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Many nonprofit organizations are faced with HUGE need and limited funds – Demand for services is Up and Supply to pay for services is Down.  Clearly, this is an unsustainable situation.  So what can break the stalemate?

I recently read an article in the Harvard Business Review by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at Harvard Business School.  She says “any action is better than none.”  While many of us wait to figure out the exact right thing to do, or the option that will yield the biggest results, we may be missing the huge opportunity to “do something.”  Dr. Kanter speaks of four reasons why something – anything – is better than nothing.

  1. Small wins matter.  Small success builds on itself into bigger success.
  2. Accomplishments aways come in pieces.  They never arrive wrapped up with a bow on top. Accomplishments happen because we break things into manageable pieces.
  3. Perfection is unattainable.  Forget perfection.  Just do something.  My father used to say “every road will take you somewhere.”  So, give it a try.
  4. Actions produce energy and momentum. It is a paradox that “doing something” does not in fact drain one’s energy, but creates energy for the next step. Once the ball is rolling, it is easier and more fun to keep it rolling