This article addresses non-profit sector current trends and the forces
of commercialization and marketing models at work in the 3rd sector, the
emerging view that for-profit businesses are now expected to put societal
good ahead of profits, and, the technological advances that will impact
future development. The primary goal will be connecting upper management
to their IT realities including integrated database systems and web-marketing
components in strategic planning, implementation and evaluation.
Shared values are the bedrock of any company or organization. They are
the guiding beliefs and common goals that guide all activities and initiatives.
Above all, they are the beacon for the behaviour of all the people and
communities in touch with the organization. Fundamental shared values
never change - for example, basic ethics apply forever.
In non-profits,
shared values are often the driving force in the organization. In for-profit,
shared values results in “customers going out of their way to buy
from companies they perceive as 'doing good' for society.” (Toronto,
June 10, 2003, Canada NewsWire) According to MasterCard Canada’s
national survey on Canadians' values, Canadian businesses are expected
to put societal good ahead of profits. Conducted by Environics Research
Group, the results are striking.
When young Canadians and Baby Boomers were asked what they felt was
the most important responsibility for big businesses in Canada:
Age
16-25
Age
45-55
-
74% said doing good for Canadian society
-
69% doing good for Cdn society
-
22% said making a profit for their shareholders
-
24% said making a profit
-
3% said both equally
-
5% said both equally
Both groups, especially Baby Boomers, say they are willing to put their
money where their mouths are. When respondents were asked if they ever
go out of their way to buy from companies they perceive as doing "good"
for society:
Age
16-25
Age
45-55
-
61% yes
-
73% yes
-
38% no
-
25% no
When asked what they felt the best ways were for companies to take some
responsibility for the good of society, both groups had very similar
perspectives. As the results below show, young Canadians emphasized
giving to charitable causes while Boomers stressed treatment of employees.
Both groups also underscored the importance of giving back to the community
and fostering a strong environmental record. A breakdown of the responses
is as follows:
Walt MacNee, President, MasterCard Canada adds, "I would hope that
every business leader has already recognized their organization's corporate
citizenship responsibility, but they may be surprised by the depth of
Canadians' feelings on this matter. It's telling that young Canadians
expectations of business go beyond simply treating employees well, to
proactive community outreach and support. These young people are the
next generation of consumers and shareholders, and Canadian business
needs to be open-eyed about their expectations."
In short, the “good will” sector is having to adapt to funding
issues by adopting competitive, market-driven policies and procedures
while the “business” sector is having to adapt to changing
consumer values and adopt giving back to the community principles. It
is no longer a question of what is in this for me as a customer but
what do you do for others as well. What you are sharing and with whom
has become an integral part of brand marketing.
Non-profits create significant value for their communities when their
services and programs are clearly sustainable, involve new partnerships
for implementation and can be shared with and replicated in other organizations.
For-profits create significant value for their communities when their
services and products can be profitable and are shared with other organizations.
Technology
This year mark's the Internet's 21st birthday. It was actually created
by the U.S. Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Their new network, "ARPANET", allowed computers to be used
as communications devices not simply as powerful calculators.
Today, Canada, internationally
known for it communications, leads the way in adapting and implementing
internet services. In the most recent Ipsos-Reid survey, Canada boasts
the second highest internet penetration rate with 62 percent of adults
reporting that they have gone online at least once in the last 30 days.
As of January 2003, broadband users represented 53.6 percent of the
Canadian online population. http://www.ipsoss-reid.com
According to a recent survey from Accenture, for the third year in a
row, Canada topped the list in term of overall eGovernment maturity,
and it was the only country to reach the technology stage of overall
service transformation.
Businesses, government
and the non-profit sector are seeking to satisfy the demands produced
by these societal trends. Yet, a survey of more than 400 nonprofit professionals
shows a growing disconnect between senior management and IT and development
professionals on technology priorities. (March 25, 2003, Association
of Fundraising Professionals www.afpnet.org) This survey revealed that
although the majority of nonprofit leaders believe that technology can
improve operational efficiency, they are not making technology a priority
within their organizations. IT and development professionals, however,
view technology as a necessity.
While 83 percent of nonprofit leaders focus are heavily concentrated
on improving the operational efficiency and effectiveness of their organization,
and 100 percent believe technology can definitively contribute to this
goal, only 33 percent reported that they factor technology investments
into their organizations' operating plans. This compares to 80 percent
of their IT professionals and 74 percent of development directors. Similarly,
60 percent of the IT and 58 percent of the development personnel said
that their organization had recently invested in or plans to invest
in technology during 2003, while only 27 percent of nonprofit senior
management claimed this to be true.
The results also reveal that the economy is having broad implications
on technology planning. More than half of the respondents noted that
it is more difficult than ever to raise money for technology investments
for their organizations in the current economy. Although an overwhelming
majority of survey respondents (97 percent) believe that technology
can play an important role in improving how their organizations operate,
more than half (54 percent) do not have a long-term technology plan
in place. In times when funding dollars are harder to come by, these
activities become even more crucial for the ongoing stability and growth
of any nonprofit organization."
Apparently, when you write the word "crisis" in Chinese, two
symbols are used; one signifies "danger" and the other "opportunity."
The choice is yours.
