A passion for driving change is not enough for successful non-profit leadership – MBA graduates can bring the commercial rigor needed to make social impact sustainable, says Chesca Colloredo-Mansfeld
I always knew I wanted to make a difference in the world, and I believe it’s a desire shared by most people. For some, creating a successful company, generating profits, employing scores of people, or developing a great product fulfils this ambition. For others, though, we feel the need to make a difference at a very human level; to improve the lives of those who may have less opportunity or face huge challenges.
From a young age—having grown up in low-income countries, where the disparity between my opportunities and those available to most people I knew was so stark–I knew I wanted to work in international development. Upon graduating from college, I spent two years in an investment banking job to gain experience in finance and markets, and then left New York for a refugee camp in Pakistan to work for the International Rescue Committee. I figured a year of on-site experience working with a major international NGO would check multiple boxes—doing good in the world while rounding out my resume—before I applied to graduate programmes in public policy.
But my carefully laid plans were upended. As I shared my ambitions with a group of mentors, they challenged me to change course—to instead pursue my MBA. They argued an MBA would equip me with the skill set required to effectively grow, scale, and sustain an NGO from the ground up—and that without it, I would not be able to run an organisation nearly as effectively.
Their advice hit home. I strongly believe non-profits have an obligation to maximise impact for donors and funders, and this requires myriad business skills: strategic planning, budgeting, and management of resources; developing and marketing a product or service that fills a need; measuring impact; hiring, motivating, and retaining great people with the right expertise and the ability to pivot and be flexible as circumstances change. As we considered my options from a refugee camp in Pakistan, I realised they were right—I would need an MBA to develop this skillset.
I applied to Stanford Graduate School of Business, was accepted, and two years later I received my MBA. Afterwards, I held a number of classic MBA jobs (management consulting and internet start-ups), where I built confidence, gained analytical skills, and learned about the importance of strategic planning coupled with execution. And then I found my passion, the problem I would devote my career to fixing.
In 2010, I co-founded MiracleFeet, the global nonprofit that brings life-changing treatment and mobility to children living with a neglected—yet readily treatable—condition that is a leading cause of physical disability in low- and middle-income countries. Known as clubfoot, it causes a painful and often stigmatising deformity affecting 175,000 babies every year, making it one of the most common birth defects globally.
Although treatment has been widely available in the developed world for years, many countries had no access to it until the past decade, when MiracleFeet and a few other organisations began working to bring the low-cost, nonsurgical standard of care to all health systems. Still, two million children who could be easily treated are growing up with this devastating disability. It’s a problem I know we can solve.
MiracleFeet has always been laser-focused on making decisions based on data and hard evidence, an approach born from the collective business backgrounds of many of our Board members. We painstakingly collect patient records of every child to track enrolment and treatment outcomes, and we each possess an intense focus on impact. We constantly ask ourselves: ‘How many lives were changed with how many dollars?’
In addition to building skills in finance, marketing, supply chains, or organisational behaviour, an MBA gives social entrepreneurs a professional network they can tap for business-oriented support, advice, partnerships, and connections. I have leaned heavily on the amazing students and faculty that I met during my two years at Stanford, as donors and thought partners.
Having an MBA also gives me credibility, and others confidence in my abilities. Donors have more faith that their investments will not be misused or wasted; corporate partners feel comfortable I can speak their language and understand their needs; and employees trust that I will protect the organisation’s finances and cultivate an environment where their careers thrive.
The truth is, some non-profits have a reputation for being poorly managed. Many feel they don’t hold themselves to high enough standards – that insufficient due diligence is done when selecting a vendor or signing contracts; or that weak HR practices lead to hiring poorly-qualified but well-meaning people, who cost organisations in efficiency and results.
I think these criticisms may happen in part because non-profits are often started by people who have huge visions and expertise in a particular area – medicine, education, or agriculture – but lack experience in building an effective, efficiently-run organisation. The reality is this: non-profits need people who have the relevant expertise and passion for making change, but also people who can build a robust financial and managerial foundation to achieve lasting impact. These are real problems, and they can be avoided by including people who have MBA-type skills in the organisation.
Business School graduates, rest assured. If you feel a pull toward social entrepreneurship or want to make a difference in the world, you already have what you need to succeed. You possess the skills and the knowledge to make a positive impact on our world.
Imagine the difference, applying your skills in countries with the greatest challenges—in human, environmental, and capital need. You can achieve enormous impact, and your organisation’s bottom line will be lives forever changed.
Chesca Colloredo-Mansfield is Executive Director at MiracleFeet.
