After the sudden loss of his older brother, Doug Kelly left a 25-year career in electoral politics to "do something that had a deeper meaning, purpose, and social value." That led him to his current position as President and CEO of Make-A-Wish® Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, the largest of 62 chapters across the country. Kelly came to Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education to prepare to make a greater contribution to his organization, and he found that and more in the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program.
Like other program participants, my executive-level roles have focused on solving the toughest problems facing an organization. I came to this program because other CEOs from Make-A-Wish spoke highly of their experience. Many said that it gave them a new and higher-level perspective on nonprofit management. I also attended Harvard as an undergraduate, so I was familiar with Harvard Business School's impact and reputation.
The program helped me to clarify strategy at a deeper level for our organization. In the program, we explored differentiating strategies to distinguish you from other organizations, as well as disruptive strategies to help move you more quickly to a higher level of impact. We have incorporated this thinking into our programs and applied it to our revenue model. The program's case study material also challenged my overall thinking. It made me consider questions, such as, "How can we think bigger? How can we get to our goal faster?"
The program introduced me to the concept of a "solvable social problem," where the central challenge is scaling our efforts. Unlike many other nonprofits, Make-A-Wish is focused on a solvable social problem: "x" number of kids need wishes and we are delivering "y" wishes. This concept is now a central feature of our speeches and talking points, as well as a powerful incentive for contributors and board members because very few funders ever get to solve a social problem.
This program will help you see your organization from a different perspective. It will help you solve challenges more quickly. It will clarify the elements of strategy. And it will help you recognize the importance of managing risks in as many areas as possible—so you can take greater risks in other areas.
