by Bill Fontana
As we continue our exploration of #entrepreneurship in this 2018-2019 fiscal year, I would like to turn my attention to the issue of non-profit entrepreneurship. In particular, I would like to pose these two questions to you: 1) How entrepreneurial are you?... and 2) how entrepreneurial is your organization?
While we as community revitalization organizations are often attempting to foster entrepreneurship in our business districts, are we also taking the steps necessary to foster our own entrepreneurial spirit? In a time of scarce resources, these are important questions to ask ourselves and to discuss with our boards.
I recently read an interesting article on non-profit entrepreneurship by Christoph Badelt entitled “Entrepreneurship in Non-Profit Organizations.” In this article, Mr. Bedelt indicates that an “entrepreneur is an individual with a specific attitude toward change” and that “entrepreneurship is a question of a type of conduct and a type of person." He states that it is the degree of initiative that characterizes an entrepreneur’s behavior. “It is more by will than by intellect that the entrepreneur fulfills his function.” This resonates with a graphic that I recently came across:
Where do you fit in this diagram? I would suggest to you that to ultimately be successful in this field, you need to exist in that sweet spot in the middle of the diagram. Where this work becomes part of who you are and what you do – a place where you have found your PURPOSE. I would suggest that it is only when you find yourself in that middle spot that you can truly become entrepreneurial, both as an individual and as an organization. It is in that middle spot where innovation will be born and change will be initiated. It is only when we become entrepreneurial as a professional and as an organization that we will seek out and implement new organizational structures—that we will be willing to take the risks that will change the image of our organizations and the conditions of the communities that we serve.
Entrepreneurs, both private and non-profit, exist in a world of risk and uncertainty. In an article published in the summer of 2017 edition of Non-Profit Quarterly, there is a quote from the authors Wim Wiewel and Albert Hunter who more than 30 years ago stated that:
“Just as it is hard for a new business to convince a bank that it will prove to be a good investment, new not-for-profit organizations have a hard time convincing foundations, corporations and (government) of their worthiness. The problem is that it has nothing to offer but promises.”
It is only when we release our own entrepreneurial energy and ignite the entrepreneurial flame in others that we have any real chance of obtaining our vision for our community. So go out and light that entrepreneurial fire – both in yourself and in your organization.