This letter of mine was published in the Cape Times in May 2008. It reflects on the sad irony of the closure of the Non-Profit Consortium – that an organization that worked so hard to create an environment where non-profit organizations can thrive and find the income they need, has itself not been able to find sufficient funds to enable it to continue to fulfil its own purpose. It discusses the lesson and opportunity for other non-profit organizations.

Read my letter to Business Day in April 2008 in response to the interesting and seemingly counterintuitive business deal was recently concluded between Ikamva Labantu, a Cape Town-based non-profit organization (NPO) that builds crèches and shelters and supports foster mothers, and ITEC Holdings, a supplier of office automation.

It discusses the important precedent of this deal, and reflects on the various parties will be able to derive a strategic benefit. I expect we will see many more such deals in the future as the B-BBEE codes become more embedded in the way we do business.

Here is my letter to People’s Post in April 2008 in response to the disbanding of the Fairest Cape Association due to lack of funding. It once again highlights how the plight of many non-profit organizations (NPOs) that rely on the mercy of their funders for survival.

It suggests that this is clearly not the way to sustain a non-profit organization, especially since there are over one hundred thousand non-profit organizations competing for the same pool of funders. The closure of the Fairest Cape is clearly part of a larger trend that will shake the foundation of the non-profit sector in South Africa.

The global economy is on the brink of a downturn, possibly a recession. Turbulence and opportunity lie ahead; our currency is under pressure and may continue to devalue. What does this mean for South African non-profit organizations? How should they respond?

This article from March 2008 provides several recommendations for non-profit organizations to consider.

Nonprofit organizations readily embrace the value of financial accounting. They understand the need to keep careful financial records, have them audited independently and send copies to their investors. Because these financial statements are prepared and audited according to accepted standards, they are in turn accepted as an accurate reflection of an organization’s finances – and can indicate opportunities for improvement. The question that non-profit organizations should be asking themselves is: “Do we account for our social impact?”

In this article from February 2008, Dr Roger Stewart and I examine why organizations need to start accounting for their social impact. We introduce the concept of social accounting and its value to non-profit organizations. We also examine the different steps in the social-accounting procedure.

This is the era of social enterprises – organizations that think of themselves as businesses with a social purpose. Social enterprises are happy to make a profit and do so with a smile on their face and conscience in hand. They also tread in the traditional turf of both businesses and non-profit organizations. They see themselves as organizations from a new paradigm, and the organizations of the future.

This article from November 2007 advocates for social enterprise and discusses eight reasons why we will be seeing more of them in the future.

It is time for traditional non-profit organizations to wake up and rethink their paradigm. Those that don’t are likely to become either obsolete or irrelevant. Those non-profit organizations that are able to adapt accordingly are likely to remain or become successful.

This article from November 2007 discusses seven main reasons why non-profit organizations need to put some time aside to rethink their paradigm. I believe that it is time for the traditional mind-set of the non-profit organization to expire.