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Over the past year at B-Word/Bitch we have been talking about growing. And doing some growing, too. But within these discussions there are some fundamental questions that not just B-Word contends with, but many, if not most, non-profits.

When is enough, enough? 

When have we grown enough? How do we stay grassroots and evolve? When is the evolution over? 

Sometimes I wonder if capitalism is at the root of this, an inner need of many, including seemingly 'self-less' individuals (myself included) who work in the non-profit sector, to become the "biggest and best" at their non-profit. I am not necessarily relating all the questions to Bitch, but more thinking of other non-profits I see, or have worked and volunteered at. Some of these questions seem to permeate all of us. 

Does this endless pursuit of growing larger actually take away from the work that an organization is accomplishing? Does it water down the mission, spread it too thin and turn it into a large wheel full of policies and procedures and accounting departments and chasing foundation funding? Do we start 'spinning' our organization in order to raise money and visability and attract certain donors or groups of people?

This post is a result of questions and thoughts  spinning in my head for months, if not years. And while I know the questions are not black and white, I also know that other folks out there are experiencing the same questions and are trying to sort out the gray.

Any answers out there?