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The Path to Enduring Greatness

Not everyone who enters the not-for-profit world will become the kind of leader who leaves what author Jim Collins calls a legacy of enduring greatness. That, argues Collins, requires discipline - disciplined people involved in disciplined thought and action.

Part of that discipline is defining clearly who they are and precisely what change they want to achieve. By defining their mission, they essentially build their own definable "brand" that competes for the hearts and minds of the public in the very competitive marketplace of good works.

In addition to building a vision for the change they want to see, Collins suggests that the next crucial step is to demonstrate the ability to achieve results relative to that mission.

This focus on impact and results allows potential supporters to believe not only in a foundation's mission, but also in its ability to deliver on that mission.

By demonstrating results, leading foundations enhance credibility, gain financial and emotional support for a cause, and affect the behavior, opinion and action of their key audiences, leveraging their work far beyond dollars donated or projects funded. They also provide leadership to others within the philanthropic community - sharing successes and lessons learned, and helping to define the role of philanthropy relative to government and other charitable organizations - an increasingly important issue as private donors wield ever greater influence in shaping the world.