Leadership in a Community

Work roles are ongoing activities that an individual performs in partnership with an organization to influence that organization’s output (Wright & Millesen, 2008). For nonprofit boards, strategies for success are difficult to create as boards strive to hold public trust while maintaining its institution’s mission and purpose (Wright & Millesen, 2008). Paramount to its success, a nonprofit board must understand its roles and responsibilities.

The elements of a board as a defining factor in the self-governance character of a nonprofit is affirmed by Worth (2014). For example, the “control of the nonprofit lies with a board of directors…who have overall responsibility to [care for and oversee] the organization” (Worth, 2014, p. 57). Big Brothers Big Sisters exemplifies volunteerism in both its history and present service practices. For example, the organization currently utilizes “400,000 volunteer mentors and families” (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, 2016a, para. 3) to work with youth and facilitate the organizations critical programs and relationships (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, 2016a). Big Brothers Big Sisters history is also reflective of volunteerism is critical role. To illustrate, in 1904 Ernest Coulter founded the Big Brothers movement with 39 volunteers, who each agree to befriend and mentor an individual youth (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, 2016a). The statistical data from Big Brothers Big Sisters reveals that the organization have a tremendous impact on community individuals and therefore provides a public benefit through

Moreover, this case study analysis focuses on AMC and the challenges that the nonprofit faces during the restructuring of a club that operated primarily by volunteers to a professional managed organization. This case study analysis will provide the following: descriptions of the problems AMC is challenged with, an identification of AMC’s major players using a stakeholder analysis, and finally, provide recommendations and strategies to solve AMC’s challenges. After conducting this case analysis, one will understand how an organization can experience significant challenges as it transitions so that an organization can stay competitive in the nonprofit sector.

The diversity of nonprofit organizations, services provided and the problems faced shows that nonprofits require leadership with an in-depth understanding of the multifaceted nonprofit landscape. Understanding the culture of nonprofit work is also crucial and much easier to understand once you have been through a nonprofit management program. My career interests lead me towards an avocation of a deeper knowledge of strategic management/planning, legal structure and standards, increase my skills in quantitative analysis of policy, financial governance and developing fundraising strategies. These areas allow for macro management within the nonprofit

Collaboration among organization members and community stakeholders is very important, we must begin to study and understand nonprofits not merely as organizations housed within four walls but as catalysts that work within, and change, entire systems. The most effective of these groups employ a strategy of leverage, using government, business, the public, and other nonprofits as forces for good, helping them deliver even greater social change than they could possibly achieve alone (Crutchfield, 2012). There is also an understanding that community partnerships and assistance from caring individuals will be of a great benefit to the organization and the young men they serve. The different chapters in the organization are funded through member dues, grants and contributions from corporations, foundations, individuals and combined federal

Most nonprofit agencies follow the same management structure. The structure normally consists of a vertical hierarchal structure with the chief executive manager at the helm, and divisional leaders rounding out the strategic leadership team. Since 9/11, then government shutdowns, multiple wars, natural disasters, and the government sequester, the challenge to most nonprofits is to compete for every available charitable dollar. Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of nonprofits must not only be skillful in maximizing the outcomes with fewer dollars, but also politically savvy in vying for monies for federal, state, local, foundation, and private funding sources.

At the center of any successful nonprofit organization there is an effective chief executive and board of directors. These leaders must work as a team with a vision and specific skills, to effectively produce resources in order to accomplish the organization's goals. The majority of the decision making authority and leadership is shared amongst board members; however, critical management skills and day-to-day operational decisions rest within the authority of the chief executive. However, members of the board must also be sufficiently skilled in management in order to assess the work of its director to assist in the implementation and evaluation of strategic decision making.

The nonprofit sector in America is a reflection some of the foundational values that brought our nation into existence. Fundamentals, such as the idea that people can govern themselves and the belief that people should have the opportunity to make a difference by joining a like-minded group, have made America and its nonprofit sector what it is today. The American "civil society" is one that has been produced through generations of experiments with government policy, nonprofit organizations, private partnerships, and individuals who have asserted ideas and values. The future of the nonprofit sector will continue to be experimental in many ways. However, the increase of professional studies in nonprofit management and the greater

The fourth nonprofit I analyzed is called GreaterGood which is an online website that sells a wide range of products that have been made across the world and uses the profit generated by sales to donate to a variety of different nonprofits that have a specific mission (Help, 2015, p.1). The specific nonprofits that GreaterGood donates to breast cancer, animal rescue, veterans, autism, diabetes, the rainforest, and the one that is specific to my area of analysis the hunger site. This style of nonprofit expressed by the GreaterGood charity is extremely unique because of the extreme differences in charities they are partners with. With the multiple charities they work with I would be confident in arguing that the GreaterGood-hunger site is a path-goal leadership style.

When Zoot Velasco looks at American nonprofits, he sees a sector that is struggling, in spite of limitless potential for innovation and impact. Noting that 22.3% of the country’s GDP is in the nonprofit sector, yet only 20% of such organizations have a budget exceeding $1 million, Velasco hopes to lead a transformation in the industry.

This paper was originally written for Financial Management for Nonprofits 380, taught by Professor Zelhart.

One of the things that I have seen happen repeatedly is that some Executive Directors truly “fall in love” with their agency and fail to adjust to the needs of the stakeholders. One of the things that nonprofits need to do is to learn from the

Indeed, this significant task necessitates the significance of organizational or management leadership in the financial performance of the minority, women-led non-profits in comparison to non-profit organizations that are led by males. Even though strategic planning is one of the key factors involved in organizational leadership, it is also essential to consider other factors such as the corporate culture, the dynamics of the management group, and the manner in which the strengths and expertise of management is vital in organizational effectiveness (Schein, 2010). Therefore, the proposed study investigates the importance of organizational leadership as a vital factor in resolving the organizations’ dismal performance, e.g., the management for socio-economic education, and workforce development organizations in Philadelphia may consider conducting environmental scanning procedures such as SWOT Analysis in order to determine the opportunities available for maximizing the organizations’ effectiveness regarding the provision of service deliverables.

In a nonprofit organization, managers are concerned with “generating some social impact” (Daft, 2013). Stakeholders for nonprofit organizations include the community, taxpayers, the government, private donors, employees, and volunteers. Each one of these stakeholders poses a challenge for managers. For instance, in a nonprofit organization, there is a “continual struggle to pursue vital social missions in the face of

Nonprofit organizations have several functions, and not each one is alike. Essential to all non-profit organizations are four functions: planning, budgeting, funding and management.