Fall 2009, Stanford Social Innovation Review — Organizations that build robust infrastructure—which includes sturdy information technology systems, financial systems, skills training, fundraising processes, and other essential overhead—are more likely to succeed than those that do not. This is not news, and nonprofits are no exception to the rule.
Summer 2009, Stanford Social Innovation Review — Judith Rodin heads the Rockefeller Foundation, one of the world’s oldest, most influential, and innovative foundations. Many of the 20th century’s big breakthroughs—Social Security, the Green Revolution, the discovery of DNA, and family planning—can be traced to early funding from the Rockefeller Foundation.
STANFORD, Calif., June 3, 2009 — In the summer 2009 issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review two Stanford Law School scholars examine the ethical issues that arise specifically in the nonprofit sector, and suggest the best ways to promote ethical behavior within organizations.
June 1, 2009 — In honor of June which is LGBTQ Pride Month, the 2009 GreatNonprofits Pride Choice Awards (www.greatnonprofits.org/pride) will recognize the top-rated LGBTQ nonprofits. The contest asks people to write reviews of LGBTQ nonprofits they have had an experience with. Nonprofits can also encourage their volunteers, clients served, donors and board members to post reviews. All reviews will be automatically visible on GuideStar.org, the leading site for philanthropic research.
STANFORD, Calif., May 1, 2009 — Stanford Social Innovation Review has been honored with a 2009 Maggie Award for its successful redesign. Judged on its editorial package, readability, research, cover, and editorial design elements, the journal received top recognition in the category “Most Improved Annual, Semi-Annual, Three-Time or Quarterly/Trade & Consumer.”
Over the past few years, Washington, D.C., has witnessed two explosive nonprofit scandals. In 2005, the board of American University received a letter from an anonymous whistle-blower alleging that the university’s president, Ben Ladner, was abusing his university expense account. A subsequent audit found that Ladner had indeed spent more than $500,000 of university funds on lavish personal expenses, including a $5,000 vacation in London and a $15,000 engagement party for his son. Already concerned about Ladner’s compensation—which was higher than those of all Ivy League college presidents—the board split over whether to reduce Ladner’s pay. The fracas filled newspaper gossip columns for months, sparked a congressional inquiry, and eventually led to Ladner’s termination. The board then required two years to rebuild itself and to name a new president.
For-profit executives use business models—such as “low-cost provider” or “the razor and the razor blade"—as a shorthand way to describe and understand the way companies are built and sustained. Nonprofit executives, to their detriment, are not as explicit about their funding models and have not had an equivalent lexicon—until now
