Future of Good

IT'S HERE! 📣 We are thrilled to announce the release of our highly anticipated annual report, Trends & Tensions Shaping Leadership in the Social Purpose World 2025, written by Future of Good’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Vinod Rajasekaran. The 2025 Trends and Tensions report is a must-read for all leaders in the social purpose sector. It highlights trends you need to know and how to act on them. 🚀 🔖 Over the last few years, this report has become a vital guide for managers, team leaders, board members, executives, and more. With 15 key trends and tensions to watch and 23 pages of in-depth insights, perspectives, and data, the report highlights trends you, as leaders, need to know and how to act on them. Through research, scanning, and journalism, we have synthesized insights from more than 1,000 articles, inputs, and papers. From AI to urgent burnout to the crashing waves of political change, learn what's coming to prepare your team for 2025. Significant changes are coming—what must leaders do to future-proof their work? 📥 Sign up for a FREE Future of Good account to download the report today: https://lnkd.in/dKCBznwU #trends2025 #nonprofitleadership #nonprofit #nonprofitsector #socialimpact #cdnpoli #data #socialjustice #charities #equality #ai #artificialintelligence #digitaltransformation #machinelearning #techforgood #socialpurpose #socialinnovation #socialchange #nonprofitS #socialfinance #sustainablefinance #elections2025

Navigating an ever-changing landscape means you need good information And Future of Good's Trends and Tensions Shaping Leadership Report is the best of the best. If you're looking for a document that lays out what can be expected in the year ahead for the social purpose world then this is the report for you And the cost of admission? A FREE Future of Good membership worth its wait in gold.

Can AI help predict mosquito-borne disease outbreaks? In Ghana, scientists are using AI to listen to mosquito wingbeats—turning sound into a powerful tool for tracking malaria, dengue, and yellow fever before outbreaks happen. Our reporter Jahanzeb Hussain spent weeks on the ground in West Africa, reporting on how researchers at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) are building bioacoustic sensors and AI tools to monitor mosquito populations in real-time. 💡 Why does this matter? 🦠 Over 6.6 million malaria cases were recorded in Ghana last year. ⚠️ Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animals, spreading diseases that kill hundreds of thousands annually. 🚀 AI-driven surveillance could help predict outbreaks before they spiral into crises. With support from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), this project is about more than just technology—it’s about local innovation, decolonizing global health, and saving lives. Read Jahanzeb’s full on-the-ground feature here: https://lnkd.in/gGsTPbDA This article is open for all to read - no paywall here! 😎 #ai #mosquito #futureofgood #malaria #health #technology #innovation #pandemic #ghana #disease #prevention #surveillance #research #publichealth #africa

Benevity releases its 2025 Executive CSR Report. As corporate teams grapple with the shifting landscape of anti-ESG, anti-DEI, and anti-CSR sentiment, they might overlook a bigger narrative. 👇 Listen as our CEO Vinod explains the most interesting thing in #socialimpact! 👇 https://lnkd.in/gkYxHVd8 #corporatecitizenship #CSR #corporateimpact #impact #socialimpact #volunteering #DEI #ESG #finance #markets #investing #corporatepurpose #purpose #socialjustice #inclusion #socialresponsibility #philanthropy #nonprofits #charities #climate

Bypassing quick judgement with sincere curiosity | By Anouk Bertner | Future of Good 💡I hope that when people talk about me, they describe me as curious. I've always been curious about people, what they think, how they think, how they came up with those thoughts, and what they're going to do with those thoughts. I've been watching a lot of the recent political discourse, especially on LinkedIn (the only social network I'm still active on) where people are having all kinds of conversations. In this moment of receiving all of this information, to me, instead of having an immovable opinion, I hope to engage in this space with curiosity—and invite you to do so as well. 🎙️ I listened to a podcast last week of American comedian Jon Stewart interviewing Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, recorded just after the inauguration.  🇺🇸 One of the things that she was curious about is that in her district, there were a large number of people who voted for her and for Donald Trump on the same ticket.Instead of judging, labelling or attacking those folks, she went on social media and just asked them: Why? Why did you make that choice?’ The way she summarized the feedback is that both she and Trump tend to be anti-establishment, and people don’t feel that the current establishments are working for them. I found this insight useful and more helpful than labelling or dismissing the voting population. It opened up my curiosity. I hope to withhold the rhetoric and judgement to bypass the propaganda. So, in these online and in-person spaces, I hope to reach past my own prejudices, mental models and biases in order to engage with curiosity. 🤝

Opening Session: Wellbeing as a Shared Responsibility 🌿 The 2025 Changemaker Wellbeing Summit kicks off with a conversation about workplace wellbeing—not just as an individual responsibility but as something we all contribute to. 💡 Over the years, workplace wellness efforts have often focused on personal habits and self-care, sometimes turning wellbeing into a product rather than a collective effort. However, research shows that true wellbeing thrives in environments with strong human connections and a culture of psychological safety. 🤝 In this session, we’ll dive into what collective wellbeing really means and explore the benefits and challenges of taking a shared approach. 🏢 Leaders will gain insights into what it takes to build workplaces where wellbeing is part of the foundation, not just an add-on. 🌍 Our speakers will share practical ways to create a culture of care, drawing from community-based approaches, and offer strategies for making these ideas a reality in everyday work life. ✨ Join us to reimagine workplace wellbeing as something we build together! 🌱 Join us on March 25 & 26, 2025! Tickets are on sale now: https://bit.ly/4frksnV New to Future of Good? Your ticket includes a free year of membership with Future of Good! Check out the perks of membership here: https://lnkd.in/gPuTSsKK #wellbeing #wellness #wellbeingintheworkplace #mentalhealth #mentalhealthatwork #workforcedevelopment #community #health #healthandwellness #socialchange #workplacewellbeing #workplaceflexibility #workforce #leadershipdevelopment #leadership

