When Non-Profits Invest Like Venture Capitalists

The following post is the second in a series of articles by Linda Giampa, Executive Director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation, for Money Inc.

The first article can be found here on our site or at Money Inc.

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Last month, Linda offered five steps that have had a positive impact on the success of Bay Area Lyme Foundation.  Over the next several months, she is offering a closer look at each of these steps

For years, venture capitalists and non-profit organizations were seen as polar opposites, the antithesis of one another.  But, as non-profit leaders, we can learn a great deal from our venture capitalist counterparts. Venture capitalists aim to ensure the companies they fund succeed, and our role as non-profits is to ensure our mission is accomplished. Both are conduits entrusted with investing the financial resources of others – venture capitalists are beholden to their investors while nonprofits have the same responsibility to their donors.

The Top 5 Secrets of Successful Nonprofits


The following post is a reprint of an article by Linda Giampa, Executive Director for Bay Area Lyme Foundation, for Money Inc.

The article is the first in a series where she shares her observations having made the transition from for profit technology to the nonprofit world here at Bay Area Lyme.

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While the high-tech business sector is so fast-paced that every day offers valuable progress, my days as CEO in this industry still left me wanting to do more.  As many of you can appreciate, I longed to truly make a difference in the lives of other people.  And although I did get incredible satisfaction from our company’s progress, I wanted my contribution to society to be more than helping to improve the speed and efficiency of the business world.

So, I decided to make a major life change.

As I considered a range of non-profit opportunities, I focused on identifying a role that would allow me to continue the fast-pace I was used to.  It was also important that I use the leadership, operations, marketing and sales skills I had learned and honed through years climbing the ranks of Oracle and helping to start and run several other software companies.