It's a sobering thought but sometimes, maybe everyday but it's not always so news worthy, the folks that do the work of nonprofits; the folks that do the work and have a really high profile and are maybe even considered the "rock stars" in the nonprofit sector; have issues. And sometimes, these issues get aired to the correct ear at just the right time and poof: there's a big New York Times story. And for a moment we forget that nonprofits have governing bodies who are the sometimes big and sometimes little engines moving the nonprofit forward. And we also forget that what nonprofits are about is results. And, we forget that even when the rock stars aren't perfect, they too are about results and using their respective skills to achieve these results.
Such is the case in Sunday's New York Times story about the newly awarded mega-bucks from the Social Innovation Fund and how maybe there's not enough transparency by the Fund itself and how maybe "some" people got money and weren't stellar in their proposals and, well, you get the picture.
One thing for sure: this is not the time to be bashing anyone in the sector unless of course they are doing what they are doing for personal gain and/or are not achieving results. The Times story isn't about results. And, really, funders, rock stars, board members: results has got to be the story we discuss. Stories like this do nothing for the cause of making a world in which everyone has a chance to succeed.