courtesy of gratisography.com

I don’t remember the date, but I remember the conversation. It was the first time I’d heard the word “competition” in relation to volunteer organizations. I was in a community meeting and nonprofit experts were discussing the impact of a newly formed non-profit in the area.

“They’ll be looking for the same resources,” one expert said.

“Yes, we now have competition,” another added.

Huh, competition. That’s one way to look at it. But here’s the kicker statement from the CEO of one of the established titan organizations. It’s a statement that stuck with me. “I wouldn’t worry too much, because we’ve been in this community for years and the public knows us and knows we care.”

I might add that the start-up organization did very well.

Do established nonprofits have a monopoly on compassion? Or on knowledge on how to solve societal challenges? I have always suspected…