# The Modern and Postmodern Nonprofit Dilemma By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-05-03 The challenge for many nonprofits with an ideological perspective on the future of society is how to balance that ideology with the pragmatic operational reality. For example, say an organization aspires to feed everyone who is hungry and believes food is a fundamental right. So, they start giving food away to everyone who needs it. But, eventually, they will run out of food to give out or the means to purchase food to give out. The operational reality is that this organization exists within an economic value system focused on supply, demand, capital, and labor. Everyone might agree that food should be provided, but paying for it within such a system creates paradoxical challenges. Indeed, capitalism and science have reduced the net issues with food insecurity, but food insecurity still exists mainly in this system because of the system. Many ideological nonprofit organizations fail to see this dilemma. Those who do are typically in positions that incentivize them not to do anything radical to solve the problem, or they have limited status and power in the hierarchy. On one side are the individuals benefiting from the modern condition. On the other side are the individuals living in the opposing post-modern critique, primarily against things versus offering solutions. Here, one reaches a false fork in the road. Many believe they can only pick one path or the other, but there are many paths forward without outright rejecting the different paths. It's ok for ideological nonprofit organizations to embrace the greater good while acknowledging the modern condition without sacrificing their beliefs. Take the best from all worlds and move pragmatically beyond the status quo. This is the metamodern perspective, and its potential is transformative. #### Related Items [[Post-modern]] [[Science]] [[Metamodernism]] [[Pragmatic]] [[Status]] [[Status Quo]] [[Organization]] [[Ideology]]