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2010: Preview of the Year Ahead
If the headlines in 2009 were dominated by a single story,
namely the near-death and revival of the economy, 2010 is likely to
see a renewed focus on efforts to meet the challenges — and leverage
the opportunities — posed by globalization and accelerating
technological change.
ot that the economy, and
certainly not the nonprofit
economy, is out of the woods.
In October, the Chronicle of
Philanthropy’s annual Philanthropy 400
survey found that large charities remain
gloomy about their fundraising prospects,
while the results of a recent survey
by the Foundation Center suggest that
foundation giving will fall further in
2010 after a 10 percent decline in 2009.
The same survey suggests that most
funders believe that nonprofits were not
sufficiently prepared to weather a severe
economic downturn and that the crisis
is likely to take a toll on smaller, weaker
organizations, leading to more collaborations
and an emphasis on greater
transparency and accountability within
the sector. We shall see.
If the economy does recover and the
federal government is able to stop and
begin to reverse the alarming deterioration
in its finances, nonprofits are certain
to step up the pressure on the White
House for more assistance and leadership
on a range of issues, from tax and
regulatory policy, to the environment, to
encouraging public–private partnerships
that truly support social innovation. With
meaningful (if flawed) healthcare reform
a near-certainty, attention will shift to
the education arena, where hundreds
of billions of dollars spent over decades
have done little to close the educational
achievement gaps between low-income
students and their more affluent peers,
between white students and students of
color, and between the United States and
other high-performing nations.
Growing income disparities across
regions and different socioeconomic
strata are also likely to come to the
fore — especially if the economy slows
or falls back into recession. As Boston
Foundation president and CEO Paul S.
Grogan put it earlier this fall, “[G]rowing
inequality . . . threatens our optimistic
assumptions about the future. The
American Dream, especially for urban
families with children, is receding and
the question . . . is: Can we rise to the
challenge to heal the growing divide?”
One should expect to see foundations
and nonprofits answer Grogan’s
call — and to employ every tool at their
disposal in doing so. The use of social
media to drive engagement, awareness,
collaboration, and financial support for
causes and organizations will accelerate,
and it’s quite possible we will see the
release of a “killer app” during the year
that galvanizes new enthusiasm for and
investment in the work of the social
sector. Of course, a higher profile for
the sector will lead to calls for individual
nonprofits to demonstrate their
impact. There will be pushback, as there
always is, against the “quantification” of
social change work, but that train has
left the station — and 2010 will see
more people hopping on board.
As revenue-constrained organizations
continue to look for ways to cut
costs and create opportunities for their
digitally savvy 20- and 30-somethings,
an uptick in leadership transitions within
the sector will be another trend to keep
an eye on in 2010. The boomers have
had a great ride and done more than
anyone could have imagined to turn the
nonprofit sector into a positive force
for change. As more of them retire over
the coming months and years, let’s not
forget the debt we owe them.
Related stories from
Philanthropy
News Digest:
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/
> “Educational, Economic
Achievement Gaps Correlated,
Reports Find” (4/24/09)
> “Fundraising Environment for
America’s Largest Charities
Still Challenging, Survey Finds”
(10/31/09)
> “Drop in Foundation Giving May Be
Steeper Than Anticipated, Report
Finds” (11/5/09)
> “Most Nonprofit Retirement
Benefit Plans Under ‘Stress,’
Report Finds” (11/10/09)
> “Online Giving Campaign Raises
$14 Million for Minnesota
Nonprofits” (11/20/09)
> “Report Details Growing Income
Disparities in Greater Boston
Area” (12/18/09)
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