No, I didn’t "predict" the Madoff Ripoff

I assume no one takes me seriously when I claim to predict the future. I mean, c’mon, if I could predict the future don’t you think I’d be doing something else besides working all the time and writing this blog? I call my “predictions” predictions to be provocative. They’re really just informed, intended-to-be realistic remixes [...]

Necessity is the mother of social innovation

Reposted (with edits and additions) from SSIR Ah, December. The anticipation of snow, unless you’re already several feet under. The warmth of a fire, unless you live in the south. The excitement of winter holidays, unless you’re a grouch. Don’t forget the thrill of reviewing the year gone by and the accuracy of previous prognostications, [...]

Predictions, past, present and future

My thoughts, and those of others’, on the impact of the economy on philanthropy are also in the December issue of Alliance. Did you know Paul Light has predicted a 10% “death rate” for nonprofits in 2009, and that others are saying that decline prediction is too small by half? My interview on 2008 buzzwords [...]

Foreclosures, falling economies and the future of philanthropy

I’m going to start this post with two notes and build to a big finish…. Smartlink has new giving guides for donors concerned about communities and the mortgage crisis. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced $68 million for mitigation and prevention of foreclosures in Chicago. Those two notices made me think bigger. [...]

Forecasts

My last post included an unexpected forecast. Which is to say I wasn’t planning on forecasting anything, but when I sat down to review my notes and thought about what was on my mind – oops, out popped a prediction. Forecasts and forecasting are everywhere. This is partly “the new year” phenomenon – as a [...]

Patents – the new philanthropic assets

I’ve written before about patent philanthropy, and we all have Peter Drucker to thank for pointing out that we have been living in a knowledge economy since he coined the term in 1966. But the real meaning of this is only just beginning to permeate philanthropy. So here’s a historical parallel that may draw some [...]

Stay tuned, there is more to come in 2007

My previous post was so badly written as to confuse many of you. It was not my last blog post for 2007, just my last post to SSIR for the year. Still to come between now and December 31, 2007…. Buzzwords number 8, 9, and, (drumroll, please) of course, 10 The recap on my 2006 [...]

What matters and some bold predictions

(This is cross-posted from SSIR.) This is my last SSIR post of 2007 – so it is time to ask some big questions – two of them, actually (though each has many subsections). First, what really matters for philanthropy? I’ll list six big issues for the sector – opportunities, trends, and challenges that we’ll face [...]