Nonprofit With Balls is now…Nonprofit AF!

So I am happy to announce that Nonprofit With Balls is now Nonprofit AF. We are Nonprofit AF. What does AF stand for? Amplified and Focused? Awesome and on Fire? Amazing and Fluffy? Sure.

Now, some of you really love Nonprofit With Balls as the name for this blog. I do too. So why the heck am I changing it? Simple: I have been preaching about intent versus impact for several years now, pointing out things such as funding practices that are well-intentioned, but totally inequitable. And hiring practices, also adopted with good intentions, but that play out with terrible consequences. If we are to build the kind of world we want, we can no longer lean on “good intentions” to shield us from acknowledging the impact on the people around us.

Although NWB had the intention of being humorous and cheeky (here’s the origin story), the impact, pointed out by colleagues throughout the years—in nice and not-so-nice ways—hasn’t always been positive to everyone. It reinforces a sort of toxic masculinity, adding to the unconscious narrative and bias that only male characteristics are indicative of strength and audacity.

Not everyone agrees, and I know many people who say, “Let’s lighten up!” But I realize that if we are to engage in this work effectively, we must be thoughtful and take into account all voices. Especially in light of the current state of civil discourse in our society, being thoughtful is not a weakness; it is one of the strengths of our sector.

It’ll take me and some of us a while to get used to saying “Nonprofit AF,” or “NAF” instead of “NWB.” But, the name and the banner are the only things that are changing. The content, the pictures of cute baby animals for no reason, the Kenny Loggins and Foreigner references, the silly metaphors, those things all remain.

Oh wait, the lines of merchandise will be updated to have the new name, so if you really like NWB, order your t-shirts and mugs now; I’ll keep them up with the old name until end of May. New merchandise, meanwhile, are being designed by NAF’s genius designer Stacy and will be released soon.

Thank you for everyone’s patience and support throughout this process. We do important work, I love the community we build together, and I am proud to be Nonprofit AF.

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Donate, or give a grant, to Vu’s organization, Rainier Valley Corps, which has the mission of bringing more leaders of color into the nonprofit sector and getting diverse communities to work together to address systemic issues.