The decision of whether to act upon trends is not a simple one. To implement trends requires time, resources and space which are already spread thin in nonprofit work. There is no guarantee that what’s popular or trendy today will still be so five years from now. Evaluating trends and implementing them into your programming or operations can be risky, but it can also be beneficial.
However, members are more likely to participate in popular activities they have seen on social media or heard about through word of mouth. Trends can bring new members to your rec center.
Jorge Perez, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, said when evaluating trends it’s very important to ask questions to determine the value of a trend. Before deciding to allocate precious resources or space to a trendy activity, his team asks each other why it’s popular.
“We have a formula for human engagement that is centered around achievement, relationship and belonging,” said Perez. “What we’re trying to do is see if the trends allow us to fold this formula in. They anchor our trend analysis because we know that those three things, based on research, are our basic human needs. Human beings need to achieve, to find context of relationships and to find a place where they can contribute their gifts and talents to belong.”
Putting Perez’s Methods Into Action
Perez related his views on evaluating trends with a comparison between basketball and the ice bucket challenge which gained popularity in 2014. Both were trends, but their purposes were drastically different.
“Basketball was a fad centered around the need for human play, engagement, communication and teamwork. It won’t be going away anytime soon,” explained Perez. “The ice bucket challenge was something that people using social media thought was interesting. And it’s not coming back because it didn’t fundamentally address a human need. It just created a moment of notoriety.”
With increasing innovation in technology and social media, staying on top of trends can feel more important than ever. Not keeping up with trends can lead to the feeling of falling behind. There is also the appeal of increased income and participation from members. While the growth and size of news trends can be overwhelming, Perez emphasized the need for adaptability in the community rec industry.
“These questions are anchored on the amount of change that’s taking place right now in our world,” said Perez. “There are people who are afraid of it. But what this means is you’ll be able to move faster, then you’ll be able to connect with people better and tell more compelling stories.”
What should be top of mind for any organization is relationships are at the core of community rec and non-profit work. The three pieces of Perez’s formula for human engagement are vital to follow as the reasoning for decision making about trends because your choices will ultimately affect your members.
“We don’t chase the fad for the opportunity to make money,” said Perez. “We’re chasing the opportunity to be transformational which is what drives so many of us into this space.”
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