This internalized poverty mentality is pervasive in non-profit, purpose-driven space.

The wages are way too low compared with other industries.

There's no mentorship and workforce development within this sector.

No investment in anything long-term. 

They are proud of Zero budgeting. 

A zero-sum competition exists between non-profits in smaller cities especially for funding.

The skeletal staff is doing 2-3 jobs for a salary of one.

The Board is always a hands-on board, sometimes meddling too much on implementation.

Volunteers are used as second-level staffers.

Funders do not trust them to develop their organizations, only to deliver the programs.

I got almost into a debate after I spoke about the fallacy of 10% administration budget that funders would only fund.

I reasoned that 10% is too miniscule to account for what non-profit needs to scale, grow, and build stronger and robust systems for the community good that they do.

A woman retorted, " so Executive Directors get to pad their pockets with lots of money?"

Is this really what we think about this issue?

What a narrow, escapist notion that people will pad their incomes when given more money for administration. 

It's like saying that we should not build bridges and roads because the contractors get the best of taxpayers monies or that politicians get a kickback somehow.

There's no future in this poverty mentality than more poverty, scarcity leading to bad, low quality, one-size-fits-all services that serve no one. 

This is the loop that should be condemned by everyone.

The non-profit is in a crisis and it has been like that for a long time.

If these structural issues continue, no amount of billion dollar funding can make it better, it could trigger a more dog-eat-dog scenario.

Let's stop kidding ourselves that it will change when a new government comes, or when the funders will get an epiphany, or maybe, if we can just demand for reforms.

No! this is a case for societal response to a major overhaul.

And I don't think we are near fed-up which is what I hope so.

​I remembered when I was a fresh Masters graduate, I had been wanting to just travel and work abroad. 

It happened fast enough for me. Sooner than later, I got to travel for a really good reason, as a volunteer advocate internationally and then travel more because of work. 

Now, with 33 countries under my belt, I would only travel for a very strategic reason.

My wants are totally different five years ago when I started my business.

Now at my 6th year, I have learned lots, made mistakes along the way, some wants became old. 

I used to want to grow fast and do all kinds of stuff that would increase my market share.

I found out that it's better to niche and dig deeper in one specific market where I can be distinguished from the rest.

It's better to create your own track than to follow someone's framework of success.

What's working for me is where I truly feel am perfectly situated. 

This realization improves my wants. 

My current wants are important but not enough to the level of needs.

My mission is to help other people get the kind of leadership capacity they want, the organization they dream about, and impacts they want to bring.

And my gosh, it already a mission statement of a lifetime! 

There are sacred cows in many purpose-driven organizations.

it can be a personnel, a Board Member, a funder, a practice/framework, an over-staying product, a founder's mantra, or a habit.

All of these can be sacred cows- never questioned, continued to exist and proliferate despite its obsolescence/irrelevancy and sometimes exaggerated, larger-than-life value.

You can't touch it, complain about it, or suggest an alternative route/option/offering. The employees would point up (ceiling) saying, something like, "Word from Management."

Just follow or resign. 

Who is the management? Who is the boss? Board of Directors. The Executive Director. The Management Council. 

When there are sacred cows, it means that the organization has lost it adaptability and relies on tradition, dogma, and unfounded beliefs, usually not based on any thing factual and evidence-based. 

There's a place for tradition in building high-performing cultures in organizations. Cultures that are deeply rooted in values. For tradition's sake, continuity (some may say), or laziness, people revert to 'whatever been around for a long time' and seldom ask why.

Tradition without relevance is fanaticism.

In many societies, sacred cows roam the street unhindered.

But in organizations, too many roaming unhindered sacred cows can cause a massive catastrophe.

You don't want that. Ask, listen, evaluate. Rinse and Repeat