Stop being a not for profit

Sitting at the Mayoral Candidates Forum this week at the Camrose Chamber of Commerce I was struck by how most of the candidates seemed to have difficulty seeing that social investment has short and long term impact in our community.

Part of the problem is that the social sector has spent too long highlighting what we are not. The most common term for our sector is 'not for profit.' Is our mission as an organization to not make money? Of course not. Our focus is to help youth be successful.

It is time for organizations like the Camrose Open Door Association to stop defining ourselves by what we are not and start defining ourselves by what we are for. The Open Door is for impact.

Maybe if we all do a better job at defining ourselves as 'for impact', people will better understand that investing for impact makes good sense whether it is through a business or through an organization.