In the worst of times nonprofits show what they are made of – not through heroic acts but through the strength of their “social capital”; we have seen this principle play out over and over again both in the midst of massive economic downturns and in the wake of showstopping disasters.
But the same accumulation of social capital we all use during those periods is, in fact, the fundamental currency of nonprofits even in the best of times. Social capital is key to acquiring donors and grants and investors of all kinds. Indeed, most nonprofits are already intuitively strategic on this point. Becoming more intentional about the development of social capital and understanding its central role in your business model can reliably improve your organization’s financial position over time.
Using real case examples mapped through process flow graphics, the presenters in this session will help you identify ways that valuable social capital is accumulated and can be parlayed to generate financial capital.
In this session participants will learn:
- to identify the various elements of social capital accumulated by nonprofits
- how social capital is accumulated and how it can be lost
- how to regain lost social capital
- how accumulated social capital converts to financial capital and, more critically, to sustainability
- How to map your organization’s social capital toward greater long term sustainability
Elizabeth Castillo, who researches and teaches sustainable management at California State University, San Bernadino, Jeanne Larsen of Northern Dental Access Center, and Stephanie Moore, Executive Director of the Center for Craft, will join this session.