The LinkedIn for Nonprofits Weekly Digest

With 2020 in the rearview mirror but still fresh in our memories, now is the perfect time to reflect on everything we learned and use that knowledge to make 2021 brighter. That’s why the theme of this week’s LinkedIn for Nonprofits Weekly Digest is lessons from the past year.

The articles we’ve compiled cover lessons in resiliency, strategic planning, virtual events, and localized giving. To help put these lessons in context, you’ll also find a report covering trends for the months ahead.

Here are five must-read articles and reports for nonprofits this week:

1. 7 Strategies to Build a More Resilient Team (Harvard Business Review)

As organizations everywhere recover from the events of 2020, the need to build resiliency is top of mind for nonprofit leaders. This article from HBR outlines four traits that resilient teams exhibit—and some concrete steps you can take to develop and nurture these qualities in your employees.

2. 2021 Strategic Planning, COVID-style (sgENGAGE)

The year after a crisis can be even more challenging for nonprofits, making strategic planning especially difficult—and especially important. In this article, Danielle Holly, CEO of Common Impact, recounts three lessons her organization learned in 2020 that are informing her approach to strategic planning this year.

3. Nonprofit Trends Report 2021 (Cerini & Associates)

Cerini & Associates’ recently released Nonprofit Trends Report rounds up some of the biggest challenges and opportunities for nonprofits in 2021—from operational shifts to technological advancements. The report also features insights from a variety of leaders and experts across the sector and beyond.

4. 9 Lessons Learned from Hosting Virtual Fundraising Events (Nonprofit Tech for Good)

This time last year, few nonprofits had experience hosting a virtual event—so when planned in-person gatherings were canceled, many had to start from square one. If you haven’t experimented with virtual events yet or are looking to make them stronger, this article covers some best practices discovered through trial and error.

5. Household Generosity During the Pandemic (Stanford Social Innovation Review)

Drawing on insights from the social and behavioral sciences, this article from SSIR digs into the ways that COVID-19 has shifted household giving—and asks what the surge in “localism” means for the nonprofit sector moving forward. 

To get the latest news and resources for nonprofits delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe to the LinkedIn for Nonprofits blog today.