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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Decision-Making Traps and Triumphs for Nonprofit Leaders
Sometimes when you meet someone, you just click. A few years ago, while teaching for the Executive Nonprofit Leadership certificate program at Duke University, I met Amy Gearhart, a student in my class. She had recently made a career shift. After serving 30 years as a...
Why Nonprofits are Ditching Business Plans for the Social Business Model Canvas
“Evolve or die.” This saying is even truer today than when I started Social Impact Architects. Just two decades ago, I learned about social business plans in business school at Duke, but today traditional business plans are being replaced by a more efficient tool: the...
System Change: Do We Fix the System or Change it Altogether?
In the nonprofit community, we often talk about our clients “falling through the cracks.” As a result, we spend countless hours conducting case management sessions to help clients navigate “the system.” But these are often only temporary fixes; the opportunity for...
The Do’s and Don’ts of Hybrid Work for Nonprofit Leaders
One of the hottest topics of debate in C-suites across the globe is in-office (5 days a week) versus remote/hybrid work (ranging from fully remote to 3-4 days in-office). Research suggests that remote/hybrid work improves talent acquisition and retention while...
The 5 C’s of Employee Retention
One of my favorite things to do is browse Merriam-Webster’s Words of the Year. In 2023, the word of the year was authentic, a familiar term that received a high volume of searches. In a world increasingly influenced by AI, deepfakes and disingenuous social media...
Sharpen Your Story: Essential Storytelling Tips for Nonprofit Giving Days
School has started across the country, and fall is almost here – a time when nonprofits are gearing up for Giving Days nationwide. This season inspires thoughts of new possibilities, adventures and dreams, motivating us to take steps toward positive change. One...
8 Things Every Social Impact Leader Needs to Know Before Their Next Hire
Let’s be honest. As employers, hiring is probably one of our least favorite activities. It’s time-consuming, challenging and takes us away from working toward our mission. But, to paraphrase Jim Collins in his modern-day business classic, Good to Great, what separates...
From CSR Myths to Trust-Driven Impact: Highlights from The Trust Show Podcast with Yoram Solomon, PhD
I love a great podcast. There is nothing better than going for a drive or walk and listening to a podcast along the way. My favorites are the ones where, even when I only have five minutes, I come away with pearls of wisdom. That is the case for one of my favorite...
Why Now Is the Perfect Moment to Showcase Your Nonprofit to Policymakers
Remember how much you loved recess when you were in school? How about show and tell? August 5th ushered in an almost month-long summer recess for Congress – they go home, go on vacation and spend time with their constituents. And in cities and states, policymakers are...
