Introducing 30 things to think about

I’ve never been a great one for anniversaries.

Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s great that for the past 30 years, ACEVO has been supporting, developing and championing civil society leaders. Because our sector is all about making a difference, and great leaders make a big difference.

But – perhaps because I’ve only been at the helm for less than a year – rather than dwell on our past, I’m more interested in thinking about our future. What are the issues that are going to affect our sector over the next three decades, and how should we, as civil society leaders, respond to them?

We hope this gives you the opportunity to stop, to think and to look forward.

That’s why, to mark ACEVO’s 30th birthday, we’ve brought together 30 interesting voices to create 30 things to think about. These are 30 thought-provoking insights for civil society leaders that we hope will inspire debate about how to make the biggest difference over the next 30 years.

Every day in November we’re publishing a new piece of content looking from a different angle at some of the key issues and challenges that will shape the future of civil society. We’re grateful for the support of NatWest, which has made this project possible.

We hope this gives you the opportunity to stop, to think and to look forward. We’ve mixed up different types of content for this project, including longer articles, shorter posts, audio and video.

Not all the pieces provide answers, but they do pose interesting questions. We hope they spark discussions and give food for thought and stimulus for action.

I hope you enjoy them and I look forward to ACEVO’s next 30 years, inspiring and empowering civil society leaders to have the vision, energy and creativity needed to change the world for the better.