NOLS Gets Schooled!

Sorry to have been “off the grid” for a bit. I joined the rest of the NOLS executive team at Stanford University for an executive education course called “Strategy for Non-Profit Organizations”.

This was an incredible educational experience with fantastic teachers and a great group of students. NOLS was joined by seven other non-profit teams: Lutheran Social Services of Mid-America, Pidecafe, Marin Breast Cancer Watch, Trinity Church of Wall Street, Washington Dental Service Foundation, Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Coalition, Universidad de Monterrey.

Topics covered during the class were:
-Identifying strategy, including competitive advantage, scope and logic.
-Analysis of current environment.
-Integration of mission and strategy.

Really good stuff. Much of what was taught re-affirmed directions and methods NOLS is already employing. And we learned some great new tools for going forward.

Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director