Founders Who are Effective Over Time (Summer 2006)

What makes nonprofit founders be effective over time? What factors contribute to efforts to achieve significant social change? In a comparative analysis of several cases of long-lived social entrepreneurship from around the world, Alvord, Brown, and Letts consider the necessary ingredients for creating and sustaining initiatives that address social, political, and economic inequality. While the study remains inconclusive, the authors highlight certain strategies, dimensions of leadership, and organizational arrangements that may be important to success in working with poor and marginalized populations.