Uncharitable: “Shattering nonprofit prevailing paradigms”

Uncharitable, by Dan Pallotta, challenges the traditional thinking of nonprofit organizations and their leaders. Unlike other books, of this genre; books that advise on ways to improve nonprofit performance, Uncharitable shatters prevailing paradigms. Stanford Social Innovation Review hailed this work with, “Deserves to become the nonprofit sectors’ new manifesto.”

A review by publisher Tufts University Press, says, “Uncharitable argues that the paradigm itself is the problem… Its insurgent thesis is that society’s nonprofit ethic undermines our ability to eradicate great problems, and, ironically, puts charity at a severe disadvantage to the for-profit sector at every level. We have two rule books; one for charity and one for everything else. This economic apartheid denies charity the powerful tools of capitalism, while everyone else is permitted to use them without restraint.”

Since an upcoming McCuistion TV program was on Philanthropy: The Business of Changing the World; and Dan happened to be in town for Dallas Social Venture Partners, and I think the book, well dog-eared, deserves a place on every nonprofit CEO and Development Directors’ desk… well of course I had to meet and interview him.

Belying his “revolutionary” work, Dan exudes a soft-spoken calmness and confidence. He knows his stuff, has been a success at fundraising, and has been thrown under the bus for “unconventional” approaches.

“Dan, in your work, you state, ‘I hope this book will give definition to a new cause, the challenge of transforming the very meaning of charity itself… I mean to create an uprising, a movement that questions all of what we have been taught, every rule, every constraint, every sacred cow- everything and anything that stands in the way of our ability to eliminate suffering and need.’

Fighting words Dan- what will it take to change these entrenched mindsets? Is it possible for charities to embrace a more business like way of running their operation?’”

Dan’s answer, “The culture does not allow it. We want charities to act more like a business- what we mean is wanting them to do more with less. We want to draw blood from a stone.”

Watch, question and enjoy. Dan may well change the way you think and act as he has thousands of others. And tune in to the McCuistion Program on Philanthropy: The Business of Changing the World, (www.perspectivesmatter.com) airing soon, for more of Dan’s revolutionary and needed thinking; as well as Brent Christopher’s: President and CEO of Communities Foundation of North Texas, Robert Wright: President of Executives in Action and Charlotte Keany: Director of Consulting for the Center for Non Profit Management.

Thanks for joining me as we talk about inspiring transformational change through conversations that matter.

Niki Nicastro McCuistion: CSP
Executive Producer/ Producer
Speaker/ Consultant on Transformational Change
@McCuistionTV
nikin@nikimccuistion.com
(214) 394-6794