5 Nonprofit Trends to Watch in 2012

3. More honest communication between nonprofits and their donors
The nonprofit sector’s proclivity to endlessly beat around the bush, tell donors what they want to hear and sugarcoat the truth will start to wane in the new year. The reality is that a severely under-resourced nonprofit sector is the new normal. That truth is harder and harder to hide. Nonprofits need more money for infrastructure, as well more and better staff and technology. And they need their donors to step up to the plate and fund it. Nonprofits that continue to fear their donors will continue to struggle. Those that take the leap and tell donors how it is, how it REALLY is, will propel themselves out of the starvation cycle.

4. More strategic approaches to solving social problems
It’s increasingly meaningless for nonprofits to talk about the “good work” they do. In order to attract donors, nonprofits must be able to articulate what they do and how it results in change. This necessitates an overall strategic approach to their work. From creating a theory of change, to developing on a comprehensive strategy, to raising the money required to execute on that strategy, to aligning money and mission, to evaluating their efforts, to translating their evaluation into a compelling story, nonprofits have to get more strategic. Organizations that take a step back and create and fully integrate their organizations into long-term plans will be much more successful and sustainable.