"Amid the urgent challenges of our time, many nonprofits are also grappling with disconnection, mistrust, and "othering" across generations. These tensions sap creativity, reduce engagement, stunt leadership growth, and weaken organizational power, just when it's needed most. While intergenerational frictions are not new, they have intensified, driven by shifting social conditions, remote work, and the accelerating pace of technology. Intergenerational collaboration can unlock creativity, wisdom, and resilience-resources we desperately need. But harnessing our full collective talent, energy, and spirit is hard."
"How can we build something better? Here we share insights from our years of working as organizational development consultants in intergenerational, cross-racial partnership. We focus specifically on generational divides because these patterns of dehumanization reinforce systems of oppression. To move toward partnership, we first need to name the habits and mindsets that get in the way. Below are some of the most common challenges that we've witnessed, and why they matter."
"We believe generational divisions stem from the same mindset that perpetuates racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression: the ideology of dominance and subjugation or the belief that one group is more worthy and should hold power, while another should have little or none. One persistent mindset is the belief that power is a zero-sum game. Power is not only seen as finite, but inherently dangerous when held by the "other.""
Many nonprofits experience growing intergenerational disconnection, mistrust, and othering that drain creativity, reduce engagement, stunt leadership development, and diminish organizational power. Intergenerational frictions have intensified because of shifting social conditions, remote work, and accelerating technology. Cross-generational collaboration can unlock creativity, wisdom, and resilience, but harnessing collective talent and energy is difficult. Generational divides often reflect an ideology of dominance and subjugation that also undergirds racism and sexism. Treating power as zero-sum, fearing power held by the perceived other, unclear roles, and age- or tenure-based hierarchies reproduce systems of dominance within nonprofits.
Read at Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
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