Nonprofit AF

Exploring the fun and frustrations of nonprofit work

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Donor engagement and the retail-ification of equity and justice

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[Image description: A scene from Saigon’s Ben Thanh market. Several stalls stacked to the brim with a dizzying variety of things: fruit, coffee, souvenirs, kitchen utensils. Several people are in the aisle, perusing wares. Image by Falco Negenman on Unsplash]

Hi everyone, buckle up (though, at this point in the rapid collapse of civilization, I’m not sure any of us can be more buckled than we already are). Whenever I talk about donors, people get weirdly defensive and all up in their feelings, like a mama bear when someone threatens her cubs. If that’s you, please grab some fair-trade chocolate, a cup of matcha, or whatever else that soothes you before continuing.

I grew up in Vietnam and often go back to visit. One of my favorite places is Saigon’s Bến Thành market, a giant mostly indoor market with about 1500 vendors. I took my kids there one day this summer so they could be immersed in the experience, and they were quickly overwhelmed by people shouting at and beckoning to us to buy souvenirs, dried fish, fruit, clothes, toys, hot food, and electronics. With so much competition all around, who could blame these hardworking vendors for clamoring for customers’ attention and dollars.

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Donors and funders, instead of freaking out or being numb, here are things you can do to fight fascism:

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[Image description: Three cats peering out from a partially open wooden door. Two cats are white and grey and one is white and orange. Image by PhilippT on Pixabay]

Hi everyone, quick announcement: If you’re free this Friday, September 12th, at 11am Pacific Time, please join me and Edgar Villanueva for an Instagram Live conversation. We’ll be talking about my new book and what our sector needs to do to fight fascism. Just get onto Instagram at that time and go to Edgar’s IG page @villanuevaedgar or my page @nonprofitaf.

I just attended a wonderful retreat put on by Solidaire Network, a network of progressive funders, donors, and movement leaders. The attendees were all very attractive, but that could be because they were all talking about fighting fascism and saving democracy, and nothing revs my engine more than those things, if you know what I mean (wink). Everyone was clear-eyed about the serious threats facing our world, but there were also many moments of authentic joy, humor, healing, and community. I felt so at home that I didn’t even engage in my usual coping strategy of stealing as many snacks and office supplies as possible.

Thank you Solidaire for inviting me, and for letting me debut my nonprofit-themed stand-up comedy set. I had a great time and left with much to be grateful for. And also much to think about.

During a particularly compelling session at the retreat, leaders who are on the ground sounded the alarm about the short timeline we all have to block and reverse the US’s rapid descent into fascism. Basically, we have less than a year. Even as you read this, right-wing forces are solidifying their grasps on every aspect of society. Federal troops occupy DC, and Trump threatens to send soldiers to Chicago, with other progressive-leaning bases to follow. ICE continues to disappear people. Multiple g3nocides are still taking place. The State continues punishing the press for reporting on the horrific things it’s doing. The Supreme Court just ruled that racial profiling is OK. And of course, our sector continues to be weakened so we are in survival mode and can’t fully fight back. This is still just the beginning.

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Annual performance reviews suck. Here’s how to make them better. Or maybe we should just ditch them.

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[Image description: A black and white lemur, with orange eyes, staring directly at the camera, their hands on a wooden pole. Image by Stephen Hickman on Unsplash]

In my several decades as a nonprofit professional, there are a couple of harrowing occasions that have seared themselves into my soul, causing me to wake up in the middle of the night, filled with rage. One of these occasions involved cryptocurrency, some sock puppets, and 12 gallons of bleach, but that’s a story for another time.

The more relevant occasion for this topic was when I sat facing several grim-looking board members as they chewed me out during my annual review. I came into the meeting so proud of what the team and I had accomplished that year, and left feeling like garbage, a mixture of confusion, shame, and sadness. I was seriously thinking of quitting and finding a new job. Or possibly becoming a hermit. A hermit with reliable Wi-Fi to watch Game of Thrones (It was still a great show at that time).

Annual reviews are done so horribly in our sector, because they’re often done thoughtlessly, taking toxic processes and philosophies from white corporate models. What works over there in a competitive, profits-oriented environment doesn’t mean it’ll work here in a sector where a lot of people are trying to make the world better while being underpaid, wearing “multiple hats,” using Mesozoic-era printers, and burning out. Throw in the shitstorm that is our socio-economic-political situation, and people are barely hanging on by a gossamer thread.

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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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