Lucy Bernholz, Ellen LaPointe, Kay Fernandez Smith and Michele Dilworth discuss highlights from Philanthropy Blueprint 2017, Bernholz's annual forecast of trends in philanthropy.
“Especially in uncertain times the organizations and activists who make up civil society need to understand, protect, advocate for, and use their digital data and infrastructure just as they use their financial and human resources—safely, ethically, and effectively.”
Every year Lucy Bernholz writes Philanthropy Blueprint, a forecast of trends, challenges, buzzwords and breakthroughs in the philanthropic sector for the year ahead.
On January 12 Lucy joined Ellen LaPointe (President and CEO of Northern California Grantmakers) and Kay Fernandez Smith (Assistant Vice President of Programs at San Francisco Foundation) for a conversation about Blueprint 2017 facilitated by Michele Dilworth, Director of Foundation Center West.
Some highlights from the discussion:
- All civil society organizations now operate in a digital age, which requires new forms of governance.
- Nonprofits and foundations should manage digital resources with the same diligence that they manage financial and human resources, in line with mission.
- The most valuable resource at many nonprofits is now beneficiary data, which should be stewarded and protected with the same care as information and funding from financial donors.
- Nonprofit boards of directors increasingly need to build digital data governance into their suite of expertise and responsibilities.
- Foundations have a unique opportunity to support digital capacity-building in civil society, not just as grant makers, but as community leaders, lobbyists, and partners.
Watch the full video above, and download the report here.