Much ado about the economy
In our current state of economic downturn it seems like everyone is asking themselves about their retirement funds, their mortgages, whether money is safe in their bank accounts, their access to credit, and the list goes on. But many of you out there may also be asking about the health and well-being of your organization. You may be worried about the effects the economy is having on your donor base and grantmakers’ assets or you might be worried about your organization’s investments and cash accounts. It’s hard to stomach the idea of the nonprofit sector tightening its belt even more than it already does – when there will be even more individuals and families who will be in need of the valuable services and safety nets the sector provides.
At last week’s Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ annual conference, Sandy Vargas of The Minneapolis Foundation talked about how in response to these economic times our instinct is to pull back. But she makes a call to us all that this is, "precisely the time to re-envision what the future looks like.� My interpretation of her call is to resist the instinct to hunker down with my head to the ground, but instead forge ahead with my head up and my arms open. So what do you make of Sandy’s call to action? What are your concerns and what instincts are you resisting in these ever-so-changing economic times? I’m definitely in the mood for some good news…
