It’s a common conundrum for nonprofits. On one hand, they want to expand their existing programs and services to meet ever-growing needs. On the other, they feel pulled to innovate to develop new solutions that can extend their impact much, much further. It is often hard to pursue both.

In our work with dozens of entrepreneurial nonprofits, we’ve found Bain & Company’s Engine 1/Engine 2 concept to be particularly useful. Engine 1 efforts focus on delivering what you already know how to do. In contrast, Engine 2 work is all about break-through innovation—developing, testing, and refining new solutions. Where succeeding with Engine 1 requires discipline and repeatability, Engine 2 demands requires agility, creativity, and a healthy appetite for risk.

Read the full article about powering innovation at The Bridgespan Group.