If you want to hear a fast-talking Italian

April 23, 2012

I gave a speech at the City Club of Cleveland (my hometown) at 12:30 EDT on Friday, April 27. You can watch the rebroadcast of the speech as well as read the prepared remarks. The speech seeks to lift up the Leap of Reason message—from one about outcomes assessment and performance management to one that is tightly focused on building high-performance institutions in the nonprofit and public sectors. It is hard-hitting and speaks with urgency about the challenges nonprofits and public-sector agencies face as a result of seismic social, economic, and demographic shifts. But, as usual, it offers concrete, practical advice on how we can address these challenges head on. And, as always, I welcome your feedback—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My best, Mario

Quotes From Leaders Like You

“Managing to outcomes is not about simply counting things or gathering information. And it is not about satisfying funders. It is an internal effort aimed at figuring out what works and what doesn’t, so that the organization can provide the best possible services to its clients”

- Isaac Castillo, DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative

“You have to have undying passion for the population you’re serving. We can spend time patting ourselves on the back for the 85 percent of the kids who are doing really well in our program. But we need to be as concerned about the 15 percent who aren’t succeeding and learn how we can improve for them.”

- Sam Cobbs, First Place for Youth

“Through a process of self-reflection, our board members asked themselves fundamental questions: How can we improve? How can we make a greater impact?”