Hi everyone, this will be the last post for this year. I’ll be back on January 6th. My older son, Viet, loves holiday music, and often asks for it to be played when I drive the kids to various places. The kids would ask me various questions about the
Hi everyone, I was writing a blog post, and then just as I was about to publish it, I realized I had already written on the topic! And you know what, the post written 3 years ago was funnier! It was about Plaque and Sack, when you loudly and publicly
“Take it easy in this capitalist hellscape.” That’s the last line that Alice sent me. We had been exchanging emails, as I had quoted her in my new book and wanted to make sure she was OK with it. I asked how she was doing. “I'm hanging
Hi everyone, there is an economic blackout from 11/28 to 12/5 in protest of fascism and corporate greed, so please avoid spending money on those days, as well as avoid streaming services, social media, and AI stuff as much as you can. If you need to buy something,
Last week, I was in Toronto facilitating a conversation on equitable grantmaking with a group of brilliant colleagues, including several funders and impact investment leaders. During the rise of authoritarianism, it is vital for funders to understand what’s at stake and to act accordingly. I reminded the workshop attendees
Hi everyone, I am on a plane heading to New York to speak at the Nonprofit New York conference, and Wi-Fi is very spotty, so apologies for the poor grammar and coherence. If you’re free next week, join me and podcast co-hosts Monique Curry-Mims and Valerie Johnson for a
Hi everyone, you must be as exhausted as I am by the relentless awfulness that’s going on everywhere in the world. But please pay attention to Sudan, where there is a genocide taking place, with thousands recently massacred, including children, and millions displaced and starving. And like with all
Hi everyone, this week is Halloween, which is probably my favorite holiday, mainly because I like the easy access to junk food everywhere I go. If you’re on Instagram, check out my “Scary Nonprofit Stories,” including the one about the meeting that begun with a never-ending round of introductions.
Hi everyone, Halloween is coming up next week, which means it's time for the annual scary stories. These are terrifying tales that are guaranteed to send chills up your spine. Gather your coworkers and read these stories together, because I don't recommend you read them alone.
Hi everyone. Halloween is coming up, which means it’s time for scary stories. Grab a stuffie and wrap yourself in a blanket as I tell a terrifying tale that will leave you with chills down your spine. This one is extra scary because it’s true; I didn’t
Hi everyone, I’ve been stress-eating chocolate, so I’m not sure how coherent this post will be. Besides the general state of the world, I also have my book launching next week with an in-person event in Seattle, the logistics have been bringing up gala-related trauma from my previous
Hi everyone, thank you so much for your patience as we transitioned this website to Ghost. Look how cool it is! Thank you to the amazing Carissa and Stacy of stacynguyen.com for their work. A few changes with this new system: · Email notification should be significantly better. Everyone who
Personal
Hi everyone, a couple of announcements. First, if you’re in Seattle, please come to the book launch event I’m having on October 14th from 6pm to 8pm at Centilia Cultural Center. Everyone is so stressed, so I want it to be a fun and community-building event. I already
funding
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
funding
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
leadership
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,
Funder Relations
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
humor
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
Uncategorized
***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
Board Relations
***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
Policy and Advocacy
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
Personal
Hi everyone, after months of being holed up in my room writing every weekend, and muttering and cursing to myself, I'm excited to announce that my book will be released on October 14th! You can pre-order your copy at Elliott Bay Book Company, Barnes and Nobles, Bookshop, or
Funder Relations
Hi everyone. Before we get started on today’s topic, happy Pride! To all my colleagues who are lesbian, gay, (fellow) bisexual, trans, genderfluid, intersex, nonbinary, queer, asexual, questioning, or any combination of the above and other identities, you’re awesome. Thank you for being who you are. Please take
Uncategorized
Hi everyone, if you’re free on June 5th at 10am Pacific Time, my friend and colleague, Ananda Valenzuela, will be leading a FREE virtual workshop called “Exploring Power Dyamics and Principled Accountability.” It’ll be bilingual in English and Spanish. Register here. Last week, I attended a production of