The Organizer 2023 – The best of the year, in review

Each week at the Organizer, we explore the issues that matter to nonprofit or social impact professionals, managers, and those looking to work in the sector. Over 2023 at the Organizer, across our six themes, we explored common questions and challenges while providing actionable tools for you to use.

As individuals working in the nonprofit space, too often, it can feel like we’re going at it alone. Our mission is to share knowledge and challenges we all face. In that spirit, here are yours (and our) favourite articles from the Organizer in 2023:

#42: Fundraising – Speaking Truth to Power

Some of our most engaged-with* articles deal with serious challenges we face in our work, including how we hold ourselves accountable and deal with unsafe work environments.

Power dynamics in the workplace, especially in fundraising, are challenging to navigate. That said, we don’t have to accept bad behaviour just because it’s common. The Organizer #42: Speaking Truth to Power, spoke directly to this issue, and was our second-most engaged with article this year.

*We used open rates and clicks to rank engagement.  

#45: Leadership – Defining Values

How we conduct ourselves at work impacts our work, and this was a topic that resonated with our readers. The Organizer #45: Defining Values, was our most engaged article of the year! Taking the time to reflect on our inner goals, how they impact our team, ourselves, and our work is worth the investment.

Understanding how your personal and workplace values impact the way you approach your work can improve your ability to build teams, understand differences, and nurture a positive workplace culture. The tool for this article, the Rokeach Values Survey, is a great place to start!  

#50: Personal Growth –  Requesting Feedback

The Organizer #50: Requesting Feedback spoke to the core ethos of The Organizer: we are not in this alone! Whether you’re in fundraising, policy, or work in a specific region, feedback is helpful. And, there is likely a Community of Practice waiting.

Knowledge is meant to be shared — there’s no better way to do so than meeting your peers! This June article presents Communities of Practice to help you find experts and professionals working on similar issues.

#52: Communications – Videos

This year at The Organizer (and Entremission, our publisher), we were excited to grow and reach new audiences! In the spirit of growth, our summer student, Karina Zourikian, put together an article on communicating to reach new audiences.

The Organizer #52: Videos explored how to reach the public where they are (spoiler: it’s not always in writing). Social media killed the TV star, and now, video is accessible at all our fingertips.

At The Organizer, in this July article we were proud to present our home-made Nonprofit Video Helper showing the many ways you can dive into video content, no matter the size of your organization.

#55: Impact – Partnerships

We’d be remiss if we didn’t highlight the work of our community of readers! When discussing impact, we encourage you to consider the measurable ways your work creates change in, or is engaged with, by your community.

An important part of impact is expanding your cooperation with other organizations. The Organizer #55: Partnerships explores this. Each organization, like each individual, has its strengths. We are stronger when we work together.  

One such partnership-focused initiative that Entremission was proud to support is Ocean Week Canada. In June, 235 partners created 196 events from coast to coast to coast. In bringing communities together, these partners were able to actively engage 2.4 million Canadians. This is just one example of what collective impact is all about. (If you’re interested in joining in the fun, we encourage you to stay tuned for Ocean Week 2024, taking place June 1st-9th 2024.)

#65: Management – Time budgets

Time. It never feels like there’s enough of it. Every year (and a lot of days), we set out with lists to do, and they grow longer as the days go on. If you’ve ever wished you could multiply yourself, you’re not alone!

The Organizer #65 – Time Budgets explores the question we are all asking: how can we get done all that we want to? First, acknowledge your limits! Then try our home-made Time-Budget template from this November article to prioritize your efforts.

It’s the perfect time of year for this kind of reflection. The need for your work and the demands on your time won’t reduce in 2024. But, working together,  being deliberate in our values, being intentional about how we spend our time, and staying committed to impact will help build a better, more inclusive world.

Thank you from the Organizer

It has been a momentous year for The Organizer, as it has for many of you. It’s been one full of transition, growth, and creativity as we all returned to in-person activities and navigated a changing world. Thank you for being part of it. You’re the reason we do what we do.