40 Nonprofit Trends for 2017

In last year’s installment of this annual nonprofit trends feature, we wrote that something felt different about all the change happening in the sector. We chalked it up to urgency. Acceleration. Things were changing fast.

That was nothing compared to what’s in store for 2017.

At least, that’s the inescapable vibe we get from talking to folks in the nonprofit space or reading up on the news. There’s a new administration in Washington, D.C., its policies just starting to take shape. The middle class continues to evaporate, with wealth concentrating even further at the top. America’s new largest charity isn’t even a charity in the traditional sense. Something’s got to give. A shift feels inevitable.

And it’s our job to keep you informed—or at least to help you along. So, as is our custom, we’ve collected insights, observations and predictions from some of the nonprofit sector’s smartest people, and we’re delivering them to you here. We hope the 40 ideas below paint a clearer picture of the changes on deck for the coming year, and give you the creative spark you need to adapt to them.