The world of nonprofit organizations
is in a period of rapid change. Competition for public and private revenue
is often intense. For-profit companies have entered the service domains
of many nonprofit organizations, and some individuals have even started
for-profit concerns dedicated to social causes. These trends have put
great pressure on nonprofits to respond and adapt their operations to
be more entrepreneurial - more business-like, more flexible, more market-oriented.
Entrepreneurial nonprofits
are likely to be less dependent on charitable donations and government
contracts and more dependent on fees, the sales of products and services,
partnerships with for-profit companies and even business ventures and
for-profit subsidiaries. Many nonprofits are not, however, structured
to successfully adopt these revenue and business strategies. Making
the choice to adopt entrepreneurial strategies calls for careful consideration.
Fortunately, the number of organizations and web sites available to
nonprofits to help them assess the appropriateness of various strategies
for them organization is increasing rapidly. These national
and local web sites not only provide valuable
direct information but also can link interested organizations with other
appropriate resources.
