Future Trends Resource for Strategic Planning

The study, Future Trends Affecting Education, published by the Education Commission of the States, examines ongoing and emerging trends and explores how these trends may affect education in the United States over the next 20-30 years. Trends are grouped into the following areas: education, demographic, technological, economic, political and social. Though the study was published in 1999, the findings remain very relevant with one possible exception (“Trend 15: Term limits on governors and state legislators are growing more common”). While the focus is on education, the study provides an excellent trends summary that will be useful for a broad range of nonprofits. Go to: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/13/27/1327.htm.

Boomers: A Strategic Resource for Nonprofits

The aging of the baby boom and its implications for nonprofits is a far-reaching trend that your strategic planning efforts must address. There are lots of great resources available to help you figure things out: A study by the Harvard School of Public Health, Reinventing Aging:Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/reinventingaging/Report.pdf), identifies baby boomers as a great potential source of volunteers in the future. The authors urge nonprofits to start making their pitch to boomers now. Talking To Baby Boomers about Volunteering - Part 1: Third Quarter of Life Passions (http://charitychannel.com/publish/templates/?a=7284&z=24 ) and Talking to Baby Boomers about Volunteering - Part 2: Volunteering As a Career Transition Strategy (http://charitychannel.com/publish/templates/?a=7534&z=24) will also be helpful in tapping this volunteer resource. Experience at Work: Volunteering and Giving Among Americans 50 and Over (http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/experience.html) found that nonprofits can expect an increase in the number of high givers from this age group and confirms that more of this population will be available to volunteer more often.

More good news for nonprofits: The MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures New Face of Work Survey (http://www.civicventures.org/publications/surveys/new-face-of-work.cfm) was the first survey to ask boomers now in their 50s what kind of work they want to do. The result: 58 percent of those in their 50s are interested in taking jobs now and in retirement that help improve the quality of life in their communities. The Boomer’s Guide to Good Work by Ellen Freudenheim (http://www.civicventures.org/publications/booklets/boomers_guide.cfm) also offers useful insights.

(Full disclosure: My name is Frank and I am an aging baby boomer.)