The Forward-Thinking Nonprofit: Navigating the Digital Future
This blog was contributed by Blackbaud as part of an ongoing partnership with ONN.
Nonprofits and educational institutions are currently facing a challenging environment, shaped by societal shifts, economic pressures, and rapid technological advancement. Blackbaud’s new essay collection, The Forward-Thinking Nonprofit: Leading Through Change, brings together a range of expert voices, offering data-driven insights, case studies, and hands-on advice to help the sector adapt, thrive, and lead with confidence.
Navigating Uncertainty: Trust, Transparency, and Broadening Horizons
Unpredictability is now the norm, requiring nonprofits to become more resourceful and innovative. Experts such as Charlotte Sherman and Jo Garner analyze the current testing landscape, while Katherine Raskob and Adrian Sargeant discuss the importance of an organizational culture rooted in trust and love. This broader theme of trust and transparency runs throughout most of the essays.
Charity lawyers Mark Blumberg and Caitlin Lee from Blumbergs Professional Corporation suggest that proactive preparation can have a big impact in the long term: “Challenging periods offer a powerful opportunity for nonprofits to be strategic and thoughtful and maximize their effectiveness. Ignoring the complexity of the world we live in can be very costly or detrimental to a nonprofit’s mission. While some more obvious options, such as deferring purchases, selling assets, closing programs, or using reserves, may provide temporary relief, there are proactive considerations and steps that can be taken to provide long-term benefits to the nonprofit amid these difficult circumstances.” They outline various practical measures for nonprofits to consider during challenging times to mitigate risk and ensure transparency, including robust internal controls, contingency planning for different scenarios, a regular review of insurance, and adequate cash reserves.
Mark and Caitlin also discuss the value of supporter engagement, and volunteer management to build resilience through a diversified or stronger supporter base—a topic also explored by Fiona Atkinson, Casper Harratt, and Justin Goodhew.
Building Digital Resilience
The digital era offers vast opportunities but also presents challenges requiring new skills and resources. Several contributors, including Mark Denby, Jim Cooke, Adrian Sellaro, and Julia Villiotis, address the need for digital transformation, data literacy, and smarter tools.
Wilfreda Edward, Executive Director at the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience, underscores the necessity for nonprofits to pair data with compelling narratives to drive trust, investment, and resilience. Wilfreda, however, argues that investment in digital capacity-building is needed: “Too often, nonprofits are funded to deliver programs but not to build the capacity that makes adaptation possible. The very things that allow us to respond to disruption—skilled people, modern tools, and resilient systems—are labelled as ‘overhead’ instead of being recognized as infrastructure. This makes it harder for nonprofits to adapt, even as the pressures intensify. Organizations stretched thin, collecting data but unable to turn it into insights; delivering services, but unable to translate those outcomes into stories that build credibility and trust.”
As such, Wilfreda advocates for ongoing investment in skills, tools, and cybersecurity, highlighting that strong digital infrastructure enables nonprofits to adapt, attract resources, and thrive amid disruption by making their impact both visible and credible. This kind of organizational culture that encourages technological exploration is essential for teams to learn how modern tools and innovations apply in practice and benefit their organization. After all, the goal for these tools is to empower nonprofit staff, freeing up time for meaningful engagement.
AI Boom in the Sector
AI is transforming the nonprofit sector, prompting organizations to consider adopting it thoughtfully. Experts like Ali Mikaeli, Sue Cunningham, and Meena Das emphasize the need for intentional strategies, human oversight, and AI-ready leadership to ensure that AI enhances rather than replaces human relationships. Chris Paver and Zoe Amar, in turn, discuss the future of AI in the sector. Each expert highlights that AI is more than a tech upgrade—it’s a cultural change that requires new ways of working. AI must be integrated into strategy and ethics from the start to maintain trust and quality.
Ultimately, the overarching message is one of urgency and opportunity: organizations must act now to harness technology, but use must be underpinned by strong leadership and strategic clarity to ensure teams are better positioned to deliver lasting impact in a world defined by rapid change.
For more insights and inspiration, download The Forward-Thinking Nonprofit: Leading Through Change eBook.
