Mission Possible: Social Enterprise + Innovative Leadership PLUS
how to get someone to donate a cruise ship
Mission Possible is an extraordinary organization filled with amazing people and I don't just mean the staff. The videos that they show on their website www.mission-possible.ca emphasize the many faces of people living in one of Canada's toughest neighbourhoods, Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. It's tough because the poverty, addiction and mental health issues blanket the community and cause most of us to give up hope. But when you watch the videos, you'll change your mind and addressing your prejudices about the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver won't be the only thing you'll learn either.
Mission Possible put together a Lunch & Learn meeting this week - on a cruise ship no less. As I stood there on a Hollland America Lines ship (I've never been on a cruise ship before), I thought 'How does a non-profit get someone to donate them a cruise ship?' With Brian Postlewait and the Board members of Mission Possible at work, anything is possible. Cliches aside, how do they accomplish everything that they do?
I apply the word 'extraordinary' to them at every turn. Not only did they get a cruise ship donated as a board room but they also got a South Pole explorer to be the keynote speaker - seriously, what can't they do?
I tout Mission Possible as an example of leadership, vision and caring in our fast-paced, constantly changing world of social finance. They run 2 social enterprises to provide meaningful work to people whose lives have lost direction, not meaning and they show value of everyone: their staff, their Board and volunteers, their corporate sponsors and even someone like me, working alongside them in the social finance sector.
Tune in on Sunday June 26th to So Fine Canada to hear what extraordinary sounds like straight from the leaders in our field.
