Staying Up to Date with Nonprofit Trends & Best Practices
The nonprofit sector is constantly evolving. Changes in technology, demographics, politics, the economy, and social issues all influence how nonprofits operate and achieve impact. As these external forces shift, industry standards and best practices change as well. By staying up to date with the latest nonprofit sector trends, organizations can ensure they continue working as efficiently and effectively as possible to drive meaningful progress on their mission.
Some resources and strategies for staying informed include:
Follow leading industry media sources. Publications like The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Nonprofit Quarterly, and Stanford Social Innovation Review analyze trends, case studies, research, and expert opinions that shape thinking across the sector. They highlight new strategies for fundraising, management, advocacy, technology, and partnership. Following news and discussions in these outlets helps leaders identify opportunities to strengthen their organization and be aware of changes that could disrupt business as usual. Examining what issues and content these sources prioritize also provides a sense of the current priorities and debates guiding the sector as a whole.
Attend or live stream major nonprofit conferences. Annual conferences hosted by groups like Independent Sector, the Council on Foundations, and NTEN feature sessions on emerging issues, new research, and evolving best practices. While in-person attendance can be cost-prohibitive for many nonprofits, more and more conferences offer live streams or make recordings available after the event. Watching selected sessions from leading conferences is an easy way to discover new ideas and stay on the cutting edge of trends impacting similar or mission-aligned organizations.
Follow thought leaders on social media. Leaders in disciplines like philanthropy, social innovation, management, technology, fundraising, and marketing share news, opinions, and recommendations on platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. By following voices that ignite new ways of thinking about nonprofits and social impact, leaders can expand their perspectives and be among the first to detect new opportunities or issues on the horizon. Prominent thought leaders often have a pulse on the latest trends before they become widely known.
Engage with peers in local or national networks. Nonprofit coalitions, alliances, and informal networks connect organizations with similar missions or operating models. Participating in peer discussions, listservs, meetups, and conferences within relevant networks helps leaders understand what is currently challenging or energizing similar groups. Peers are often pioneering new approaches out of necessity that could benefit your own organization. They also know the trends and issues most likely to impact nonprofits with comparable interests or models. Tapping into this collective knowledge and experience is invaluable for gaining industry insights.
Research best practices from nonprofits of a similar size, mission, or funding model. Exploring how other nonprofits achieve impact and what practices or strategies they have adopted recently provides a more targeted view of trending approaches in sub-sectors of the industry. Nonprofits can then evaluate whether these promising practices may also benefit their work. Achieving operational efficiency and mission impact depends on continuous learning from peers driving similar progress. Regular research into best practices within your specific niche helps to avoid stagnation and ensure you keep providing maximum value to the community you serve.
The only constant in the nonprofit sector is change. By making resources and actions such as industry media, conferences, thought leaders, peer networks, and best practice research a part of regular learning and decision-making, nonprofit leaders position their organizations for continued relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability. Change means both disruption and opportunity. Those who stay up to date with trends gain the awareness and insight to build new strategies that capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risks. In a climate of ongoing evolution, the most successful nonprofits are always innovating to meet shifting demands and priorities. Continuous learning and adaptation are required to keep pace with trends and advance your mission into the future. While operational efficiency involves consistency, program, and organizational excellence demand perpetual progress. Make developing industry expertise and fluency in the latest concepts that move missions forward an ongoing priority at every level of your nonprofit. Change comes quickly, so today's best practices are soon outdated if we do not relentlessly seek to improve them. Staying up to date with trends is how we transform disruption into impact.
