COVID-19 scenario planning for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations

Navigating uncertainties in the social sector

The COVID-19 crisis has created a moment of hyper-uncertainty for social sector organizations. No one knows how the future will unfold, but the tools of scenario planning can help social sector leaders better prepare their organizations for the different, possible futures that may unfold.

Many social sector organizations are now at a critical moment. They’ve responded to the initial wave of the COVID-19 crisis, providing emergency relief, adapting to new working environments, and making tough decisions on near-term priorities. As leaders begin to pressure test and potentially change their intermediate- and longer- term strategies, many find themselves swamped by having to make organization-defining choices during a time of such intense uncertainty.

To help add some scaffolding to those choices, the Monitor Institute by Deloitte interviewed over 75 social sector leaders during April and May 2020 to understand what the future might hold for philanthropic funders and operating nonprofits.

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