shift to incorporate environmental, social, and welfare-based themes into business plans and products, Aron Cramer points out a trend of decreasing poverty and improving the environment as corporations look to increase both profit and human development.

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Resource: Audio

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