Social Trendspotter Weekly Blog
Making Smart Decisions
Sometimes when you meet someone, you just click. Last year, while teaching for the Executive Nonprofit Management 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...
What’s Next after the Women’s March? How Nonprofits Are Leading Efforts to Lift Women Out of Poverty
In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month and the amazing women who have made America great – Sally Ride, the first female in space; Rosa Parks; and many “hidden figures” who have cracked the glass ceiling. This year, that celebration builds upon the visible...
Will Social Entrepreneurship Survive the Trump Era?
Change is inevitable. Progress depends on how we respond to change. On Friday, we will have a new president of the United States. As with any leadership transfer, it will bring new ideas and new ways of working. As Socrates said, “The secret of change is to focus all...
Here’s to the Dreamers: An Ode for 2017
I was elated to see Sunday night that the musical movie, La La Land, did so well at the Golden Globes. We needed a movie that screamed hope and optimism. As Emma Stone said in her Golden Globes acceptance speech, "This is a film for dreamers. And I think that hope and...
2017 Nonprofit Trends: Shifting our Focus to Entrepreneurial Thinking in Nonprofits
Over the holidays, I read about the history of the nonprofit sector in the United States. I did it because I believe that to predict the future, you must understand the past. It is a fascinating study on how organizations adapt to the times. In colonial days,...
5 New Year’s Resolutions to Make Our Hearts Grow
My favorite line from the animated holiday classic, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," is: "And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then, the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch...
Favorite Inspirations to Celebrate the Holidays 2016
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Nonprofit Trends & Inspiration: Top 5 TrendSpotter Favorites of 2016
The end of the year is always a special time for many social sector organizations. Not only do we have the chance to celebrate with clients and their families over the holidays, but we also enjoy the magic of the season. This warm holiday glow is often...
Bitter Pills and Bright Spots
Last night, I attended an SMU Tate Lecture series featuring Tom Brokaw, Doris Kearns Goodwin and leading political commentator former presidential advisor David Gergen. I, along with everyone in the audience, was stunned when Gergen said, “I got a call from an...
Lessons on Scaling Wide from America’s Cowboy Leader, Hugh O’Brian
Many were saddened on Labor Day by the death of Hugh O’Brian, the actor who played Wyatt Earp in the 1950s TV show. However, I knew him a different way. When I was a sophomore in high school in rural Texas, I was selected to attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth...
