Many times, I find myself working with nonprofits who are facing a time of transition. Perhaps their organization is undergoing a change in leadership. Perhaps their community is changing. Perhaps new needs and challenges are calling for a change in programs or ministries.
How do successful organizations navigate these transitions? They have a grander vision.
Let me illustrate with a story…
In the years immediately following the end of World War l, the Jerusalem YMCA, which had been established in 1878, was working to reestablish its very modest presence in the city after being shut down by Turkish forces during the war. In 1920, the Jerusalem YMCA Board reached out to the YMCA of the USA for assistance and the U.S. movement responded by sending Dr. Archibald C. Harte to Jerusalem to serve as the Director General of the Jerusalem Association.
Dr. Harte was very much aware of the historic conflict and related issues in the Holy Land and he brought with him to Jerusalem a grander vision for the Jerusalem YMCA. His visionary leadership soon resulted in the YMCA receiving one of the largest gifts in the history of the YMCA movement, the establishment of landmark buildings that were later pictured on the currency of the country, and a mission that decades later resulted in Jerusalem International YMCA being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
How did Dr. Harte help the Jerusalem YMCA make this transition?
What is your grander vision? What impact do you hope your organization will have generations from now? What legacy do you wish to leave in your area of service, be it your neighborhood, your city, your country or the world?