Gross National Happiness in the Third Sector
by mollypenn
As the economy profited in the last decade from mortgage backed securities and boundless Wall Street imagination, many nonprofits sought to put more business people (especially those with deep pockets) on their boards. During the same decade, foundation funders became intensely interested in nonprofits being able to document their effectiveness. The result has been a huge shift in both culture and practice toward measuring outcomes and bottom line mentality.
Did the nonprofit sector need a dose of pragmatism? YES! But as often happens, the pendulum has swung too far to the opposite side from where the nonprofit field started. Today, the nonprofit field is being held to the same standards as for-profit businesses - being a results-focused enterprise where profitability is key. The problem is that the sector arose out of a need uniquely unfilled in a capitalist society by either business or government: the need for social programs aimed at those who fall between the cracks of enterprise and regulation. This third sector market requires an equally third sector strategy and approach. In other words, the rules of successful business only go so far in mission-driven organizations. What they do not address is the importance of mission, and the perspective of filling unmet needs.
As a sector, we must get back to our roots, looking at how we can address the needs of those members of our society not served by capitalism or government. Intriguing is the approach used by the King of Bhutan, who declared that instead of measuring Gross National Product, Bhutan would measure its success in terms of Gross National Happiness. He looks at the same indicators: the economy, exports, market forces, but he looks at them through a different lens – are they creating systems that contribute to people’s happiness? We have a lot to learn from that way of thinking. Let’s jump off the bandwagon of social enterprise for a moment, and think about the Gross National Happiness of the people we serve.
