Impact Organizations: Readings on Theory and Practice

Impact organizations are dedicated to fulfilling unmet social needs, reducing inequities, advancing environmental protection, improving public health, expanding opportunity and strengthening communities through the identification and deployment of innovative and entrepreneurial solutions and operating through ethical governance and responsible management. The definition of impact organizations encompasses nonprofit organizations, hybrid entities, and for-profit businesses whose products or services contribute to measurable social or environmental improvement. Profit does not disqualify an organization from impact. On the contrary, retained earnings and disciplined capital allocation can strengthen durability provided that profits are reinvested strategically rather than squandered.In this collection of links to works by the author, readers are introduced to topics that need to be understood to create and manage organizations to achieve impact. The work begins by explaining the core principles of organization, impact, sustainability, endurance and entrepreneurship. The work continues to lay out the agenda for leaders of impact organizations with respect to governance, leadership and management, culture, design, strategy, people, products and customers, technology and engagement and communications. Finally, the work provides resources for assessing progress along the path to enduring impact and coping with growth and the inevitable changes that impact organizations must anticipate and absorb.