Nonprofit goals are complex and always intangible. The goals are hard to measure, hard to quantify and often aligned with behaviour -- not just a cheque book. For example, look at homelessness; you can provide a warm, safe environment for someone. Will they stay? Will they be able to move from assistance to self sufficiency? There is a wide chasm in the answer to that question. Money only solves part of the problem.
Business leaders don’t always understand this and they need to. These are the kinds of leadership challenges faced by their nonprofit counterparts. If they are to communicate and collaborate, that reality must be absorbed. On the flip side, nonprofit leaders need to be well versed in these issues if they are to help the business leaders they work with be more effective.
This lack of understanding has an impact on the nonprofits and the attitude of business toward the sector. Many business leaders take their nonprofit board membership less seriously than they do their corporate board appointments. Partnerships between business and nonprofit sectors fail because business leaders can’t appreciate the nonprofit sector’s unique culture and demands. Many who move into nonprofit leadership roles become frustrated and less effective because they don’t fully appreciate the differences. This lack of understanding diminishes the effectiveness of the nonprofit sector. And we know, vibrant nonprofit sector has an enormous impact on the communities in which we live.
Fortunately, for Vancouver, we have organizations like BC Social Venture Partners – a group dedicated to promoting and participating in the growth of the nonprofit sector by engaging high capacity business leaders to act as mentors and advisors to the sector. This is a unique experiment that has yielded great results. "BCSVP is unique, offering innovative business support and encouragement that is hard to find. We value their support and, in particular, the contribution of the partner who sits on our advisory committee and makes us think in business terms when we need to," says Ross Gentleman, executive director of Tradeworks Training Society. Tradeworks is a light manufacturing social enterprise that trains and employs women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
By Cindy Pandini, Executive Director, BC Social Venture Partners (BC SVP). Cindy can be contacted at cpandini@bctsvp.com
Business Executives and the Nonprofit