Social Innovation Is The Hallmark of the 20th Annual Unveiling

Philanthropy is dead. Long live philanthropy.

The days are long gone when donors sent nickels, dimes and quarters in envelopes provided by charities in support of mission. And, in general, donors didn’t ask very many questions about how the money was spent.

Also gone are the days when transparency, accountability and data were quaint ideas about how a nonprofit should be operated.

Nonprofit executives must have the acumen to understand what data means and have the ability to pivot. Partnerships are now sought, as need grows exponentially and traditional sources of funding are evaporating. Say good-bye to federal block grants and other forms of contracting with federal and state governments.

It’s no longer philanthropy. It’s social good and that often involves profit for organizations and in some cases “donors.” Impact investing and social impact bonds got off to a slow start but are now accelerating as viable funding sources. Social entrepreneurs are developing new revenue streams and are becoming integral elements of the development process.

The 50 leaders highlighted in this 20th annual NPT Power & Influence Top 50 have distinguished themselves at initiators of concepts that will have legs and are already have impact.

The 2017 honorees were selected from a group of roughly 300 top executives. A committee of NPT staff, contributors and a few executives plugged in to executive movement were involved in the selection process. This is not a lifetime achievement award. The executive must have had an impact during the previous 12 months.

There is quite a bit of turnover in this year’s roll call. There are 14 new honorees on the 2016 honor roll and seven executives who are returning to the list after a short hiatus.

Since the traditional gift for a 20th anniversary is china, the fine china will be rolled out as honorees and their guests are feted in Washington, D.C., next month during the annual NPT Power & Influence Top 50 Gala at The National Press Club. One of the honorees will receive the NPT Innovator of the Year award.

The evening always involves conversation between people who would not normally have the opportunity to interact. The honorees always stick around after the event has concluded to continue the idea swapping – or it could simply because the bar remains open.

Click here to view the complete list of the 2017 Power & Influence Top 50.