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.
Why Turnover Should be a Key Metric for the Social Sector – Our Collective Canary in the Coal Mine
If you want a heartwarming movie to watch in these final days of summer, I highly recommend “The 33,” which is a real-life account of the mining disaster in Chile in 2010. Stories above and below ground intertwine to make the movie compelling and...
What Are PRIs (Program-Related Investments) & MRIs (Mission-Related Investments)?
Americans contribute more than any country per capita – both in time and treasure. In fact, the U.S. philanthropic sector is extraordinary by any world standard. This is as much a product of our national charity-driven culture as it is a result of our...
Can Your Nonprofit Manage a Crisis? Follow These 5 Tips to Hold onto Your Halo in a Crisis
As professionals in the social sector committed to doing good, we’d like to think we’re immune to public relations crises. But, just like corporations, socially minded businesses and nonprofit organizations are susceptible to events, be they natural...
Is Pay for Success Making an Impact?
Innovation researchers have conclusively proven what I have seen over a lifetime as an entrepreneur – in every innovative effort, there comes an innovation chokepoint. It’s at this moment when fatigue can set in. When critics are often the loudest. When the idea alone...
Is Your Nonprofit Guilty of Neglecting Vision-Mission-Values?
Henry David Thoreau was spot on: “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” When I work alongside social sector organizations, this is where I start. For me, the foundation of...
How Can Nelson Mandela Help You Put Your Dreams into Action?
Today the world is celebrating Nelson Mandela Day, a day that brings people together to live the values of the late South African leader. He often used a quote attributed to author Joel Barker, and it’s one of my favorites: "Vision without action is merely...
On Being a Social Entrepreneur: A Decade of Lessons Learned
Work anniversaries are special milestones – they are a time of celebration, gratitude and reflection. In February, I celebrated my 10th anniversary as Founder and CEO of Social Impact Architects. But more importantly, I celebrated a decade as a social entrepreneur. To...
Social TrendSpotter’s Summer Superlatives 2019
Happy July 4th! It is the day we celebrate the birth of the United States as an independent nation. After years of frustration with the British government, the new Americans celebrated with fireworks, bonfires and even a mock funeral of King George III. Today, we come...
What Did We Learn from the Giving USA Report?
Last week, Giving USA shared its long-awaited report, Giving USA 2019: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year of 2018. In this post, we not only share a synopsis of giving trends from the report, but as always, we provide actionable steps you can take to keep...