how on earth: flourishing in a not-for-profit world · • a new generation of entrepreneurs are...
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How on Earth: Flourishing in a Not-for-Profit World Jennifer Hinton [email protected] Post Growth Institute Stockholm Resilience Centre
BoldHypothesis:
Not-for-profitbusinesshasthepotentialtosystemicallytransformtheeconomy
Whatare‘Not-for-Profit’Businesses?
“businessesthatprioritizepurposeaheadofprofits”
Comparedtofor-profitbusinessstructures,NFPs:• Haveasocial/environmentalmissionastheirprimary
purpose• Mustuse100%oftheirprofitsfortheirmission(noprivate
distribution)• Haveaboardtoholdthemaccountableforpursuingtheir
socialmission
Thismeansthey…• Seeprofitasameanstoachievingdeepergoals• Areheldtohigherstandardswithregardtosocial
impact
• Allowforan‘ethicofenough’
ManytypesofbusinessesareNFP• Consumercooperativesandcreditunions–e.g.-Coop
• Mutualinsurancecompanies–e.g.– Folksam
• Lotsofsocialenterprises(andmostcommunityinterestcompaniesintheUK)
• Nonprofits/charitiesthatdobusiness
NFPbusinessisanewplayerintheeconomy:
• Traditionalnonprofitsareincreasinglygeneratingtheirownrevenuethroughtrade
• Anewgenerationofentrepreneursarestartinguptheir
businessesasNFP• Allovertheworld,ineverysectoroftheeconomy
Weliveinafor-profitworld.
Products/Services
RevenueOperatingExpenses
Profit
Abilitytobuymoreshares
Dividends
Wealth For-profit business
Commoneconomy
Eliteeconomy
Wealth Extraction Siphon
Whythefor-profiteconomyhastogrow:• Psychological&socialpressuretomaximizeprofitrequires
growthofbusinesses• Compensatingforextractedprofitsrequiresgrowthof
businesses
• Competitionformarketsharepushesbusinessestogrow
• Aneconomythat’sfullofbusinessestryingtoexpandtomaximizeprofitsmustgrow
Howthefor-profiteconomyleadstoinequality:
• Goal:toaccumulateprivatewealth
• Privatizationofprofit(extractionfromtherealeconomy)
• Privateownershipofbusinessesandtheirassets,whichallowsownerstoaccumulateevenmore
• Leadstospeculativeactivitiestoaccumulateevenmore
Howthefor-profiteconomyleadstoecologicalcrises:
• Maximizeprofitatallcosts(Dominatormodel/utilitarian
approach/InvisibleHand)
• Requiresconstantexpansion– Convertingnatureintogoods,andrelationshipsintoservices– Promotesconsumerism– Inequalityfuelsconspicuousconsumptionaspartofstatuscompetition
Products/Services
RevenueOperatingExpenses
Profit
NFP business
TheBusinessSpectrum
TheExtractivevsGenerativeSpectrum
NFPBusiness
MultinationalCorporations
Social
Enterprises
Cooperatives
Ethical/Green
Businesses
Local
Businesses
• More equality • Real value creation (purpose-oriented economy) • Less consumerism
– more wellbeing and less ecological destruction
AnentirelyNFPmarketeconomywouldallowfor:
NFP advantages
• Leaner • Tax exemptions, donations and volunteers
• Rise of ethical consumption and concern about social and environmental issues
• Work force increasingly motivated by purpose
Whatifthefutureoftheeconomyisnotfor-profit?
Practicalactions• Citizens,activists,consumers
• Entrepreneursandbusinessleaders• Nonprofitemployeesandmanagers• Civilservantsandgovernments• Researchersandeducators
• Panacea• Utopia• Silverbullet
• Itisarealisticbridgefromwhatwehavenowtosomethingmoresustainableandenjoyable
TheNFPWorldisnota:
JenniferHintonPostGrowthInstitute
Leveragepoints(DonellaMeadows)
Ref:Göpel,M.(2016)TheGreatMindshift(p.47).