2021 was a big year for me and this blog with my book coming out at the end of October. The blog really primed the sector for my project and was a great/natural extension for my thoughts on the sector and where it may go over the coming decade.
I look forward to 2022 with excitement – as you would have seen from my prediction posts that recently came out – but also learning more both virtually and as we transition back to in-person events.
But before that clock turns over or ball drops depending on your new years tradition, I am happy to share the top 5 viewed posts from the blog from the year that was, one where we continued to navigate a global pandemic, the acute pain points of our field, yet one where we collectively nudged closer to a new normal & shared optimism for our future.
Thanks again to all who have supported me, my book and the experimental content that constituted the future philanthropy blog…
- VISION MAPPING & STRATEGIC PHASING – A NEW PLAN FOR NONPROFIT GROWTH AND IMPACT (7 min read)
Posted on May 24, 2021
In many cases, strategic plans stifle nonprofit innovation. It’s time to ‘phase’ in future focused mapping to promote more strategic thinking.
- FUNDRAISING IS THE PROCESS NOT OUR JOB TITLE: THE FIGHT FOR PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY (5 min read)
Posted on June 9, 2021
The social sector is constantly being defined from the outside & our very lexicon is being challenged by those with the least amount of skin in the game. It’s time to reclaim the term philanthropy and provide clarity on how we work with donors to have impact.
- NOW IS THE TIME TO COMMIT TO LONG TERM INVESTMENTS IN NONPROFIT STAFF (6 min read)
Posted on February 19, 2021
The John’s Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies has just released their latest analysis on nonprofit job growth, and folks, it isn’t great. LinkedIn has found that 74% of staff are “sheltering in job.” This is a dangerous mix which might see a potential staff exodus when the fog of COVID clears. Nonprofit leaders need to address this pronto, understanding that the civic leadership ‘cliff face’ is real and that pipeline development is essential for not only our service providers but the community at large.
- THE CASE TO DEMOCRATIZE (& DIGITIZE) DONOR ADVISED FUNDS (12 min read)
Posted on November 18, 2021
Let’s be honest here…the only real reforms to DAFs are going to come as a result of the democratization/disruption of them. Here I discuss briefly the recent introduction of The Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act to the Senate and interview Daffy CEO & Co-Founder Adam Nash about his company & what we might expect from this giving vehicle over the coming years.
- THE GREAT RESIGNATION SHOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY & INVEST IN THE TALENT OF TOMORROW’S NONPROFITS, NOT AS A REACTIONARY STRATEGY TO REPLACE THEM
Posted on October 15, 2021
There are real nuances to the problems of pipeline management in our sector which are being generally overlooked by this larger phenomenon. That’s why it’s important to look at the effects of the ‘great resignation’ by taking a proactive look at our current social-sector talent and how we can start building a better foundation for change; looking at those new voices, approaches, and partners; and putting them in a position to be successful. This shouldn’t be about resignations, it should be about reprioritizations.
The year ahead…
As you may have heard, I will be moving back to Australia this year after a decade of working in philanthropy here in the U.S. – I’m truly excited for my next chapter (important to keep using book metaphors in this instance) and look forward to my blog continuing to evolve to include more partnerships, features and to take a more global outlook, carefully recalibrating my writing to bring back an abundance of vowels and interchanging the S’ & Z’s without double checking which time zone I’m in.
Thanks to everyone for following my writing – I’m in this philanthropic futurism game for the long haul & hope you will continue to follow me on the journey…
Future Philanthropy Blog 