Social Trendspotter Weekly Blog
Self-Sufficiency: The New Norm in the Social Sector and How to Get There
When you travel outside the United States, you get an opportunity to reflect and be inspired by what you experience. My recent travel as well as the recent news of migrants coming to the United States to “achieve the American dream” has made me reflect on where we are...
How Nonprofits Can Get Ahead of Inflation and Economic Uncertainty
Uncertainty is one of the most difficult emotions for a leader to process and then turn around to lead successfully. Today the economic, social and geopolitical clouds around us are hard to ignore. The question is: what can you best do as a leader in uncertain...
How Dashboards Can Help Your Nonprofit Achieve Strategic Goals
London is one of my favorite cities – not only because it is a beautiful urban city that feels small and quaint, but because the people are so welcoming. This week I enjoyed spending some time exploring the city and I noticed the “Mind the Gap” PSAs in the Tube. The...
Q&A on Nonprofit Mergers, Acquisitions and Exits
Everything changed two years ago – so much so, many futurists, including myself, shifted gears from long-range planning to week-to-week survival. Now, as the country begins to get back to “normal,” we have begun shifting back to long-term planning. For nonprofits, the...
Boost Your Nonprofit’s Advocacy Through Coalition Building and Grassroots Campaigns
Late summer and early fall are opportune times to reach out and connect to elected officials, since many federal policymakers will be home for August recess and most state policymakers will be gearing up for legislative sessions. There are many reasons to start...
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Board Members
Now that school is back in session, nonprofit boards will be meeting regularly and gearing up for the fall season of Giving Days, annual letters and strategic planning. Did you know that the Latin root for governance (gubernare) means to guide or pilot a ship? It is a...
Nonprofit Board Icebreaker
Due to summer vacations and COVID-19, we know many boards need some help not only getting acquainted but staying the course together. To that end, we wanted to share one of our favorite ways to accomplish this task – the game of BINGO. We use it two ways: as an...
Stand Out From the Crowd: Develop a Unique Value Proposition
With Giving Days coming soon all over the country, you may be asking yourself – how do some nonprofits make it seem so easy to raise money? They have one marketing trick in common – they use a unique value proposition, tailored to their donors. Every marketing...
Is Your Nonprofit Guilty of Neglecting Vision, Mission and 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...
Quiz: Is Your Nonprofit Organization Resilient?
When I was growing up in rural Texas, my favorite tree was a tall willow in the backyard. I loved to climb it and spend hours reading in its branches. But I also loved to watch it sway in the wind, especially during a wild Texas thunderstorm. It never mattered how...
