The Economist Magazine hosts this wonderful conference every year in New York highlighting predictions from market leaders in a ‘festival of the trends, issues, and ideas that will shape the future’. Each editor leads a panel ensuring a diverse group of participants and ideas. Some of the most notable panelists this year were Robert Rubin, Former Treasury Secretary, Arianne Huffington, Editor of the Huffington Post, Robert Frank, author of ‘The High-Beta Rich’, DJ Spooky and Dennis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare.
As you may have guessed there were some very insightful and funny forecasts, but a few stood out that relate directly to us in the nonprofit world.
We are in a giving climate that is sluggish to say the least. The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s recent study with the Nonprofit Research Collaborative
(Full study at www.guidestar.org) found that giving was largely flat. The organizations that showed the most improvement were the larger ones and those that spent money on fundraising efforts- interesting. So how can we combine some of the predictions of the best and the brightest to increase our fundraising success rates in 2102?
Tell More Stories: The Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com) is a reliable arbiter of our country’s trends and predispositions. Arianna Huffington pointed to the public’s general lack of trust in our institutions from banking to politics. She predicted that to restore that trust we should use more storytelling and rely a bit less on statistics and numbers. Consider including your organization in the Huffington Post’s ‘Inspirationists Series’ or having a key volunteer or donor showcased on ‘The Greatest Person of the Day’ series.
The Huffington Post is expanding into European and South American markets. Their expansion strategy is to partner with existing media organizations in the market to ensure that they are addressing the country’s needs and that their content and format is relevant to the culture. This is a great reminder for us in the nonprofit sector to assess our recipient market and partner when necessary to make sure that we are continuing to be relevant and meet our client’s needs.
The Year to Refine Your Methods: OK this may be crazy, but Susan Miller, founder of the Astrology Zone (www.astrologyzone.com), which by the way gets over 18,000 hits a month, enlightened us that 2012 is the ‘year to refine your methods’. Dust off your best practices documents and start refining.
The Really Rich are Getting More Low-Key: We would all love a cache of really wealthy donors. According to Robert Frank, author of ‘The High-Beta Rich’ the tax debate, the Occupy Wall Street movements and other political and social unrest, will make the rich feel more under siege and they will keep a lower profile.
Here is the seminal quote from an unnamed billionaire, “Rather than a return on my assets, I would like to see my assets returned.” So be prepared to make your best and most compelling case to capture these donors.
The good news is that because of the visible work done in philanthropy by Warrren Buffett and Bill Gates, more of the wealthy will be seeking causes in which to invest their fortunes. Accountability and transparency will be key factors in these donations.
The other news is that the number of millionaires/billionaires will increase from 38.5% to 40% over the next year. However, this increase will come primarily from emerging markets. Look to the hedge fund guys in the U.S. as the next frontier of philanthropy.
I Want Something I Can Hold: DJ Spooky and John Wesley Harding led the music panel. There is a trend back to vinyl. People want something that they can touch, look at, and keep. The message for nonprofit organizations- keep those site visits going. Seeing is believing.
The last predictions came from the technology panel. Kati London of the gamer Zynga and Dennis Crowley of Foursquare both spoke about new developments hitting the street in force in 2012.
Technology That Learns Preferences and Real World Gaming Applications: Google Wallet and Mastercard (www.google.com/wallet) have teamed up to create a virtual currency network. This is not new, but the advancement is that in the upcoming year software will be introduced that learns the owner’s spending preferences. Consider using technology such as this for donations and for monthly givers.
Also on the horizon is a big push in real world gaming. This has wonderful applications for nonprofits. Zygna worked with the John and James L. Knight Foundation in Macon, GA to combat segregation and racial inequality in the city (www.maconmoney.org). Zygna developed a game where participants were given half of a bond and had to find the other half through offline social events and online social media sites. Not until the bond was complete did the participants get the cash reward. The game promoted interracial connections and was very successful. By the way, consider attending the Games for Change conference in 2012 (www.gamesforchange.org) for more gaming ideas.
OK, now you have heard the experts-what predictions can you make for your organization, and what will YOU do to make 2012 more successful?
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