How are social purpose organizations weathering record-breaking inflation?

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What does the future require of us?

In 2024, social purpose leaders and teams will experience their biggest pressure test yet — pressure to act on their responsibilities to the past, present and future. The pressures are hitting leaders, teams, and organizations at lightning speed— whether it’s the rapid pace of adoption of AI tools such as ChatGPT or Midjourney, or the re-emerged momentum of the parental rights movement, polarizing views unearthed by the Gaza crisis and global security issues, or the frequency of climate-related disasters in local communities. While it is the best time in the history of humanity to be alive and working, the systems humans designed decades ago continue to create and exacerbate societal problems all around us, from how we work to how we govern, volunteer, fund and deliver aid.

Looking for something to read on the front stoop? Back deck? On the beach or on the commute?

Look no further than these 22 recommendations. We asked social impact leaders and the Future of Good team what all changemakers should add to their summer reading list, and why. Here’s what they told us:

Inflation has many Canadians making tough decisions about affordability, but for some of those living with disabilities, rising costs are leading to homelessness, poverty, hunger and — in some cases — death.

“There are people choosing (medical assistance in dying) right now, this is actually happening,” says Victoria Levack, an advocate with The Disability Rights Coalition of Nova Scotia. “Because they don’t have access to housing or supports.”

Photo: Luis Villasmil

This story is part of a special report on the effects of inflation on social purpose organizations and the communities they serve. Stay tuned for more reporting on this.

Why does predicting the future matter?

Changemakers enter 2023 at a moment of profound challenge and change.

While it is the best time in the history of humanity to be alive and working, the systems humans designed decades ago continue to create and exacerbate societal problems all around us, from how we work to how we govern to how we care to how we give.

“Changemakers enter 2023 at a moment of profound challenge and change,” writes Vinod Rajasekaran, publisher and CEO of Future of Good. It’s how he starts his list of 23 predictions for the social impact world to expect through the year ahead. “While it is the best time in the history of humanity to be alive and working, the systems humans designed decades ago continue to create and exacerbate societal problems all around us, from how we work to how we govern to how we care to how we give.”

In 2023, Vinod predicts, many of these systems will break and some will stay status quo. Others still will be disrupted by growing movements of social change. Many social impact teams and organizations will be woefully unprepared for what’s on the horizon, he warns. But you don’t have to be.