There is a saying amongst investments analysts ascribed to John Templeton which says, ' the four most dangerous words in investing are 'it's different this time'. Others argue that history always repeats itself. It may indeed repeat itself- look at the fashion cycles- I am seeing the return of the baggy pants (jeans). And someone will say exactly history repeats itself. Not all the time though.

But 'it's different this time'. I am seeing a lot of changes around me. Not all good but things are definitely not the same. For instance, there is increasing 'competition' amongst non-profits for funding. Did I just use the word 'competition' concerning the non-profit space? Yes, I did. It's different this time. The increasing number of non-profits competing for a largely set amount of support has had positive effects. Whilst in the past most if not all non-profits were seen as forces for good and requiring support today, we have to use specific criteria to separate the good from the bad, the excellent from the mediocre, and the promising ones from the stagnant. It is now becoming a space for increased innovation, product differentiation and great skills. In the past, it was common for one to move from academia or private business and set up a non-profit. They would be funded not necessarily based on their practice as an organization but maybe because of the excitement with the founder. It was easier to pass a request for proposals to others who seemed to be a good fit. Not anymore. In the past, it was easy to call others to write a proposal just like that- not anymore. Now they sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) before they can work together. It's different this time.

All this may seem negative but it's necessary for the growth of a competitive non-profit sector that does not feel entitled' to resources but rather works for them. A new non-profit ecosystem where value for money is deployed with ease as a metric of measure and not as an afterthought.

The increase in the number of non-profits also means competition for an audience. Producing a report and uploading it on a website is no longer sufficient. We now have to think seriously about reaching out to different audiences. We have to think about how people will critically engage with our work and also how we learn from their feedback. Learning is no longer a cliche- it is an important survival strategy for any serious organization. We learn from the feedback and the surprises that life throws at us. It's important to realize that history alone without taking into consideration of everyday surprises is no longer the best teacher. I have learnt to listen to what is not being said. It's not the clicks/likes that I am after but to understand why someone would open our reports, watch our podcasts or even make reference to our work. The usual feedback or pat on the back is not enough. It's important to know about how your outputs/products are being used. How useful are the things that we produce.? Who needs them?

But above it's also important to embrace the fact that you are not doing this to be liked. Instead, oh dear daughter the best advice I can give you is to consistently seek to be the best at what you do. Not for them. But for your peace to know that you have done your all. Today is looking, not for history but for sprinklings of surprise. Work out a surprise and the world will stop to listen, to watch and to applaud.  But above all be of value.