Enterprising Nonprofits

by J. Gregory Dees

Editor’s Note: J. Gregory Dees wrote this article at a time when for-profit initiatives within nonprofits were becoming more common and controversial. Some of his examples now seem quaint (Save the Children selling neckties, for one), but Dees clearheadedly pushes past the details into the universal dilemma: Does commercial funding pull a nonprofit away from its social mission? And how does it change the character of a nonprofit’s relationship with its beneficiaries? The framework Dees presents, the social enterprise spectrum, is intended to help leaders of nonprofits understand and assess the options they face when exploring commercialization. It remains critical to all nonprofit organizations today. ...

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