December 10, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
The nonprofit world isn’t going to simply bounce back a few years from now to the state it was in before the recession. That’s the message behind a new report by La Piana Consulting, which explores five trends that are hastening the emergence of a new nonprofit landscape:
Shifting demographics. With new generations making up a growing share of the work force, charities must learn to share leadership with younger workers, the report says.
Technological advances. Social-media tools provide charities the opportunity to gain greater exposure, but they also require groups to be comfortable giving more people a chance to speak out.
New ways to collaborate. With the Internet and other technologies, organizations can just as easily work with an individual located across the world as they can through traditional coalitions and alliances.
Greater interest in service. Last year’s presidential election put a spotlight on volunteerism, but nonprofit groups need to keep in mind that people have many different reasons for volunteering and ought to tailor their opportunities.
Blurred lines between nonprofit and for-profit. Greater emphasis on corporate social responsibility and the emergence of businesses whose primary aim is to do good are challenging the nonprofit field’s traditional identity, but are also creating openings for new partnerships.
The report is available online at http://www.irvine.org/ publications/new-publications.
