This question was especially crucial for our team members with MBA degrees and consulting expertise. After all, it raised even more questions such as: Now that we are entering the social sector, do we need to do away with everything we know and believe in? Do efficiency and effectiveness still matter, or does the social sector follow its own rules? Do we have to adapt?

No, we don’t.

And it’s not because we believe that the sector needs to change. It’s because it is changing already. And so is the business world. As we see it, the two sectors are moving towards each other, each with strong force. NGOs are more regularly being asked to demonstrate the true impact of their work, while businesses are increasingly being confronted with the negative impact of their operations. In both cases, these calls for accountability are coming not so much from the public (which is often still quite apathetic), but from the new talent being hired. Generation Y defines relevant work as truly achieving something rather than just believing in the right thing or working for the most prestigious company. Generation Y is driving change: towards impact in the social sector and towards purpose in the business sector.

So are good times ahead? We certainly believe so. Eventually it will no longer be social versus business, but simply about doing the right thing.