3 Lessons Businesses Can Learn From Nonprofits

By Lisa Brown Morton

TriplePundit

Nonprofits are regularly called on to act more like businesses. However, consumers and stakeholders are increasingly placing a premium on social impact, the territory that nonprofits know best. Whether they define themselves as social enterprises, socially conscious companies or startups changing the world, for-profit businesses are recognizing the value of fostering community, being part of a larger conversation and putting people before profits — or at least equal with them.

While companies like TOMS, which make charity an integral part of their brand identity, immediately come to mind, other companies have been quick to build community around other causes. Disruptive upstarts like Uber and AirBnB engage in their own forms of activism as they seek to alter laws and regulations. Their effectiveness and success depend on the ability to engage communities around a common cause.

This is what nonprofits do best, and there is much that businesses can learn from nonprofits about how to make a difference. Read on for three essential lessons that can be drawn from the nonprofit experience.

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