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.
We love when the best “Social TrendSpotters” – you – share your experiences, observations and suggestions with us. Share your ideas here, and follow us on Facebook (@socialimpactarchitects), LinkedIn (@social-impact-architects),Twitter (@socialtrendspot) or Instagram (@socialtrendspot) for our latest posts and other insights.
Falling in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution
Sunday marked the beginning of spring. When the tulips and irises start blooming, it feels like a fresh start. We’re lucky enough to get these windows of inspiration a few times each year. These days, I find the spring to be filled with promise, but when I was a kid,...
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...
5 Leadership Lessons from Coach K
For those of you who are familiar with Social Impact Architects, you already know that many of our team members are graduates of Duke University. So, we were really excited last week when Coach K coached his final home game to a packed house at Cameron Indoor Stadium....
Crossing the Rubicon: Navigating NEW Strategic Shifts in Your Nonprofit
Everything changed two years ago – so much so, many futurists, including myself, shifted gears from long-range planning to week-to-week survival. At Social Impact Architects, we even changed our website and created a “Nonprofit Coronavirus Resource Center” with all...
Keep Calm and Plan On! Scenario Planning Steps from the Brits
Whether it was the real-life royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle or a fictional one from one of our favorite British shows, such as The Crown or Downton Abbey, the British know how to throw an event. Nothing exemplifies this more than a royal wedding,...
What is the Difference between Social Innovation, Social Enterprise & Social Entrepreneurship?
I am often asked how I come up with blog topics. To answer, some come from collective client work, some are sparked by life experience and others are inspired by great questions from audience members. Since I’ve been back out doing speeches, workshops and keynotes,...
Starting a Nonprofit: Choose Your Own Adventure Carefully
We are living in unprecedented times. As a result, my team at Social Impact Architects is getting even more calls, emails and social media messages from folks who want to start a nonprofit as a way to help. It reminds me of my favorite books as a kid. Remember those...
How to Spot Your Nonprofit Competition
It’s been 14 years since I graduated from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, but it seems just like yesterday. And I still remember the day I learned one of the most important lessons about competition from an unlikely source – Dave Thomas, the founder of the...
Is Innovation OUT? Is Impact IN? A Candid Discussion for the Social Sector
Food critics and bloggers are constantly rating what is in and what is out. (In case you are wondering: sour is in, bitter is out.) The social sector is having a similar discussion, especially post-pandemic – trends show that innovation is out, and impact is in. While...
