As We Venture Into 2022

Dear Idaho Nonprofit sector,

As we venture into 2022, like all of you, I have spent some time reflecting on 2021 and my first five months as CEO of the Idaho Nonprofit Center. The first word that comes to mind is: gratitude.
  
“For all that has been. Thank you. For all that is to come, Yes!” – Dag Hammarskjold.

This quote has really resonated with me as we turn the page and enter the new year with (admittedly) a fair amount of trepidation about what the future holds. It may also sound odd to be in the business of “thanking” all that has been in 2021. But in our sector, once again, you have all risen to the occasion, pivoting once again to meet the needs of our communities. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Idaho’s nonprofits are truly made up of everyday heroes. 

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​While there is only so much we can control in terms of what to expect this year, I would encourage us all as employees and leaders to prioritize our own mental health and wellbeing as well as that of our teams. The most effective nonprofits are so powerful because of a few simple ingredients: talented and fairly compensated nonprofit staff and effective executive and board leadership.

To the extent we can control our own fate in 2022, we should take some time to think about the ways we can lift up our teams and provide the space for leaders to recharge and reload. If this means asking for a sabbatical, do it. If this means adjusting your personnel policies to allow more flexibility or mental health days, do it. If this means looking at your professional development budget to build in time to help teams access the tools they need to succeed professionally and emotionally, then do it.

Communities in Idaho thrive when nonprofits thrive. Who else provides the shelter, food, childcare, cultural amenities, access to trails, museums, and the arts which make our communities wonderful places to call home? Our lives are enriched when nonprofits—and their people—are at their best.

So, take some time and reflect on the things you can actually control in 2022. Invest in yourselves and your team. I’m hopeful this will have us looking back at this time next year with a profound sense of gratitude about what we accomplished as a sector and how we have each enriched our local communities in our own unique ways.

Thank you for being a part of this statewide nonprofit family! Here’s to many blessings and new opportunities!

Kevin Bailey
CEO, Idaho Nonprofit Center

PS – I’d love to hear from you so feel free to send us a note any time at the Idaho Nonprofit Center with feedback, questions, or ideas!
We’re excited about a number of projects coming up in 2022. Here’s a short preview of some things in the pipeline at the INC:

• We are building a statewide nonprofit advocacy coalition so that nonprofits have a collective voice to lean on in legislative and policy debates in Idaho
• An updated nonprofit sector wage and benefits report will be published and available later this month for members.
• An updated “State of the Sector” report will be published later in 2022 and will include for the first time public polling data on the public’s trust in nonprofits in Idaho as well as valuable data on the economic impact of nonprofits in our state.
• An updated strategic plan in 2022 based largely on sector data and member feedback which will drive the programs and services that you’ve come to expect and rely upon from the INC