The Launch

When I began planning this blog as a resource for the Cambridge nonprofit community, I quickly realized that such a wide-ranging objective could get me into trouble. Indeed, rather than narrowing my focus, my attempt to pin down “the Cambridge nonprofit community” instead raised a number of hazy speculations.

Let’s take, for example, the deceitful treachery of geographic limits. At first I intended to focus strictly on organizations with addresses in Cambridge. Surely a Cambridge nonprofit blog would concentrate on organizations based within the city limits – listed by zip code, perhaps, or maybe sorted into categories according to neighborhood zoning. But this approach would exclude the myriad organizations headquartered elsewhere that provide vital services to Cambridge residents. Conversely, Cambridge-based organizations serve a measurable geographic area, but where does the ideological influence of the Cambridge nonprofit end? How is its intangible significance measured? A university student from overseas might volunteer as a mentor with a local youth organization and carry what (s)he’s learned here halfway around the world. In this sense, the Cambridge nonprofit community can’t be defined based on city lines or mailing addresses.

Geography posed just one of many circular riddles that presented no satisfactory solution. Should I address a more specific audience, such as only nonprofit administrators, at the risk of neglecting other key players on the scene? Should I list only public charities, to the exclusion of countless additional not-for-profit classifications that ultimately contribute to the richness of life in Cambridge? No, wait – maybe the answerable questions should come first. What exactly is a public charity? Are there private charities? Where can I turn to find out?

I condensed these considerations into one sweeping and grossly generalized question: What is the Cambridge nonprofit community? Exploring the ever-mutable answer to this question will be the ultimate undertaking of this blog, which will incorporate management topics, event coverage, nonprofit vocabulary, reader input, resource links, and organizational profiles into a portfolio of Cambridge-focused nonprofit insight as diverse as the local community itself. In short, if you have ever wondered about the influence of nonprofits on the (proudly) unique Cantabrigian charm of the City of Squares, this blog is for you.

Next week we’ll launch into our exploration by outlining some current trends in the Cambridge nonprofit sector, with the help of a respected and well-established community organization: the Cambridge Community Foundation. In the meantime, I welcome your questions, suggestions, and comments.