2 ms·

Such a great read. I'm trying to build a non profit org in a country with almost no culture of non profits and with zero experience in org design. Most of arti

by divan 5y ago

Such a great read. I'm trying to build a non profit org in a country with almost no culture of non profits and with zero experience in org design. Most of articles or podcasts on running non profits seems to be all the same – define vision/mission/strategy, plan budget, motivate people, do effective communication etc. But this article is the first I found that actually provides some framework of thinking about the org design to me. Very refreshing. What should I read/watch/listen next (except links mentioned in the article)? Maybe even something specific to creating/growing non profits?

xivzgrev 5y ago
The author emphasizes context a lot. After you’ve read resources here, maybe get intros to entrepreneurs in your area who successfully built larger companies, and how they iterated. What was the context they operated in, and what’s relevant to your context?
rawgabbit 5y ago
As a contrarian, I think the author's advice is actually wrong. Organizations do not exist in a vacuum. They are not an end in itself. The purpose of an organization is to fulfill a mission. The organization should be designed to execute its mission in the most cost effective and transparent manner. With Non-profits, your customers are your donors. Who is funding you (sales)? What do they want (features & results)? How do you show that you are spending their money wisely (metrics & governance)? The organization is nothing more than people put in place to solidify and execute those needs.
- bsedlm 5y ago
  > The organization should be designed to execute its mission in the most cost effective and transparent manner. I argue that this describes a specific type of organization in a specific environment (context). namely a business organization in a capitalist market. There exist other types of organizations. (However I may be blurring the line between organization and institution)

by divan 5y ago

xivzgrev 5y ago

The author emphasizes context a lot. After you’ve read resources here, maybe get intros to entrepreneurs in your area who successfully built larger companies, and how they iterated. What was the context they operated in, and what’s relevant to your context?

rawgabbit 5y ago

As a contrarian, I think the author's advice is actually wrong. Organizations do not exist in a vacuum. They are not an end in itself. The purpose of an organization is to fulfill a mission. The organization should be designed to execute its mission in the most cost effective and transparent manner. With Non-profits, your customers are your donors. Who is funding you (sales)? What do they want (features & results)? How do you show that you are spending their money wisely (metrics & governance)? The organization is nothing more than people put in place to solidify and execute those needs.

bsedlm 5y ago
> The organization should be designed to execute its mission in the most cost effective and transparent manner. I argue that this describes a specific type of organization in a specific environment (context). namely a business organization in a capitalist market. There exist other types of organizations. (However I may be blurring the line between organization and institution)