Achieving goals and making a difference. That is what social organizations are after. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced society to a halt. Social organizations had to participate in the transformation. Dutch company BDO sees five important drivers of transformation. BDO interviewed Women on Wings and four other Dutch social organizations for its vision paper 2022.
Goal setting
In BDO’s vision paper on social organizations and the social space, it states that clarity about the purpose of the organization is always important. In times of turbulence more than ever. The importance of goal setting is for every entrepreneur and leader evident. Clearly formulating the mission statement gives any organization direction and inspiration. It contributes to the focus of both individual employees and the organization as a whole on the objective: ‘Stick to your plan.’ BDO states in its vision paper that the story of Women on Wings’ co-founder Ellen Tacoma is an inspiring example of this.
Focus on the target: one million jobs
“You want to find the balance between slightly insane and not quite unrealistic,” says Ellen Tacoma, co-founder of Women on Wings in BDO’s vision paper, referring to the ‘big hairy audacious goal’ of the organization which aims to take families in rural India out of poverty through the co-creation of one million jobs for women. Continues Ellen: “Initially we wanted to ensure an income for ten million women in India. But you have to find a balance between ambition and realism. So in 2007, we formulated that one sentence which is still valid today: to co-create one million jobs for women in rural India. Over the years, there were plenty of reasons to deviate from our objective. Having a clear target helped us to make the right choices. So we sticked to the plan, and said no to funding opportunities which would not have contributed to generating jobs for women in rural India.”
Drivers for transformation
Not only social organizations have to participate in the transformation. BDO sees that the relationships between government, market and society are also constantly changing. BDO wants to contribute to vital social organizations, which, according to the company, are indispensable as a connecting factor in the triangle of citizens – business – government and are important for shaping the transformation that is needed in the changing social space. BDO sees five important developments as the drivers of that transformation:
1. Dynamic – social turbulence
2. Purpose – social relevance
3. Sustainability – planet & people
4. Digital – technology
5. Donate (or invest) – advancing entrepreneurship
Read BDO’s entire vision paper (in Dutch) with Women on Wings on page 10.
