--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps the most striking feature of the…" description: "\"Perhaps the most striking feature of the [nonprofit] sector is its relative freedom from constraints and its resulting pluralism.\" — John W. Gardner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e8/john-w-gardner-7687_constraints_perhaps-the-most-striking-feature-of-the_1291938.jpg" --- # Perhaps the most striking feature of the \[nonprofit\]… ![“Perhaps the most striking feature of the [nonprofit] sector is its relative freedom from constraints and its resulting pluralism.” quote by John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e8/john-w-gardner-7687_constraints_perhaps-the-most-striking-feature-of-the_1291938.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e8/john-w-gardner-7687_constraints_perhaps-the-most-striking-feature-of-the_1291938.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e8/john-w-gardner-7687_constraints_perhaps-the-most-striking-feature-of-the_1291938.jpg) > “Perhaps the most striking feature of the \[nonprofit\] sector is its relative freedom from constraints and its resulting pluralism.” [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nonprofits thrive due to fewer constraints, fostering diverse approaches and innovation. **In simple terms:** Freedom fuels nonprofit diversity. Key Takeaway Leverage flexibility for impact. Themes nonprofit freedom pluralism Mood inspirational reflective Type social organizational When to use this quote - social services - education programs - community development - arts funding Key Concepts innovation autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can nonprofits balance freedom with accountability? - What safeguards ensure mission focus? A Different Perspective Less oversight can lead to inefficiency or mission drift. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Nonprofits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonprofits/) [Pluralism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pluralism/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) ## Related quotes > [You take a look at the history of African Americans in the US. There's been about thirty years of relative freedom. 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But I do feel that there is relative freedom on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-goldsmith/i-don-t-think-that-the-world-will-ever-become-an-unpoliced-place/) [Kenneth Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-goldsmith/) > [The history of man so far is nothing to brag about, from the standpoint of our ideas - and what I mean is, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-history-of-man-so-far-is-nothing-to-brag-about-from-the/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [ The \[nonprofit\] sector is the natural home of nonmajoritarian impulses, movements and values. It comfortably harbors innovators, maverick movements, groups which feel they must… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/the-nonprofit-sector-is-the-natural-home-of-nonmajoritarian-impulses/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [ The \[nonprofit\] sector enhances our creativity, enlivens our communities, nurtures individual responsibility, stirs life at the grassroots, and reminds us that we were born… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/the-nonprofit-sector-enhances-our-creativity-enlivens-our-communities/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Americans have always believed that-within the law-all kinds of people should be allowed to take the initiative in all kinds of activities. And out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/americans-have-always-believed-that-within-the-law-all-kinds-of/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [“But a society in which pluralism is not undergirded by some shared values and held together by some measure of mutual trust simply cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/but-a-society-in-which-pluralism-is-not-undergirded-by-some-shared/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Human beings need community. If there are no communities available for constructive ends, there will be destructive, murderous communities... Only the social sector, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/human-beings-need-community-if-there-are-no-communities-available-for/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [Lack of resources (payroll), time and competing priorities are why so many nonprofits haven't done well. It's that simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/lack-of-resources-payroll-time-and-competing-priorities-are-why-so/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Every new generation of LGBT Americans needs to be inspired by leaders who come out — whether in Congress, the nonprofit sector, the NFL,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-romero/every-new-generation-of-lgbt-americans-needs-to-be-inspired-by/) [Anthony Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-romero/) > [My children have been learning lessons about entrepreneurship since they were in kindergarten, and these lessons are paying off: even though they are only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/my-children-have-been-learning-lessons-about-entrepreneurship-since/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [To make a significant and lasting impact, nonprofits, non-governmental organizations, and community-based organizations around the world need to work together. We know that if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/to-make-a-significant-and-lasting-impact-nonprofits-non-governmental/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [In today's social business marketplace Facebook is one of the best places for nonprofits to be discovered and connect with a larger audience on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mainwaring/in-today-s-social-business-marketplace-facebook-is-one-of-the-best/) [Simon Mainwaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mainwaring/) ## More by John W. Gardner > [“We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/we-are-continually-faced-with-a-series-of-great-opportunities/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [One man interacting creatively with others can move the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/one-man-interacting-creatively-with-others-can-move-the-world/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [To sensible men, every day is a day of reckoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/to-sensible-men-every-day-is-a-day-of-reckoning/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [All