Future Now 009 — Art Taylor on the Power of Futures Thinking
Aug 24, 2023
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Art Taylor, President and CEO of BBB Wise Giving Alliance, discusses his journey into futures thinking and its transformative power. They explore the importance of integrating futures thinking into nonprofit strategy for resilience and new opportunities. Art emphasizes the need for urgency and optimism in shaping a better future for nonprofits. They also delve into evaluating charities, understanding the differences between tax-exempt organizations, and the impact of futures thinking on decision-making.
Incorporating strategic foresight allows nonprofits to better position themselves for future opportunities and address upcoming challenges more effectively.
By infusing futures thinking into board discussions and decision-making, organizations can gain a sense of agency, prepare for change, and achieve their mission more effectively.
Deep dives
The Wise Giving Alliance and the Importance of Trust in Charitable Giving
Art Taylor, President and CEO of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, discusses the role of his organization in evaluating and accrediting charities. The Wise Giving Alliance provides a set of accountability standards that charities must meet to gain trust and credibility from potential donors. By evaluating factors such as board management, financial practices, and fundraising ethics, the Wise Giving Alliance helps individuals determine if they can trust a charity and confidently donate to it.
Integrating Strategic Foresight into Nonprofits
Art Taylor emphasizes the need for nonprofits to shift from a mindset of scarcity to one of resilience and purpose by integrating strategic foresight. He suggests that nonprofits often focus too much on the present and immediate challenges, neglecting long-term planning. By incorporating futures thinking and tools, nonprofits can better position themselves for future opportunities and address upcoming challenges more effectively.
Building a Vision for the Future and Embracing Change
Art Taylor highlights the importance of inspiring visions and purpose in the nonprofit sector. He encourages organizations to look beyond the present and envision the positive impact they can create in the future. Taylor emphasizes that organizations need to adapt and change to stay relevant, and to do so, they need to prepare for the future by leveraging foresight methodologies and taking advantage of emerging opportunities.
The Role of Nonprofit Boards in Future Readiness
Art Taylor discusses the evolving role of nonprofit boards in embracing strategic foresight. He suggests that boards should not only focus on addressing immediate crises but also look at longer-term perspectives and opportunities. Taylor believes that by infusing futures thinking into board discussions and decision-making, organizations can gain a sense of agency, prepare for change, and achieve their mission more effectively.
In this episode of Future Now, IFTF Executive Director Marina Gorbis speaks with Art Taylor, President and CEO of BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org). They discuss how Art first discovered futures thinking and how it transformed his approach to leading one of the nation's top charity evaluators. Art explains how attending IFTF's Foresight Essentials workshop opened his eyes to new ways of thinking about strategy and planning. Since then, he has applied foresight tools across his work, from planning retreats to mapping future shifts. Marina and Art explore how integrating futures thinking into nonprofit strategy can build resilience, reveal new opportunities, and provide a sense of agency in shaping the future.
Notable Quotes:
"If you're prepared for change, it's not a crisis. It's a good thing, you can take advantage of more opportunities." - Art on the value of futures thinking
"If we're not going to fight for a better future, why are we here?" - Art calling for "urgent optimism" in how nonprofits approach the future
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