Comments on: Changing our vision of Change: Revisiting the Pollyanna Principles

By: Pollyanna Principles Revisited

Pollyanna Principles Revisited — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:47:17 +0000

[…] Amy Sample Ward, quoting her book review from two years ago, says: We have a huge opportunity before us to remodel our social benefit organization structure. There is so much talk both online and offline, from inside organizations and from outside, that “nonprofits are broken.” We’ve done step 1: admitted that we have a problem. Now, what? Well, as Hildy explains, we need to start driving our work with our vision of how we want the world to be, instead of what the problems are before us. […]

By: Amy Sample Ward

Amy Sample Ward — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:32:00 +0000

In reply to Margaux O’Malley.

Hi Margaux-

Thanks for weighing in with your thoughts! I have worked on both sides of
the dollar, as I refer to it, meaning both in nonprofits and foundations. To
be very honest, I share many of the feelings and uncertainties that you
explain. That is why I have chosen to stay on the nonprofit side of the
equation.

I feel like this is an issue that always comes up, at least for me, when
people talk about the US (and the world) having “too many” nonprofit
organizations. If it seems like a lot, then first of all, that means we have
way too many problems that need fixing! But, we also create a view that
there are so many organizations, too many maybe, when we are all fighting to
deliver the same service or provide the same programming or, especially,
when our entire purpose is just to provide that service or programming. If
our organization wants to serve people facing homelessness, then by golly we
better make sure there are always people in need! If instead we are looking
to ensure that all the people in the community facing homelessness can
immediately get help and avoid homelessness, then we have a goal that can
actually put us out of business.

You’re very right though – it is scary to think our jobs could disappear!
But, as changemakers drawn to the nonprofits we work for, we should be more
drawn to the cause and to the change, than to the organization. I hope at
least 🙂

Thanks again for joining in!

By: Margaux O'Malley

Margaux O'Malley — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:31:00 +0000

Amy, thank you so much for saying this. I haven’t read The Pollyanna Principles, but I clearly need to! I have been thinking about this a lot lately, specifically with regard to foundations that stick around in perpetuity, even though that means they keep a ton of money in their endowments when it could be invested more directly in social change right now. Even if they have socially responsible or mission-aligned investments, I doubt the money is doing as much good in the stock market (but I know I can’t make a blanket statement about that, since every foundation is different).

People come and go (in the grand scheme of the world). It’s sort of scary to think about our jobs in that way too. But you’re right, if we’re really going to make change, then by definition we need to be prepared for our jobs to be part of that change.

My yoga teacher talks about keeping the big-picture goal in mind, and not getting too attached to any particular path that gets us there. For those of us who want to create social change, I think we can rest assured that we’ll always be able to find (or make!) another job to move ourselves and the world in that direction.