Non-profit sectors are leadership sectors

From the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac policy conference:

The regions in the country that are making the most progress are ones that are giving, "fusion to the economic sector (private), social sector (nonprofit) and government (public sector)," says Neal Peirce, chairman of Citistates. The traditional model of let's get all the CEO's of companies in the room to make decisions is no longer the sustainable, or most powerful path concludes Peirce.

In my estimation, the greatest progress is made when the THREE SECTORS find a common point of intersection, and move aggressively towards it. Each sector brings something to the party. Super Bowl XL was a three sector collaboration. Campus Martius was a three sector collaboration. And so on...

One change that I hear this year from the podium is that progress in the region will require not just public and private partnerships, but rather, it will require public/private/nonprofit partnerships.

We heard that clearly from Edsel Ford. He said we can no longer just plan, but rather, we must have business, government and key civic institutions working in new ways towards common outcomes.

The nonprofit community is not a recipient sector. Rather, it brings immense intellectual capital, on the ground talent and leadership that is a necessary ingredient for progress.

Imagine the voice and leadership of region-wide initiatives absent of universities, hospitals, cultural institutions, chambers and the many social service organizations. Not only do they represent a huge employment base, but they represent a powerful leadership network that can be a key to the region's progress.

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