Navigating the Polycrisis: A Strategic Foresight Imperative for Faith-Based Nonprofits
Faith-based nonprofits are increasingly facing complex, global challenges in our fast-paced, interconnected world. These are part of what the Cascade Institute describes as a "polycrisis," a term highlighting the interconnected nature of modern crises that rapidly cascade across different sectors, compounding existing challenges and generating new ones (Lawrence et al., 2024).
For faith-based nonprofits, strategically navigating these challenges is not just beneficial—it's imperative. Adopting a strategic foresight approach enables organizations to proactively anticipate potential obstacles and capitalize on emerging opportunities, ensuring preparedness against the unpredictable ramifications of global issues.
As futurists Frank Spencer and Yvette Montero Salvatico outlined, strategic foresight is crucial in overcoming "educated incapacity"—the tendency to rely solely on familiar knowledge while ignoring external influences (Salvatico & Spencer, 2017). Foresight equips leaders with the tools to strategically steer their organizations through future uncertainties by embracing comprehensive, multi-dimensional analysis. Such analysis includes horizon scanning to identify potential threats and opportunities that might intersect with demographic shifts, technological advancements, economic fluctuations, environmental challenges, and political upheavals, thus impacting their mission and operations.
Technological change, for instance, offers new platforms for engagement but also introduces ethical concerns around data privacy, as discussed in Shoshana Zuboff’s "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" (Zuboff, 2020). Likewise, shifting political and economic landscapes will demand strategic adaptation to influence funding and regulatory environments, a necessity underlined in the Introduction to Polycrisis Analysis Guide by Lawrence, Shipman, and Homer-Dixon (Lawrence et al., 2024).
Implementing strategic foresight enhances organizational resilience and aligns initiatives with a future marked by volatility and uncertainty. It transforms potential threats into opportunities for growth, enabling faith-based nonprofits to fulfill their missions in an ever-evolving world effectively.
As evangelicals and faith-based organizations look to extend their impact, strategic foresight is not just beneficial—it's essential. Preparedness for a polycrisis can turn potential setbacks into significant opportunities for mission advancement and societal transformation.
Connect with us at ForbesStrategies.com for more insights or to discuss how Incite Futures labs can assist your organization in building a preferred future.
Bibliography
Lawrence, Michael, Megan Shipman, and Thomas Homer-Dixon. "Introduction to Polycrisis Analysis." 2024
Salvatico, Yvette, and Frank Spencer. The Guide to the Natural Foresight® Framework – Printed Edition. Kedge, 2019.
Zuboff, Shoshana. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. Public Affairs, 2020.