The world of humanitarian work is changing. Figuring out fresh
ideas and looking at things from a different vantage point is nothing
new, but the old model of non-profits is giving way to a new direction.
Organizations are always trying to measure the impact they have on the
ground and ask themselves the question "are we really making a
difference?" With all of the studies and metrics in place and the amount
of knowledge that is available today, why does it feel that we are
doing the same things over and over? A progressive non-profit will take
the time to review and assess every aspect of the organization. How can
we do better and why we do things a certain way? These questions need to
be asked in order to create growth and learning. At Ascend, we can look
to our rich history and review how we have accomplished everything to
this point, but we need to look at both our successes and our failures.
We often learn more from our failures than we do from success. We also
collaborate with other non-profits and together, figure out best
practices and learn from the lessons of our partner organizations. We
believe that only in a spirit of pure partnership with other
non-profits, businesses and donors can we truly make a difference, but
the key partnership is with the people that we serve. If we listen and
learn from those that we serve, only then can find ways to truly make an
impact and create true social change.
John Moore working and sharing a beverage with a citizen from the community of Jech-Vo, Chiapas, Mexico December 29th, 2012
Lynn invites you to contact him if you have questions, or would like to volunteer. He can be reached at 801.601.8810 or by email at lynn@ascendalliance.org.
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