Reading for Leading Change–November 2024
We recommend these recent articles as you seek out new inspiration and innovative approaches to nonprofit leadership and social impact.
Where Strategic Philanthropy Went Wrong
We deeply appreciate this Stanford Social Innovation Review article that provides a critical assessment of traditional philanthropy, including that it is rooted in a set of incorrect assumptions that the beneficiaries of philanthropic support are incapable of solving their own problems, that wealthy donors have the wisdom and incentive to solve society’s many challenges, and that the social sector is an effective alternative to government in building an equitable and sustainable society. Philanthropy cannot replace the critical function of an equitable and democratic government. “If we really want to create an equitable and sustainable society, we must leverage the power of a multiracial democracy,” write Mark Kramer and Steve Phillips.
The authors recommend that “instead of making choices for other people, philanthropists redirect our efforts toward the urgent necessity of making our democracy more fully representative of our population” and “support people in finding their own solutions, boosting their sense of agency, and supporting them in building their own communities. … Empowering individuals economically and within the political process is the most effective way for funders to contribute to a more just and sustainable future for our nation.” We also appreciated several critical responses to the article, including this one in SSIR and this one in Proximate.
Building Resilient Organizations Zine
We encourage leaders and teams to explore this zine based on Maurice Mitchell’s fantastic article “Building Resilient Organizations: Toward Joy and Durable Power in a Time of Crisis.” The article names and articulates antidotes to pervasive trends and unhealthy tendencies that are undermining our effectiveness in our nonprofit field and in organizations. Mitchell offers solutions across structural, ideological, strategic, and emotional dimensions, and shares that resilient organizations are structurally sound, ideologically coherent, strategically grounded, and emotionally mature.
The zine, produced by the Progressive Leaders Group and sponsored by Rockwood Leadership Institute, provides a thoughtful format for reflecting on the concepts from Mitchell’s original article and helpful prompts for nonprofit leaders to use to reflect on how to overcome these obstacles and inspire healthy culture, resilience, joy, and durable power in our social impact organizations and movements.
What have you read lately that helped you lead your organization? We’d love to hear about it.