Our world is changing rapidly and the charitable community is not immune to economic globalization, technological change, and other epic developments sweeping across the horizon. Change of this magnitude offers unparalleled promise for the charitable sector and the people we serve – if we take deliberate, proactive steps to build the future we desire.

In the spring of 2015, Independent Sector partnered with more than 80 organizations to launch Threads, an intensive series of community conversations held across the country. Threads brought together a diverse cross-section of leaders from organizations of every size and mission. In total, the conversations generated thousands of comments, reflecting an incredible range of experiences and perspectives.

This report puts a finger on the pulse of our sector. It reveals what’s working and what’s not. It captures the frank thinking of leaders from nonprofits and foundations. And, most importantly, it gives us insight into what our shared path forward might look like.