Ann Mei Chang spent 20 years in Silicon Valley, working for the likes of Google, Apple, Intuit, and other innovative and entrepreneurial disrupters. But when the technology executive entered the nonprofit world as the chief innovation officer of USAID, she noticed nonprofits operated on a significantly different modus operandi—instead of designing for the size of the need, nonprofits tend to work in constraints.
But by staying within perceived limits—limited budgets, limited manpower, limited resources—agencies with a mandate to do good in the community are handicapping themselves.
That was the message Chang, the keynote speaker, delivered to some 150 representatives of Washington, D.C., area nonprofits, governments, and businesses during Monday’s 12th Annual Regional Community Partnership Forum held on George Mason University’s Arlington Campus. The program this year was called “Lean Innovation for Social Good” and was hosted by the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Center for Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, and Policy, directed by professor Alan J. Abramson.
Chang—whose book, “Lean Impact: How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good” (Wiley), describes her ideas in great detail— stressed that nonprofits should “think big, start small, and seek impact” by taking more cues from technology companies with proven track records. She recommended agencies focus on small-scale, achievable goals, and advance from there.
“Learn from mistakes and get better and better over time,” she said, summing it up with the mantra, “Learn. Build. Measure.”
Welcoming the attendees was Schar School Distinguished Visiting Professor Terry McAuliffe, former Virginia governor (D), who encouraged the audience to “continue driving the effort” of social change in the region. “You need to be innovative, thoughtful, and take the lead,” he said. “Do not look for the government to lead.”
Chang, for her part was impressed by the nature of the gathering.
“I hope that all communities would do something like this,” she said.
The event was a collaboration of the Schar School's Nonprofit Center, the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the National Capital Area, and Fairfax County's Office of Public-Private Partnerships.