In 2016 we need to start talking more about capacity in Canada's nonprofit sector. I'll lead with my belief that capacity is really a thing - not just the latest term in a long string of popularized business jargon ("I don't have the cycles" "let's circle back to more blue sky thinking" "there is no box").
By definition, capacity refers to the power of containing, receiving, experiencing or producing; to fully use all resources. I can't think of a term more relevant to the activities and challenges that make up our charitable sector. So, as the first month of a new year draws to a close, I pose the following questions in the hopes that 2016 not be a reboot of the year that just passed. Hopeful that we can continue to learn from our experiences while forging ahead to new and uncomfortable territory.
Capacity for vision
At the end of November, in an open letter to our new Prime Minister, Patrick Johnston reminded us of the valuable contribution which charitable organizations have already made to good public policy and he points to the need to further strengthen the engagement of charities in policy development and advocacy. All indicators are that our new liberal government is open and supportive of this type of dialogue and future action. So how do we, as a sector, step-up to this opportunity? Are we ready to sit at the table and take our place alongside private and public partners in building a stronger country for us all?
Capacity for growth and sustainability
This past year, I got involved in a new initiative that measures and recognizes excellence in talent management within Canada's nonprofit sector. In recent years, the high rate of staff turnover has been one of the most talked-about, but least acted-on challenges facing charities and their day-to-day operations. We must ask ourselves how we expect growth at the enterprise level if we've yet to address sustainable practices aimed at staff development and leadership.
Beginning with the Broadbent Report in 1999 to the further analysis provided by the Mowat report series (Sept, 2013) the link between effective management and governance to accountability and growth has been well-established. To what extent are we embracing this knowledge and applying it to our annual business plans and strategies?
Capacity for engagement
If you are at all interested in social media, you can't have missed the #donorlove movement. There is increasing emphasis from a bevy of skilled fundraisers on the need to remove the transactional focus from philanthropy and instead, engage in relationships with donors that embrace their philanthropic dreams. In fact my colleague, Kimberley MacKenzie recently reported on new research led by Adrian Sargeant and the Rogare think tank that critically evaluates the notion of the donor "relationship" and lends fresh support to the need for relationship fundraising.
As the Editor of Gift Planning in Canada, I am particularly in-tune to the intimate nature of legacy giving. In fact, over the past few years there has also been a surge of interest in the work of Dr. Russell James whose brain science research has been offering some perspective on the "neuroeconomics" of giving. A key finding has been that a storytelling approach helps people to connect their own autobiographical experiences with the act of giving. So now, we have science that supports what we instinctively knew. Working in philanthropy is about people and building relationships with them.
And, it's not just pursuing the almighty buck. Engagement also refers to our working with volunteers - at every level (time, talent and treasure). Our quest for good governance has to include excellence at the board level just as stewardship and recognition must apply to front-line volunteers who are as much the life-blood of an organization as the funds that flow through various giving channels.
Capacity for survival
As I write this, the Canadian dollar has dipped to a low of .69 U.S. What this means to the economy as a whole and the nonprofit sector in particular will undoubtedly be a focus of discussion in upcoming months. But, let's turn this on its head and also talk about the opportunities this situation provides for sharpening our focus on core mission delivery and the services that we provide. Let's talk about return on investment and the impact of overhead costs and reporting. Let's revisit what it means to be sustainable and consider whether our organization will be relevant and response to the needs of our communities in the future.
For too long we have identified our work in the charitable sector as being apologetic in nature - a lesser version of the corporate structure that has fueled the growth of our modern way of life. A lack of academic rigour and surplus of emotion may have seemed too fragile an underpinning for our growing sector to be taken seriously. But our ability to flourish despite a myriad of challenges points to strength and power that we yet to fully appreciate.
It is the power that lies in our untapped capacities that will lead us forward. Not only in 2016 but for the decade to come.
As the managing editor for The Hilborn Group, Lisa MacDonald helps frontline fundraisers stay connected with current trends and best practices across the country. Contact with her at lisa@hilborn.com or on Twitter, @lisalmacdonald.
