Earlier today, I spoke at the 17th Annual Washington State Nonprofit Conference. My goal was to offer up content that gave people something to think about and something concrete to do. Some big thinking and some let’s get ‘er done.
Sessions on trends are hard. There are a ton of trends so which ones do you highlight? My litmus was this: is this something that, if it goes to scale, could be a HUGE boon for individual organizations, the people they serve, and the sector as a whole?
I opened with what I hope will be a headline from Clay Holtzman of the Puget Sound Business Journal on May 6, 2012.
Donations & volunteerism at all time high
Nonprofits cite stories and smart phones as secret to success.
If we can think big yet stay focused, I really think we can make this happen. If we fall prey to shiny object syndrome, we’ll be looking at a different headline. And that’ll be a bummer for everyone.
Here is what Zan McColloch-Lussier (@zanarama) took away from the session. (And a big hat tip to Zan for drawing my attention to the importance of niche social networks.) And Jen Power (@comradebunny) did a super summary on her blog as well.
If you attended, what were your take-aways? If you didn’t attend, what jumps out at you from the presentation (handily available below)? What trends do you plan try or watch? Which ones would you advise nonprofits to avoid?