The Social Sector often uses basic tools, like hammers and nails to change the world. Instead, we need power tools. 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 motivate and to take action so we can all ultimately 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.
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Where Do We Go From Here? Using the Nonprofit Lifecycle to Plan Ahead
I always love thinking about the possibilities a new year brings for the future, but sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. I was recently asked by a client how to determine where to focus energies in their organization in the coming year. My go-to...
Dream No Little Dreams: A Tribute to Business Icon Clay Mathile
The news is filled with headlines of billionaire CEOs caught in scandals, but we also need to celebrate CEOs who are making the right choices and using business as a force for good. Recently, we lost one of these icons, Clay Mathile, the former CEO of Iams – the...
Bend Without Breaking: How Resilience Can Help the Social Sector Prevail in the New Year
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The Story Behind the Story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
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Why Accessibility Needs to Be a 2025 Goal for All Nonprofits
I have been a social activist from a young age. As you can see from the picture, my parents captured a moment when I was outraged that my beloved cat was being tormented by the dog. Even then – I fought for the underdog (or undercat, as it were). One of the things I...
5 Types of Strategic Plans Every Nonprofit Should Know (And When to Use Them)
While there are numerous books and websites on strategic planning, the process of developing a plan often seems prescriptive – but it doesn’t have to be. Strategy for any organization can be tailored to set forth the ways an organization will negotiate its environment...
Do You Have an Impact-Driven Culture? A Checklist for Nonprofits
I’ve always loved the ancient parable about the elephant. Six blind men were asked to describe an elephant by touching its body parts. The first man felt its side and described the elephant as a wall, the second man touched its tusk and thought it was a spear, the...
“Be the One” This Holiday Season
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The Two-Generation Approach: A Powerful Path to Breaking the Cycle of Generational Poverty
Thanksgiving is a time for families (biological or chosen) to come together, express gratitude and enjoy each other’s company. Families play an important role in shaping our lives. Renowned psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner studied this phenomenon, and it led to the...