Rescue Mission Blog

Non-Profit Leadership Trends for 2011

  

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With just two weeks until the New Year it's time reflection on the past twelve months, both with a sense of gratitude, and likely, with exhaustion. 

When talking with a fellow executive from the non-profit world at a recently Christmas event, the subject of leadership during these strange and turbulent economic times came up as a point of discussion.  The look in his eyes, and I would suppose the look in my eyes, was mix of uncertainty, weather beaten-confidence, resignation, and a dash of hope.  Most of us know that these have been unprecedented times of demand for services, with a corresponding tension of funding restraints.  This has been the non-profit world the past few years, and certainly in 2010.

But what of 2011?  What are trends that I see coming in the next twelve months and beyond?

1.  Radical Partnership. The past three years have seen a drop in financial support that has forced many non-profits out of business, and brought about tough cuts in services.  This coming year we will see the exponential growth of radical partnership that hasn't been seen in the 501c3 world.  Organizations will be forced to focus on what they do best, and partner for the rest.  This is a positive by-product of the difficult economy.

2.  Volunteer Power. 2011 will see large organizations transitioning to volunteer staff in this growing age of "we now have time to help".  In the past, volunteers have been used to fill gaps and augment services, increasingly it's all about volunteer staff and empowering volunteers with real responsibility and accountability.  Viva la Volunteer.

3.  More Consolidation.  While many weak non-profits have had to close their doors, this year will see an increase in this phenomenon as many begin to see that the economic challenges are years, not months, away from seeing growth.

4.  Technological Solutions.  With the continuing staff shortages many organizations are facing, new and useful solutions will begin to arise from the creation of technologies, applications, web-based solutions that will supplement services and augment support functions.  While this is not the desired set of circumstances that we are functioning under, it's forcing us to think creatively and new products and better uses will come from it.

These are a few of the trends I see coming and building.  How about you? What trends do you see coming in 2011 for the non-profit world? Do you disagree with my assessment?  Let's hear from you.

David Curry.