Reasons to Believe: An Integrative and Transformational Model for Innovative Sustainability Through Appreciative Inquiry

This research project introduced a transformational model for coordinating change in leadership for the founders of the nonprofit organization Reasons to Believe
(RTB). The model utilized assets within the small nonprofit, including RTB staff and
dedicated donors, through a process of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to evaluate the past and
consider innovative ideas for the future. Through AI these participants identified the
positive core, or core values, of the organization in order to identify the change needed to
sustain the organization’s 2020 vision.
The AI methodology generated a positive way for staff members to see
themselves and their organization, and dream about the future. As well, this process
provided an initial step toward innovative thinking, which in turn is what will keep RTB
sustainable beyond the transition from being led by its founders to the next era of services
it provides to constituents around the world.