July 28, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
Will the recession force the nonprofit world to work together better and be more focused? Or will the continuing economic losses simply hobble charities and foundations?
Sidney R. Hargro, a senior officer at the Columbus Foundation, in Ohio, is raising these questions on his blog. He says nonprofit groups are failing to deal with the bleak situation, similar to a how a person copes with a terminal illness.
“Nonprofits have experienced denial, anger, bargaining, and depression due to this most difficult state of affairs,” he writes. “But who will issue the call to move to ‘acceptance’ and beyond by saying, ‘True –- this traumatic state of affairs sucks –- but now what?’”
He says the nonprofit world needs to ask itself three questions: What services are most crucial to the country’s long-term health? How do charitable efforts become more efficient? And how will organizations deal with the loss of key personnel?
This week, nonprofit leaders are asking similar questions at a gathering organized by Independent Sector, an association of about 600 charities and grant makers.
What do you think? Does the nonprofit world need a “reboot,” as Mr. Hargro suggests? If so, what do you think are the key questions it should be asking itself? Click on the comment button below to share your views.
