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| Path: Main Street : Resources & Library : Research Articles : Feature Article |
Transformation in a financial pressure cooker
By Pattie LaCroix
June 29, 2009
Recently Liberal MP Lise Zarac, said in the House of Commons that while nonprofit organizations have 12 million volunteers and provide services equivalent to 7% of the GDP, "experts believe that 20% of these organizations are at risk of closing." With a decrease in major gifts, such as stock transfers and one-time gifts, and the shrinking of individual wallets, coupled with growing demands on government funds, it is a real pressure cooker for many nonprofits that find themselves facing grim financial forecasts and few resources to expand their fund development programs.
This situation is not inconsequential as the Canadian nonprofit sector is a significant player in our overall economy and the livability of communities across the country.
Imagine Canada’s research shows:
Many people I speak with in the nonprofit sector across Canada, while daunted by the scale of uncertainty, recognize the opportunity for great change. They are leveraging their seasoned leadership to find inventive new ways of doing their work, develop cross-sector collaborations, and rethink how we measure success, all with a view of creating sustainable change.
- Canada’s nonprofit and voluntary sector is the world’s second largest; the Netherlands is the largest; the United States is the fifth;
- Two million people are employed by these organizations, representing 11.1% of the "economically active" population
- The nonprofit sector represents $79.1 billion or 7.8% of the GDP, which is a larger share than the automotive or manufacturing industries
The stories we craft and communicate during this time are especially critical as we introduce our ideas of doing things differently, of new outcomes and new ways of viewing success. Annette Simmons, in her book Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins, observes that "when you activate new stories you transport people to a new point of view, change meaning, behaviour, and in that way - you change the future." Mastering the art of storytelling is a powerful tool for the over two million Canadians working in the nonprofit sector to engage people in a new perspective, to shift meaning, and ignite transformative change.
A tall order, you say. Yes it is. But the power of story is up to the task. "I have a dream" and "Be the change you want" are powerful narratives in our culture that have taken root and acted as a springboard to provoke new perspectives and transport us to a new world. The invitation here for nonprofit organizations, their staff, volunteers and supporters is to begin to rethink their narrative in a way that will give us access to our emotions, to the meaning of their work, and their impact.
Becoming relevant in a transformative time is an opportunity for reinventing your story, and in doing so, engaging constituencies in the power of the process of change. Stories provide context and meaning that ignite change and fuel transformation.
Pattie LaCroix has provided strategic leadership in crafting integrated communications and fundraising strategies to nonprofits for more than a decade. As CEO of Catapult Media she is passionate about the power of storytelling in engaging your audience and building support for your work. You can reach Pattie at www.catapultmedia.ca.
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