Nonprofit AF

Exploring the fun and frustrations of nonprofit work

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Vu

Funders, please stop trying to be unique snowflakes

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[A clear snowflake crystal standing out among other snowflakes, on the tip of what looks like green leaves, possibly pine needles. Image by Aaron Burden on Unsplash]

Hi everyone, if you’ve been having issues getting email notices of new blog posts, my apologies. I’m still tweaking the system and possibly might need to switch to another platform, because this has been irritating. Just be assured that unless something out of the ordinary happens (like I won the lottery), there will be a new post every Tuesday.

A few months ago, I was attending a conference where there was a panel of funders. Someone asked a question about something, and a panelist answered with this joke: “Well, if you’ve seen one foundation, you’ve seen…ONE foundation!” Everyone chuckled; one because the joke was well-delivered with good comedic timing, but also because power dynamics have conditioned nonprofit leaders to laugh at funders’ and donors’ jokes, regardless of their mirthful qualities.

But this joke made me think about how easily we just take things at face value when it comes to funder behaviors, even when those behaviors negatively affect nonprofits and the communities they serve. This oft-repeated joke, when explained, means every foundation is unique and has its own values, processes, idiosyncrasies, likes and dislikes, and so on, and therefore, nonprofits would do well to do their own research on each foundation they approach instead of relying on general advice about funders.

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How to stay motivated when everything is on fire and you look and feel like crap

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[A cute light brown dog, probably a chihuahua, lying on the floor, their head down, looking tired or sleepy or maybe mad. Image by Simon Hermans on Unsplash]

Hi everyone, I just got back from a whirlwind summer in Japan and Vietnam, where I—and I didn’t think this would happen again for me—fell in love. With not having to work. Long walks on the beach—without answering emails. Deep conversations late into the night—but not about cashflow issues and revenues projections. It was magical; I felt young and alive again.

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Instructions on not giving up: Let’s conserve our energy for the battles ahead

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[Image description: A white cat, resting, eyes closed, one paw on their face. Image by Shanon on Pixabay]

***Vu’s new book, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector, comes out October 14th. Pre-order your copy***

Hi everyone, I am on a plane bound for Vietnam from Tokyo. A couple of announcements before we get started:

I’m taking my yearly summer break from this blog, so this will be the last post for a while. I’ll be back with a new post on August 19th.

Also, I’m switching to another platform [not sure which one, after hearing from some of you about how problematic Substack is] when I get back. WordPress has served its purpose, but it’s gotten increasingly frustrating to use, including the several months when it didn’t send out notices of new posts to anyone. Substack hopefully will take care of some of these problems. The old posts will remain here so you can access them anytime. New ones will be published on the new platform. If you subscribed by email, you’ll automatically be transferred over; feel free to unsubscribe later.

I’m still keeping everything free on the new platforms instead of limiting some content to paid subscribers. But thank you in advance to paid subscribers, both on Substack and on Patreon. Your support each month allows me financial security to speak my mind freely without worrying about being canceled and not being able to pay the bills.

***

The last few days in Tokyo have been very fulfilling and exactly what I needed. I don’t want to romanticize Japan too much, as I know it has its share of challenges, but it’s just been nice to be in a society where the sense of responsibly to the collective community is so strong. People care for one another and for the environment. On the trains and everywhere there are constant reminders to be thoughtful about children, older adults, and disabled people. Traveling around with two relatively young kids is always challenging, but I don’t remember a time when I’ve felt this relaxed about their safety. It is such a contrast to the US, where each morning I send them off to school and pray there’s no mass shooting.

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Brutally honest answers to 15 pointless questions our sector keeps asking itself

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[A small fluffy round gray bird, standing on a ledge, staring at the camera, looking kind of grumpy. Anyone knows what bird this is? Image by Shridhar Thorat on Unsplash]

***Vu’s new book, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector, comes out October 14th. Pre-order your copy***

Hi everyone, I’m on a plane heading to Tokyo. It’s been several hours and I’m tired and grumpy and hallucinating a little, which might affect the tone of this piece. Last week, I had a speaking engagement in Canada. While I was there, the president of the US abruptly left the G7 summit. Apparently to start World War 3 until his boss, Putin, told him to back off.

Before my speech, I was making conversation with a colleague at my table, who brought up a problem she sees with our sector: The term “nonprofit.” This is a common discussion we have from time to time over the years. Why define our sector by something that it’s “not”? It’s so confusing and leads to people thinking things like nonprofits can’t generate income.

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The Tide is Surging: The No King Protests and the Beginning of the End of Fascism in the US

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[Image description: Protestors on the streets of Seattle, holding various signs, including ones that say “Defend Democracy,” “When cruelty becomes normal, compassion looks radical,” “True Americans love and support our immigrant friends and family,” “Education not deportation,” and a few American flags. Image taken by Vu]

Hi everyone. Thank you for all your support when I announced the publication date of my new book last week. I really appreciate it, especially as I was overwhelmed with a feeling of inadequacy upon submitting the manuscript to my editor. Apparently, self-doubt and even dread are common in the book-writing-and-promoting process, but all your encouraging messages and pre-orders have been very helpful, so thank you.

This weekend, I attended Seattle’s No King protest. I went because I felt terrible about everything. Over the past few months, there has been one crisis after another. The ICE raids in LA and everywhere, the assault of Senator Padilla, the assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, the continued attacks on trans people, the ongoing support of genocide. Right before the protest, I had read about the deportation of 160 Southeast Asians, including 93 to Vietnam, where I grew up. Many of these people have been in the US since they were children or have never even set foot in Southeast Asia.

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