Center for Social Innovation

Melissa Bradley, CEO of Tides, explores how partnerships between for-profit and nonprofit organizations--and everything in between--can increase scale and impact. In this audio lecture, recorded at the Stanford Social Innovation Review's 2011 Nonprofit Management Institute, Bradley discusses the current landscape of the social sector, and what scale and impact really mean. She also shares case studies of successful partnerships and the "top ten" lessons we can draw from collaborations.

Businesses, nonprofits and government agencies increasingly are embracing design thinking to solve social problems. The reason? Design thinking is inherently human centered. In this audio lecture, Jocelyn Wyatt, who directs social innovation projects at the design and consulting firm IDEO, describes how design thinking can be employed in the developing world to address the needs of people who consume a product or service and the infrastructure that enables it.

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.

Can schools be turned around, and can the system change? Yes, say an experienced district and state school leader in this panel discussion during the Driving Dramatic School Improvement conference at Stanford. Navigating questions by moderator Jordan Meranus, they talk about what they are doing in Louisiana and Baltimore to radically reform schools so that more children can meet state standards and receive an excellent education.

Do you identify as an activist, a social entrepreneur, or both? What do they have in common? In this audio lecture sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Hayagreeva Rao, explores how the joined hands of activists, or "market rebels," shape markets, and how this promotes or blocks innovation. Rao's lessons are applicable to leaders in the nonprofit and for-profit spheres, marketers, and activists who harness collective action for institutional and social change.

Sharing emerging trends and demographics of the new volunteer workforce, Robert Grimm and Susannah Washburn of the Corporation of National and Community Service show that volunteerism has been a growth area across the nation. Recognizing the value of volunteers can be a viable approach to maximize the efficiency of an organization. The speakers call on nonprofit management professionals to take on this new momentum for service and invest in volunteers by recruiting, developing, and recognizing volunteer talent.

Those in nonprofit management constantly adapt to move their organizations forward. In this audio lecture sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Chip Heath, Stanford professor and coauthor of the book Switch, provides a framework for change. He demonstrates in case studies that three principles are involved in successful change, whether it be on the personal or societal front. Leaders in nonprofit management are called to attune to these principles when tackling change situations.