The past year has been a tumultuous and unprecedented one. The nonprofit sector continues to grapple with heightened economic and political uncertainty, new fundraising realities, cascading needs, and mounting concerns for staff and volunteers’ health.

Alongside the global pandemic’s economic and health challenges, the nation’s conscience has been reawakened by the tragic killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others.

Against the backdrop of social uprising and protests, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it impossible to ignore deep-rooted inequities in access to education, health care, and housing — inequities that have existed for decades. The result has been that nonprofit leaders have raised their voices to call for social change. And they’ve raised more than their voices: philanthropic giving has responded with financial pledges and commitments to address racial disparities.

Thus, amid so much loss and uncertainty, 2020 (and 2021) is a time of opportunity. The multiple crises that the philanthropic sector has faced challenge us to create a more resilient and equitable future. The sector will need to rethink who gives, how they give, what causes they support, and who will make those decisions. This is a moment of crisis — but it can also serve as a catalyst for innovation and will require a steep learning curve.

Read the full article about the future of nonprofit economics by Una Osili at The Nonprofit Times.