Every organization can use a pied piper – a leader who inspires people to follow. New York Women Social Entrepreneurs (NYWSE) has two: Natalia Oberti Noguera, director, and Allison Lynch, incubator manager. They recruited me to screen applicants for the program, provide training, and be a mentor.

Go With the Flow: “Good Business” Inspiration for Our Times

by Geri Stengel on Jun 25, 2009 - 11:30am

and the Making of Meaning Best Practice Flow Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience Good Business: Leadership Mihaly Csikszentmihaly Patagonia Social Responsibility Yvon Chouinard

Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is not a new book, but its message is timeless: businesses can be more than just about making money. This resonated with me and I thought it might for you.

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The Key Ingredients to Outstanding Nonprofit Performance

by Geri Stengel on Jun 23, 2009 - 2:01pm

2009 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards Citizens Advice Bureau Groundwork Legal Information for Families Today Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP) New York Cares nonprofits Vera Institute of Justice

All too often, during times of crisis, we focus on the negative and not the positive. That wasn’t the case last week when I attended the 2009 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards, which spotlighted six exceptional nonprofits from the New York Metro Area.

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Anatomy of a Successful RFP

by Guest Blogger on Jun 19, 2009 - 12:50pm

Analysis Best Practice branding growth strategies How To marketing Nonprofit request for proposal RFP Small Business small businesses Social Entrepreneurship technology

By Howard Adam Levy

Looking to redesign your website or upgrade your agency’s branding and putting out a Request for Proposals (RFP)? Make sure you get the best consultant you can by making your RFP the best it can be. Consider this list of what to include gleaned from our 17 years of responding to RFPs.

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Innovate or Go the Way of the Dinosaur

by Geri Stengel on Jun 18, 2009 - 11:49am

Best Practice innovation Nonprofit nonprofit Small Business small business social enterprise Social Entrepreneurship

At this point, you’ve most likely gotten past being frozen by the depth and breadth of the recession. You’ve cut your budgets and staff to the bone and are lean and mean. If you weren’t aggressive about your business before, you are now. You have been in survival mode and congratulations...you made it.

Volunteerism in the Age of Obama

by Geri Stengel on Jun 16, 2009 - 1:47pm

Nonprofit Social Entrepreneurship social innovation fund

I don’t know about you, but I’m fascinated by the creation of an Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. The Obama Administration is looking to the public to help define what the government’s role should be in increasing civic participation. It also wants to know what best practices are available and how to motivate people to get involved. From time-to-time, I will provide updates on what they are doing, with an emphasis on the nonprofit sector.

Insights About the Nonprofit Leadership Transition Process

by Guest Blogger on Jun 12, 2009 - 12:26pm

Analysis leadership Leadership Transition Nonprofit Leadership Transition

By John W. Corwin

During the past seven years serving a wide variety of nonprofits as interim chief executive (seven in all), I've frequently been asked to describe what it's like for an organization to transition to a new leader. Below you will find a brief summary of some key insights I have developed in the course of my experiences.

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Sharpening Your Intuition Keeps Leaders Nimble

by Geri Stengel on Jun 11, 2009 - 9:23am

Analysis Best Practice leadership training Learning Lessons Learned Nonprofit Small Business Social Entrepreneurship

In today’s rough and tumble economy, leaders of small businesses and nonprofits are tested at every turn. For some decisions you have time to research or consult with others, but when decisions need to be made fast, without a lot of prep, your instincts need to take over.

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Social Media: A New Way to Pass Wisdom on to Leaders

by Geri Stengel on Jun 9, 2009 - 12:43pm

Commentary / Opinion entrepreneur education entrepreneur training leadership Learning nonprofit leader education nonprofit leader training small business owner social learning social media Social Media

Did you know that only 20% of what is done on the job is learned formally? That’s a whole lot of learning – 80% -- that gets done socially or informally. Social learning happens frequently and happens a lot when colleagues get together, whether they be leaders of small businesses or nonprofits.

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The Stuff of Entrepreneurs and Social Entrepreneurs: Do You Have What It Takes?

by Geri Stengel on Jun 5, 2009 - 9:26am

Analysis Best Practice entrepreneur entrepreneurial attitudes entrepreneurial character traits entrepreneurial qualities Lessons Learned Small Business social entrepreneur Social Entrepreneurship

Based on the popularity of There Is Never a Bad Time to Start Up a Company and The Benefits of Starting a Business During a Recession posts, I thought I’d do a follow-up on what it personally takes to be an entrepreneur or social entrepreneur. The topic also happens to be fresh in my mind because I just taught about it in my entrepreneurship class at The New School.

What Can Small Business and Nonprofit Leaders Learn From Teenage Girls?

by Geri Stengel on Jun 3, 2009 - 1:09pm

Analysis Best Practice How To Learning Nonprofit Small Business Social Entrepreneurship story telling

Who knew that teenage girls could teach entrepreneurs and nonprofit CEOs a thing or two about sharing?

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