"I'm not ashamed to say that nonprofits are businesses. We employ people, we deliver services, and people pay for them (not the same people).
"....Running a government agency is about spending money. You get in trouble is you underspend, and you get rewarded if you overspend - by getting your budget ceiling raised."-- Muzzy Rosenblatt, Executive Director of BRC, the Bowery Residents’ Committee, one of New York City’s most comprehensive social services agencies
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In some ways, the distinction between businesses and nonprofits is a false dichotomy.
ReplyDeleteThe best businesses are run like the best nonprofits -- with a clear mission focused on the benefits to their clients / customers / community and a commitment to ethical values in how they operate, treat employees, etc.
When we, in the nonprofit sector, differentiate ourselves from "business", we are comparing good nonprofits with bad businesses. Unfortunately, there are many nonprofits that operate like bad businesses -- in which the vision is strictly internal, the values are dodgy, and the concern of the board and management is only on the bottom line.