Comments for The Ultimate Question at http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org , comment 0 to 9 out of 9 comments http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:52:45 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_29 I understand that part of the lifecycle of an organization also includes the "death" of the organization. Sometimes it's just hard to stand on the pier watching the ship go down. - Jennifer Hanson Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:30:16 +0100 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_28 The language we use to describe what we do also describes our comfort zone - we are ‘funders / service providers.’ Once and awhile we stop funding or providing service and is uncommon to the description we use for what we do. That closures create discomfort seems to hold little surprise. Perhaps we should find surprising that: we do not often recognize so few closures as evidence of the diligence and integrity to those who initiate, pursue and support social missions; and, when a social mission is met or an organization financially fails or . . . closure is also what we do. - Brian Hoffart Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:15:57 +0100 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_27 Jennifer- At least if your organization were to close its doors it would not be as abrupt as the MAF. It seems like the organization would have been better served to take some time to have a more in-depth review of their funding, a conversation with staff and clients, etc. This seemed to end with ill-will all the way around. - Krista Gallagher Colt Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:32:59 +0100 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_25 Sometimes I read articles like this and I think to myself, "Is this for real?" How do organizations let themselves get this out of control? But it is real, and it does happen. Our organization just closed a major program last summer, and though it was the right decision, we've spent the last year trying to re-define who we are and defend ourselves from our own demise. We have downsized, reorganized, and done a lot of rethinking about what we do and how we can do it better. My fear is that we are headed down the same path as the model shows in the article. Add some internal conflict and we're in big trouble. - Jennifer Hanson Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:42:34 +0100 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_24 I was the CEO of a nonprofit that voted to seek a merger with a large nonprofit because we wanted to grow our supportive housing model for homeless adults and families. It was the best decision we could have made. Today, the merged entity is expanding our housing solution all over the country in markets we could have never reached if we did not seek out this creative solution. I urge other nonprofit leaders to consider a merger with a nonprofit organization that you align well with if doing so can help you better achieve your mission as a nonprofit. I thought so highly of the experience that I have now launched my own consulting business helping nonprofits merge and partner with each other. The name of this consulting business is Mission Plus Strategy Consulting, based in the Chicago area. - Jean Butzen Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:37:52 +0100 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_20 Kat (and Krista): Definitely bring your ideas into the Forum! That's where we're set up to have threaded discussion about these topics over the next couple of weeks. I just added a thread for general discussion of nonprofit closure, and Kat's message would be a great way to start it. http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/component/option,com_fireboard/Itemid,64/ Mark - Mark Hager Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:25:07 +0100 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_19 This is something I've been meaning to write about for years now; thus my post will be a longer one! Thank you for opening an "undiscussable" topic! I served as executive director of an organization 15 years ago – it was in a financially precarious position when I took the helm (the full extent of which was not made known to me when I was hired and the Board wasn't aware of this at that time either, tho I made them well aware of it during my tenure). During my time there, I saw that one very real and possible (and perhaps the most appropriate) future for the organization was dissolution. As part of my strategic planning work, I looked at alternative scenarios and one was the organization's demise. I envisioned how to preserve the two key programs. They brought in the lion's share of dedicated funding – and were the two programs whose demise would harm people because each provided unique crisis-oriented social services to a client base unserved elsewhere. I ensured that our relationships with potential host NPOs were strong, that those organizations were in good shape – just in case. When I left, the organization was still whole, but a few years later, it unravelled. I was happy to note that the two critical programs survived by relocating to two of the host organizations I had identified. Since then, I regularly talk about and assess organizational life cycles, having learned a big lesson back then. In fact, when I sense an organization is nearing the end of its useful life, I think of it as in need of hospice care. This metaphor and analogy works well, and suggestions very helpful courses of action and guiding principle. Hospice care is about the easing of unnecessary suffering through palliative care, i.e. opening facilitated conversations, creating safety for discussing undiscussables, respectfully hearing all points of view. It is about celebrating the life of the dying person (or in this case, organization) by honoring the founders, staff, and memorializing the organization's good work and rites of passage are an important part of this. Many hospice patients plan their own memorial services and intentionally say goodbye to important people; organizations too can do the same. Hospice care involves conscious planning for the end of life; in organizations this can take the form of intentional and mindful dissolution discussions and planning for dissolution. A big part of hospice care is making peace with those to be left behind and in organizations, as above, this means closure with clients, programs, staff, and the public. “Setting your affairs in order" is an important step in hospice care, and the organization above did so: ensuring financial debts are settled, funders informed, and viable programs spun off. Last, but certainly not least, spiritual and emotional support is critical in hospice care. For me, this is perhaps to most important part, and is so in organizational dissolution processes too. The emotional and spiritual aspects of an organization’s demise – especially a mission-driven one, founded by passion or need, as most NPOs are – can be very painful and difficult. In mergers, it's tough enough – think divorce/remarriage and how that impacts kids – and for the organization being merged, the following dynamics also apply. In dissolutions, especially without planning and intention, it can feel like a murder – particularly if there are strong voices opposing, if a founder or founders don’t agree, or if the boundary between the organization and the member’s identities or lives is a thin or blurry one. There is a need for recognizing and facilitating Kubler-Ross' stages of grief, the need for facilitating a process towards acceptance. Ultimately, the need for letting go – which allows for the release of energy. The least surprising aspect of the case study above was the amount of energy released when the suggestion to dissolve was made. It is key to recognize that this, like everything else, is a process, a dynamic, and it can be facilitated well or poorly. There is no one right way, but there are certainly bad ideas. In my opinion, openly discussing the real possibilities and fostering an environment where Cassandra can speak (even if she sounds like Chicken Little), is key. Thanks NPQ for opening the conversation here by bringing Mark Hager’s work to us. - Kat Morgan Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:09:19 +0100 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_18 It's interesting that we spend a lot of time discussing diversifying funds, but even diverse funding streams couldn't save this organization. - Krista Gallagher Colt Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:10:50 +0100 http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/302/28/#pc_16 If you have made it this far, please join our discussion on the NPQ Forum. Log in and go to NPQ Forum on the User Menu. - andrew crosby Sat, 09 Feb 2008 08:31:12 +0100