“Waste pickers… need knowledge. Knowledge changes life stories.” ✨ 🇧🇷 In a sunlit room in the spring of 2022 in São Paulo, Brazil, about two dozen people gather to lay the foundation for a startup. They sit at student desks and evaluate the research results. They discuss what they know, what they need to learn and what they can teach. They share their hopes for the future of this new venture, for this startup is all about creating hope and building a future. 🚀 ♻️ This new institution is UNICATA, and the founders are Brazilian waste pickers—people who sift through garbage to look for recyclable materials—working with Canadian academics to develop plans and curricula. 🇨🇦 They are building a university. 📚 Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g7pf_M_M Republished with permission from the University of Victoria. This article is free to read and open to all - no paywall here! #wastemanagement #recycling #futureofgood #sustainability #environment #zerowaste #ecofriendly #circulareconomy #climatechange #reuse #socialinnovation #communitydevelopment #education #globalpartnerships #empowerment

#ImpactBrief | New research uncovers sparse digital skills funding options for non-profits Non-profits have few options to fund digital skills training, according to new research. “Funding options non-profits were aware of often focused on individual upskilling rather than organization-wide capacity building,” according to the Futureproofing the Community Service Workforce research project. In this phase of their research, the team partnered with eight non-profit organizations around the country to better understand challenges in the funding landscape for digital skills and training, including YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg, the Women's Economic Council, and Yukon Learn Society. They found four types of digital skills funding opportunities: innovation grants with a digital skills component, individual training grants or subsidies, wage subsidy programs for employers to hire skilled workers, and tax credits for employees pursuing skills development. Based on this knowledge and the priority skills gaps found in previous research, Futureproofing the Community Service Workforce has developed a framework to help organizations assess their digital maturity. This includes identifying digital skills needs, improving data management processes, building data privacy and security awareness, and encouraging skilled staff into mentoring and coaching opportunities. In early 2025, the non-profit partners will review and test each of these prototypes. Futureproofing the Community Service Workforce is made up of five organizations: Imagine Canada, the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience | Centre canadien pour la résilience numérique, Blueprint, The Dais, and the Digital Governance Council | Conseil de gouvernance numérique. Previously, in an analysis of 300,000 job descriptions in Canada, they found that there is less demand for more technical skills in the non-profit sector, and where there is, technical staff tend to be vastly underpaid compared to the private sector. - Sharlene Gandhi ✉️ Our newsletter also contains all our impact briefs conveniently in one place. Stay on top of all the latest social impact news! ➡️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ey5_Rqbn #digitalskills #nonprofits #futureofgood #capacitybuilding #digitaltransformation #canada

#ImpactBrief | Extension of charitable tax deadline not in jeopardy: CRA The federal government has released draft legislation amending Canada’s Income Tax Act and provided additional information on a promised extension of last year’s charitable tax deadline—a move intended to buoy charitable donations following a month-long Canada Post Strike. Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced plans to extend 2024’s charitable tax deadline to Feb. 28, 2025, last December, following a letter-writing campaign by thousands of charities. However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to prorogue parliament until March 24 led many to fear the proposed legislation would never pass. Not so, according to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). “The CRA is administering this proposed legislation, consistent with its longstanding practice,” stated a press release issued by the federal agency late last week. It stated that charities and other qualified donees should continue to issue official donation receipts according to the receipting rules, adding that qualified donees are not required to issue official donation receipts specific to the extension period but can if they wish to. With certain exceptions, individuals may claim the eligible amount of certain gifts made to charities and other qualified donees up to February 28, 2025, on their 2024 personal income tax return. “We hope that this public confirmation will provide certainty to donors and charities alike,” said Imagine Canada—a national charity supporting non-profits—in a statement posted to its LinkedIn profile. - Shannon VanRaes ✉️ Our newsletter also contains all our impact briefs conveniently in one place. Stay on top of all the latest social impact news! ➡️ 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ey5_Rqbn #charities #futureofgood #nonprofits #taxdeductions #donations #canada

“We’re just a small village, you know, 3,500 people for the most part, but this has a big impact,” said Rob McLellan, chair of the Osgoode Village Community Association. Banking deserts are becoming more common across Canada as financial institutions shut down branches in rural and remote areas. 🔒 Without local access to banking services, many have higher costs and fewer options to manage their money. 📉 These closures hit seniors, small businesses, and Indigenous communities the hardest, creating barriers to financial access and disrupting local economies. ⚠️ Learn more about the impact and what it means for communities nationwide: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gCpEADiC This journalism is made possible by a partnership with Social Capital Partners. Thanks to their support, this article is open for all to read. 😎 Check out the whole series, Social Capital Partners Small Business Impact, here: https://lnkd.in/gqsqQT5a 📸 Rob McLellan stands outside the now-closed Scotiabank location in December 2023. (Guy Quenneville/CBC) #futureofgood #banking #finance #canada #equity #rural #economy #financialservices #accessibility #indigenous #smallbusiness #inclusion #community #money #innovation