Do we use our non-profit status to settle for less than excellence in what we do?
Last weekend I was sitting through ten hours of adoption class. Saturday the instructor, bless her heart, was filling in for someone on vacation and winging it through a powerpoint presentation. It was rough. It was really rough. At one point while fiddling with the computer she made a joke under her breath about being a not-for-profit organization.
Everyone laughed. Including me.
But that got me thinking. The organization I work for is a non-profit organization. I don’t have all the resources I want. Like an old foundation on a house the disease of settling creeps in.
Business as usual creeps in. Settling for mediocre creeps in because we have an excuse.
I don’t want to lead or follow Christ with that perspective. I don’t want to settle. I don’t want to use my position as full-time self-funded missionary as an excuse to settle for mediocre. I hope you don’t either.
What keeps you for settling for the status-quo?
Photo courtesy of Voxphoto
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I completely agree, Matt! I get so frustrated (and sometimes angry) when non-profits and Christians settle for sub-par (or even par) quality in events, business deals, music, art, etc.
It’s no wonder that non-profits and Christians get a bad rap – because we haven’t been good businessmen, or great musicians (until lately), or superior at anything. We’ve simply settled for less because people have seen the effort as ‘un-spiritual’ or something.
I’m tired of this. I believe I represent the greatest person ever, and I’m not willing to settle. Great post, Matt. I’m with ya’!
Yeah, I feel like I see it the most in events and presentations. Although our Winter Conference is probably an area that has really pushed through this barrier in the last 5 years. But across the board it’s can be something the enemy really uses to hinder our effectiveness and ability to expand the kingdom.
i used to complain so much about not having the money that for profits have to execute their objectives.
i love the bootstrapping that has to happen–it has forced me to cut out all the superfluous elements and focus on what’s most important.
we don’t have to look as good as for profits but we can be as focused and intentional and be sure to have a clear idea of where we are going and how we are going to get there w what we have.
that’s non-profit excellence to me.
thanks for the post!