excellence involves discipline and tenacity of purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/all-excellence-involves-discipline-and-tenacity-of-purpose/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Tax reduction has an almost irresistible appeal to the politician, and it is no doubt also gratifying to the citizen. It means more dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/tax-reduction-has-an-almost-irresistible-appeal-to-the-politician-and/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [We get richer and richer in filthier and filthier communities until we reach a final state of affluent misery - crocus on a garbage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/we-get-richer-and-richer-in-filthier-and-filthier-communities-until/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [At home we have lost the capacity to see what is before us. Travel shakes us out of our apathy, and we regain an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/at-home-we-have-lost-the-capacity-to-see-what-is-before-us-travel/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Few have excellence thrust upon them ... They achieve it. They do not achieve it unwittingly by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/some-people-have-greatness-thrust-upon-them-few-have-excellence/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Leaders come in many forms, with many styles and diverse qualities. There are quiet leaders and leaders one can hear in the next county.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/leaders-come-in-many-forms-with-many-styles-and-diverse-qualities/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [The ultimate goal of the educational system is to shift to the individual the burden of pursuing his education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/the-ultimate-goal-of-the-educational-system-is-to-shift-to-the/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [The first and last task of aleader is to keep hope alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/the-first-and-last-task-of-aleader-is-to-keep-hope-alive/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/an-excellent-plumber-is-infinitely-more-admirable-than-an-incompetent/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure-all your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/there-is-no-learning-without-some-difficulty-and-fumbling-if-you-want/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [All of us celebrate our values in our behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/all-of-us-celebrate-our-values-in-our-behavior/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) > [Some people seem to believe that for each problem there is a solution readily available - a solution that can be promptly achieved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-gardner/some-people-seem-to-believe-that-for-each-problem-there-is-a-solution/) [John W. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) [Explore all 88 John W. Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-gardner/) ## More Constraints quotes > [I write the way you might arrange flowers. Not every try works, but each one launches another. 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It values order without constraint, rule by custom not by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/to-me-the-female-principle-is-or-at-least-historically-has-been/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Since the nations founding, African Americans repeatedly have been controlled through institutions such as slavery and Jim Crow, which appear to die but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/since-the-nations-founding-african-americans-repeatedly-have-been/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Style is the outcome of constraint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-maurois/style-is-the-outcome-of-constraint/) [Andre Maurois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-maurois/) > [Every event has a cause-that is ... for every event e1 there exists an event e2 (or a class of events e2, e3 ...)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ermanno-bencivenga/every-event-has-a-cause-that-is-for-every-event-e1-there-exists-an/) Ermanno Bencivenga > [The natural world is not only a set of constraints but of contexts within which we can more fully realize our dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-shepard/the-natural-world-is-not-only-a-set-of-constraints-but-of-contexts/) [Paul Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-shepard/) > [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [Engineers love to optimize problems. Now I optimize logistical problems. I ask: 'What's the goal? What are our constraints? What is the optimal, elegant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruchi-sanghvi/engineers-love-to-optimize-problems-now-i-optimize-logistical/) [Ruchi Sanghvi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruchi-sanghvi/) > [If you give a little credit to the concept of the artist, I think you ought to indulge excesses a bit, because that reflects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/if-you-give-a-little-credit-to-the-concept-of-the-artist-i-think-you/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [“By setting oneself totally free of constraints, free of thoughts, free of this debilitating activity called work, free of efforts, elements hidden in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/by-setting-oneself-totally-free-of-constraints-free-of-thoughts-free/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Constraint inspires creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biz-stone/constraint-inspires-creativity/) [Biz Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biz-stone/) > [“Creativity is what happens when a mind encounters an obstacle. It’s the human process of finding a way through, over, around, or beneath. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-orlin/creativity-is-what-happens-when-a-mind-encounters-an-obstacle-it-s/) Ben Orlin > [Water is an astonishingly complex and subtle force in an economy. It is the single constraint on the expansion of every city, and bankers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-catley-carlson/water-is-an-astonishingly-complex-and-subtle-force-in-an-economy-it/) Margaret Catley-Carlson Browse all 407 Constraints quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Perhaps the most striking feature of the [nonprofit] sector is its relative freedom from constraints and its resulting pluralism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John W. 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