Recently I was reading about a young Georgia state senator by the name of Kasim Reed who became the Mayor of Atlanta in December of 2009 by 714 votes. Upon taking office, he faced some very grave financial issues with declining city revenues. But, rather than practicing city-business-as-usual, he immediately began reforming how the city did business. His first move was to bring in Peter Aman, a partner with Bain and Company, a consultancy, to be his chief operating officer. Today Reed says, “We needed to learn from an outside perspective.” A year later, Reed has a 70 percent approval rating.
Reed recognized that the world had changed for the city of Atlanta but that previous administrations had not made the strategic investments to help Atlanta grow. Reed understood that there were places that had to be cut but that there also were places that needed investment. Cut here, invest there.
Reed said, “We are not going to be what we have been for the last 50 years if we don’t change . . . because the time to make adjustments is running out.”
Couldn’t the same be said of established nonprofit fund raising organizations? We’ve been raising money the same way for over 50 years. And guess what? Revenue growth is slowing, or worse declining.
Mayor Reed continues . . . “There must be a generation tough enough to stick out its chin and take the hit . . . It is time to begin having the types of mature and honest conversations necessary to deal with the new economic realities we are facing. . . We simply cannot keep kicking the can down the road.”
You and I know Mayor Reed is talking about Atlanta’s city government, but is it me or couldn’t those same words and sentiments apply to established nonprofit fund raising organizations too?
-Mike
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