I had the great opportunity to hear Thomas J. Tierney, Chairman and Co-founder, The Bridgespan Group speak about the Nonprofit Leadership deficit last week. His talk touched on the unique issues that non-profit startups face:- Too Many Stakeholders - every investor brings a list of demands to the table, and you are always fundraising for more money (77% of your time on average)
- Ambiguity of Results - because success isn't measured in monetary gain, it makes it difficult to determine strategy to move forward.
- Leadership Issues - it is expensive and difficult to bring in new talent, not to mention hard to find the right people (that define themselves by their own strengths not the role).
In summary, it appears that it is much more difficult to start and lead a successful non-profit and according to Tom, "I should be very scared." I certainly am feeling the unique challenges that are associated with starting this type of organization. However, even Al Gore's recent move to Kleiner Perkins and the $200mm pledge to clean-tech investment doesn't dissuade my belief with CarbonGage.org as a non-profit. The non-profit sector is growing at a healthy rate (trillion of dollars are flowing into the sector in the next year) and more leaders are choosing to enter into this sector than ever before. That said, the mission of CarbonGage.org is clear, however the path to deliver that mission is being refined everyday - that is the joy of a startup! Should there be a better way to succeed, I am always open to change for the better.
I am open to your thoughts as well, please chime in using the comments fields below!
