Connection Café: Trends in the Nonprofit Sector

	Trends in the Nonprofit Sector
	Posted by Vinay Bhagat at Jan 04, 2012 08:35 AM CST Categories: Fundraising, Nonprofit Trends, NPtech, Social Media, Technology

As a technology entrepreneur with a passion for marketing strategy and the nonprofit sector, around this time each year, I like to pause and make predictions as to the changes I foresee. As a change agent, I also like to articulate my perspectives on changes that I consider important to embrace. My predictions and recommendations are based upon working with nonprofits large and small, from following global technology and marketing trends, and from conducting formal market research.

Below are the top five predictions for the nonprofit sector in 2012.

Online and new media channels will continue to extend their influence.
Peer-to-peer marketing will continue to be more important.
Donor fatigue will get more pronounced.
Supporters want to control their experience.
Integrated marketing practices will mature.

The following video offers more detail on each of my predictions.

In 2012, nonprofits will be challenged to think differently about the way they engage with their supporters. The macro economy continues to pose challenges to fundraisers. The presidential elections risk mindshare and potential contribution diversion away from nonprofits to the candidates. Consumer expectations continue to be set by for-profit marketers. New technologies continue to emerge and have more impact.

The nonprofit sector will have no choice but to become more sophisticated and savvy when it comes to supporter engagement. For those nonprofits that embrace new engagement opportunities and harness technology strategically, it’s a very exciting time that holds tremendous promise.

A more detailed version of this post originally appeared on Guidestar's The Trust Blog.