Dr. Charles Owubah leads Action Against Hunger USA’s executive team in providing leadership and strategic direction.
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As a sector, nonprofits comprise about 6% of the U.S. workforce and nearly 6% of the country’s GDP. Yet, nonprofits face real constraints in our efforts to effect change.
To start, most nonprofits rely on donations for most of their revenue. The power of the purse gives donors an outsized voice in shaping what work gets done, where and how—even when donors don’t deeply understand the people or places they seek to help. As nonprofit leaders, we can and should seek to influence donor priorities and encourage more participatory grant-making and trust-based philanthropy.
Governments also powerfully direct funding and attention toward social issues and organizations. NGOs depend on effective governments to create an enabling environment for our work, starting with basic safety for vulnerable humanitarian workers. When governments exercise power effectively, they also benefit as key stakeholders in the outcomes of our efforts.
In all these ways, power is complicated. While power can have negative connotations, it also can suggest capacity and agency. Power is a tool that can be used constructively and collaboratively—or not. And power is relative. Even as I describe our sector’s constraints, I can think of funders and government leaders who decry their own limitations and envy the seeming independence and ability for impact that nonprofit leaders enjoy.
We all need to use our power wisely. As issues of power increasingly take center stage in discussions about our sector, I’ve been reflecting on my own experiences around building, wielding and sharing power—a framework from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.
Creating effective programs is key to building power.
As obvious as it may sound, nonprofit leaders must honestly assess and continuously enhance their organizational capacity, which is itself a form of power. Yet, that’s not as easy as it may seem and requires steadfast attention to key leadership imperatives: ensuring a clear vision, a strong values-based culture, an effective strategy, an engaged workforce and adequate resources.
Power is vital to program efficacy. I've found the greatest way to build power is through effective programs that strengthen agency among the people we serve. Our influence grows when we address the root cause of social issues. Paradoxically, some of the most powerful nonprofits may no longer be needed for routine community support because they wielded power so effectively.
Carefully assess each situation in order to wield power wisely.
Just as many donors face profound questions about the ways wealth is accumulated and disseminated, nonprofit leaders should consider whether and how our own sector helped create the world we live in today, for better and worse, including systemic imbalances of power—and how we’ll address it.
That’s not easy. I wish more people outside our space understood the constraints on ways nonprofits can wield power. Nonprofit leaders need to carefully assess the potential benefits of speaking out with the reality that doing so may jeopardize our mission. For example, when it comes to armed conflict, our words can put staff in danger and compromise access to the people we serve.
While we may not always be able to speak truth to the powers that be, we have the power of our convictions and the moral authority that can come with them. We have soft power and the power of leading by example. Wielding that power wisely involves listening with humility and using our convening power to address issues of shared concern.
As one example, my team is convening a two-day event to foster new approaches to a growing global hunger crisis—but we’re not using it as a brand-building effort. We’re leading with the issue and giving the event a name that truly conveys our goal and approach.
Sharing power can take your organization farther.
It has been said that only secure leaders share power with others. These leaders trust their teams and generally don’t question the tactics unless a given plan or practice raises questions about deeply held values and principles. Some call this empowerment.
Yet, the idea of empowering others can overlook the capacity that already exists within both our teams and the communities we aim to serve. So, I strive to take a partnership approach in everything I do, recognizing the strengths inherent in each individual and organization.
Another leadership responsibility is to engage with others in positions of authority. But make no mistake: While we may share resources and expertise, the power to accept or reject NGO programs rests with the communities to whom we are accountable. We review budgets and programs together and jointly create new power structures. For example, village savings and loan associations can bolster community stability, strengthen local governance and create influential new constituencies among groups that were traditionally sidelined.
Ripples of change: Consider the broader context of power to create real change.
In dealing with these complex issues, it helps to consider the broader context. It's important for nonprofit leaders to regularly analyze power dynamics, whether entering new communities, designing programs with marginalized groups or advocating with traditional power-holders.
That means staying on top of everything—from the ways that geopolitics determine funding to how gender dynamics can influence program outcomes. These are pragmatic insights: The ability to navigate power shifts on the front lines of conflicts, for example, can determine whether we have humanitarian access to people in need.
I think we also need to be more visible and more vocal on the issues that impact our stakeholders. Complex issues of power are taking on renewed urgency as climate change, conflict and challenges to globalization create seismic shifts in our world. As nonprofit leaders, we’re called to address complex questions about the role of power in creating a more just, sustainable and equitable society.
Even so, it can feel risky to openly discuss issues of power. We may fear the loss of key partnerships or funding. But the people we serve face even greater risks daily. They are counting on us to take bolder action, not only for them, but with them. After all, we are at our most powerful together.
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