The Smart Nonprofit

CHAPTER 12A Smarter Future

INTRODUCTION

As we've outlined in this book, smart tech is quickly changing what we do and how we do it. Leadership is required to actively and purposefully create the conditions for people and organizations to thrive. The combination of leadership and smart tech creates the possibility of a very different kind of future. Here is our vision for organizations and society, a future powered by smart tech that is healthier, kinder, and more generous.

THE FUTURE OF NONPROFIT WORK

We imagine a future where nonprofits use smart tech well and reap the benefits of the dividend of time. This will allow smart organizations to usher in a new era of nonprofit organizations that don't specialize in burnout and scarcity. Here are ways we want to see nonprofits working as smart nonprofits:

• Clarify and honor the boundaries between work and home lives.
• Provide more time off. Maybe four-day workweeks are possible. Certainly more vacation time is warranted. And planned sabbaticals for staff at every level would be a huge and deserved benefit for long-serving staff.
• Focus on the real work, not the busyness. We want smart, talented people being creative, proactive problem solvers. We want organizations that nurture the talents of staff and support their growth and learning.
• We want staff to end their days with a greater sense of satisfaction that comes from really helping to heal the world, rather than feeling numb and exhausted.

The work of organizations will change. ...