Our weekly blog, Social TrendSpotter provides you with the latest trends and ideas within the social sector. It merges current thinking with the edge of innovation to inspire, to encourage, to educate and – ultimately – to create a better sector. Social TrendSpotter includes original analysis, but also highlights the latest sector-wide thinking into a user-friendly resource where social sector professionals and students alike can draw inspiration, share ideas and develop new thinking on best practices.
Are You Chasing Money or Your Mission? The Mission-Money Matrix Can Help You Find Out!
When I started with the nonprofit Phoenix House right out of college, I was an idealist. I pursued any program and every grant that would help our clients. I believed success would come from the quantity of grants submitted. Now, with nearly three decades of...
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Out with the Old, In with the New: Words to Know in the New Year 2019
I have always been fascinated by the Titanic. When the movie came out and the exhibition opened, I was first in line for both. I am fascinated by it not just for its story or the glamour of the time, but because of why the ship met its tragic fate. The Titanic – the...
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Favorite Inspirations to Celebrate the Holidays
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Holiday Hustle: Top 5 TrendSpotter Favorites of 2018
The end of the year is always a special time for rejuvenation and reflection. This past year my favorite word has been “reimagine.” The word itself lulls me into both a state of reflection as well as thoughtful action. It allows you to hold up a mirror to yourself as...
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Why We Should Live by the “Cowboy Code”
I have spent the last month crisscrossing Middle America, giving keynotes and leading workshops. (Shout out to the wonderful folks in Kansas City; Louisville, Ky.; Tyler, Texas; and Cincinnati who hosted me.) The Midwest and the South are such special places to me and...
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Faith and Charity: How Faith-Based Organizations and Nonprofits Are Working Together to Solve Social Issues
With various holidays in December fast approaching, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the roles faith-based organizations in the U.S. play in serving our communities. Some of the country’s largest and oldest nonprofit organizations have their roots...
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How Can Nonprofits Show Leadership in the #MeToo Movement?
When #MeToo hit last year like a hurricane, it revealed not only countless accounts of sexual harassment and assault but also vulnerabilities in the systems and processes meant to protect individuals and employees. Just like after any hurricane, now is the time to...
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Reasons We Are Thankful
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Show Me the Money: Turning Donors into Investors through Your Annual Appeal
You may have seen them – the countdowns to Christmas have already begun showing up as memes on social media. Of course, in the social sector, that means we are already working on our year-end appeals. In the coming month, we will collectively send out...
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