Are you accumulating or editing?

Are you accumulating or editing?

I recently heard an author (on a podcast, naturally) mention that in middle age (which they defined as ages 45-70), we shift from an “accumulating” mindset to an “editing” mindset. As an executive coach and strategic advisor to nonprofits, I’ve been examining this concept with the leaders spearheading organizations through this era of massive societal, generational, and philanthropic transformation.

The nonprofit and cultural sectors have spent decades in a mindset of “growth”, in the era of “accumulation”: bigger buildings, budgets, and exhibitions/performances, to say nothing of the proliferation of art fairs and global market events. As philanthropic giving from individuals has declined, we are simultaneously confronting a generational shift that will have a transformational impact on American nonprofits. We know from research that next generation donors want to drive impact, partner with organizations to create progress, and invest in causes that could transform communities. They want to fund evolution, not growth for growth’s sake.

As the leaders and teams I advise are confronting issues common to the sector—attendance inconsistencies, budget shortfalls, a changing donor base, staff burnout and turnover—we are engaging in the work of “editing”. Don’t get me wrong: editing does not mean deleting or erasing. It’s clarifying, leveraging, prioritizing: roles, responsibilities, governance, programs. Everything should come back to the mission, the impact, the community. Instead of growing for the sake of growth (accumulating!!), survey, analyze, prioritize and edit. We don’t need more, we need better.

The world is transforming: What is the role of the service and civic institution in this new era? Let’s boldly envision our work for this new era, through data-informed, collaborative, and consensus-built planning.

The next three contributors to The Path Forward Series offer insight into this spirit of editing and reconstructing. I am excited to share the work of clients and colleagues Julie Rodrigues Widholm, Jessica May, and Rehema C. Barber Williams. You will read and hear examples of their philosophies on how the industry can best evolve.

In the wake of the U.S. presidential election, incoming politics and economic policy will have significant impact on the philanthropic and nonprofit industries, particularly the arts & culture sector. We will not panic; we will dig in so we can be proactive and move forward from a place of strength and strategy. Stay tuned for discussions on how to forge ahead.