To paraphrase the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “Nothing stays the same but change.” Those working in the social sector right now can attest to this statement. New economic, social, and technological trends are intersecting to remake the work of nonprofits, and in turn the work of the grantmaking institutions that support them.
This confluence is the theme of a recent report published by The James Irvine Foundation entitled Convergence: How Five Trends Will Reshape the Social Sector (pdf), and an upcoming MCF Philanthropy Leadership Series program happening on April 23.
Based on an extensive review of existing research and in-depth interviews with thought leaders and nonprofit leaders and activists, it explores the following five trends:
- Demographic shifts and how they’re redefining participation in the social sector
- The technological advances in communications that are compressing both time and space
- Networks and how they are enabling work to be organized in new ways
- The rising interest in civic engagement and volunteerism
- Sector boundaries and the blurring of nonprofit and for-profit work
The report provides insights on ways nonprofits are successfully navigating these changes by highlighting organizations who have created strategies to address these trends. You can download a pdf copy of the report here (pdf) at The James Irvine Foundation website.
Members of the Minnesota Council on Foundations are invited to register for our upcoming program on the report’s findings. The full day program, entitled “Five Key Trends that are Converging to Reshape the Social Sector,” will be held on April 23 at the Children’s Home Society and Family Services main office in St. Paul. It will consist of two sessions conducted by Heather Gowdy, lead author of the report, and senior associate at La Piana Consulting, a national firm dedicated to strengthening nonprofits and foundations.
The morning session will include an overview of the trends, followed by a peer panel discussion of their implications, and finally a small group action planning session. In the afternoon Gowdy and attendees will delve more deeply into one of the outgrowths of the new economic reality, namely the need among many nonprofits to restructure. Recommendations on how successful restructuring can be transacted, and how grantmakers can properly assist in the process will be shared through an examination of a number of national case studies. Members can learn more and register for the program at mcf.org. Unsure if you’re an MCF member grantmaker? View our list of MCF members here.
This program is the inaugural event in a new Philanthropy Leadership Series, launched by MCF for members who wish to engage in a high-level dialogue about broader sector and societal trends, and how Minnesota grantmakers and philanthropists can proactively meet the future needs of the sector, the nation, and the world.
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