Webinar // Will There be Nonprofits in 30 Years?

From 1995 to 2020, the number of 501(c)(3) public charities in the U.S. climbed from about 500,000 to nearly 1.3 million — an increase of 150%. Including private foundations and other 501(c) nonprofits increases that number to 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations across the country.

Community leaders and networks looking to make a difference have long turned to the independent-entity nonprofit model as the default organizational structure for change work. But as the field of philanthropy expands to recognize and incorporate more ways of giving and of working, some voices in the field are beginning to question whether we need individual nonprofits at all. Can we reimagine systems, volunteerism, technology, office culture, and even power to redefine the nonprofit sector, increase well-being, and advance the public good?

In this recorded webinar, leaders from across the sector joined us for a conversation looking into the future and exploring innovative forms of community engagement and philanthropy that don’t need their own tax status to thrive.

Panelists:

• Dana Brakman Reiser, Brooklyn Law School
• Heidi Hernandez Gatty, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
• Emily Rasmussen, Grapevine

Moderator: Lesley D. Slavitt, Johnson Center for Philanthropy

Original recording date: September 13, 2023