Leah Kral presents, "Innovation for Social Change - How Wildly Successful Nonprofits Inspire and Deliver Results" in the Human Progress and Flourishing Workshop. This event is free and open to all members of the NDSU community and the public. The workshop format includes a 40-minute presentation followed by audience Q&A. After the presentation, light food and refreshments will be served in the Challey School of Music Atrium.

What is this talk about?

We can thank philanthropy and nonprofits for breakthroughs like hospice care, public libraries, and the discovery of insulin to treat diabetes. Yet finding solutions to social problems and measuring impact are often very difficult. Good intentions don’t automatically translate to impact. Why do some nonprofits punch above their weight while others misfire?

The most successful nonprofits are innovative, which is, in short, about finding new, surprising ways to get results and value. It involves creativity, originality, and some risk-taking. It involves building innovative practices into our workplace DNA, such as pilots and small experiments. Through stories of social entrepreneurs and nonprofit powerhouses like Mayo Clinic, the American civil rights movement, Fred Rogers’ nonprofit production company, Rhinos Without Borders, and many others, there are practical lessons that can be applied at any nonprofit. At the same time, we won’t shy away from cautionary tales of what not to do.

Who is Leah Kral?

Leah Kral is an expert facilitator and author who helps nonprofits doing the hard work of building civil society to innovate and be more effective. She writes about her work in Innovation for Social Change: How Wildly Successful Nonprofits Inspire and Deliver Results (Wiley, 2022).

Kral is the Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, the home of heterodox thinkers and economists who work to discover what aspects of institutions and culture help societies prosper. She is a sought-after speaker at nonprofit industry events, writes frequently about her research, offers tailored consulting to nonprofit teams and provides coaching to social entrepreneurs across the country.

She has a passion for helping organizations achieve their missions and is an active volunteer in her community and parish. She holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Duquesne University and is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Jamaica 2002-2004). To learn more, visit LeahKral.com.

What is the Human Progress and Flourishing Workshop?

The Human Progress and Flourishing Workshop invites internationally renowned scholars and speakers from across the country to present research and engage in discussion with the community. The series focuses on solutions and policies that contribute to opportunity, innovation, and individual and societal flourishing. The workshop is available as a one-credit course (BUSN 491/690) for undergraduate and graduate students. You do not need to be enrolled in the course to attend these events.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can register on Zoom at: https://ndsu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dBsvkK1ESGyiUfV_aFl9sQ