Social Trendspotter Weekly Blog
The Rise of the Whole Child
A few years ago, I was invited to attend and participate in the Aspen Ideas Festival. The festival, which is being held online this year, brings together thought leaders from around the globe to engage in deep and inquisitive discussion of the issues that...
State of Social Enterprise 2016 (Crowd-sourced!)
Compiled by Rolfe Larson and Janine Vanderburg on January 12, 2016 After greeting 2016 with enthusiasm and hope, we at Social Impact Architects wanted to take a closer look at new insights coming from the field of social enterprise that will help shape...
2016 Nonprofit Trends: Focusing on System Change
The father of Total Quality Management, William Edwards Deming, was famous for saying, “A bad system will beat a good person every time.” After a decade of work in the social sector, I came across this quote and it was a life-changing moment. It spoke to me and...
Favorite Inspirations to Celebrate the Holidays 2015
Sign up to receive the Social TrendSpotter e-newsletter
Nonprofit Trends & Inspiration: Top 5 TrendSpotter Favorites of 2015
Working in the social sector, the holidays can be a bittersweet time. While there is always excitement and magic in the air, and staff, volunteers and donors generously give their time and resources to make the holidays special for children in the...
How to Build a (Social) Revolution: Hacks from Tech Innovators – Part 2
After reflecting on Part 1 of our book review – How to Build a (Social) Revolution: Hacks from Tech Innovators, I came across one of my favorite quotes by Buckminster Fuller: “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something,...
All-You-Can-Read Holiday Buffet: 2015
We love the idea of holiday buffets – you get to sample lots of good food and try new things. We aim for the same notion with Social TrendSpotter – we hope you sample good content and learn about new things to try. As you know, we play in many spaces and...
Reasons We Are Thankful this Year
Sign up to receive the Social TrendSpotter e-newsletter
How to Build a (Social) Revolution: Hacks from Tech Innovators – Part 1
When he won the Nobel Prize for his work on laser technology, Charles Townes quipped, “It’s like the beaver told the rabbit as they stared at the Hoover Dam. ‘No, I didn’t build it myself. But it’s based on an idea of mine.’” Cheekiness aside, this...
3 Things to Know Before Getting on the Pay for Success Bandwagon
It is easy to get caught up in the thrill of new trends that seem to be the solution to all our problems. This is especially the case for Pay For Success (PFS) contracts. They not only provide an infusion of private dollars in the face of shrinking...
