Social Trendspotter Weekly Blog
Top 10 Moonshot Goals for the Social Sector
As a futurist for the social sector, I am often asked about what to expect in the future. While there are many things I don’t know, there are some that I do. For example, I know the social sector has risen to the challenge and opportunity of the post-COVID world and...
Favorite Inspirations to Celebrate the Holiday Season 2022
“Yellowstone” – the television show by Taylor Sheridan – is my latest binge-worthy show, and the season finale is right around the corner. Every time I watch an episode, I feel like I’m home. I grew up in East Texas and come from a long line of ranchers, cowboys and...
Nonprofit Trends and Inspiration: Top 5 TrendSpotter Favorites of 2022
With so much negativity swirling around us, it is easy to let it color our view of the world. But as I told my students in our wrap-up class last week, we have a choice. If we let them in, negative news and interactions can convince us that the world cannot be...
Inspire Donors to Invest in Your Work with a Nonprofit Year-End Report
As we turn the page on the final month of the calendar year, it’s normal to reflect on our accomplishments and set goals for the future. For individuals, saying these accomplishments and goals out loud (or writing them down) can help us remain accountable to ourselves...
Can Nonprofits Lobby? The Answer is YES!
Now that November elections have passed, this period in D.C. is called the “lame duck sprint.” Congress has returned this week and has a long to-do list before leaving for the holidays. A number of important issues that directly impact nonprofits are being considered,...
Reasons We Are Thankful
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Turn Donors into Fans with Best Practices for Donor Acknowledgments
As we approach Thanksgiving, nonprofits all over globe are preparing for another season – the giving season. Marked by Giving Tuesday, holidays and the end of the tax year, it is statistically the busiest season for giving. Some fun facts: 31% of annual giving occurs...
Market Research Tools for Nonprofits: How to Channel Your Inner Oprah
Like many of you, I grew up watching Oprah – both the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and now “Super Soul Sundays.” Oprah just has a way of connecting with both her guests and her audience to find out the “truth” behind any topic. While the job of a talk show host may seem far...
Free (or Almost Free) Stuff for Nonprofits
Halloween was once tied to farming, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. As we look toward the end of the year, we wanted to update our “Free Stuff for Nonprofits” list to help you finish last-minute projects. Not surprisingly, because...
Lean Startup for Nonprofits
I was struck, but not surprised, when I heard the authors of Moneyball for Government note, “Less than $1 out of every $100 spent by government is backed by even the most basic evidence that the money is being spent wisely.” This reminds me of a quote often attributed...
