Nonprofit AF

Exploring the fun and frustrations of nonprofit work

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A mass uprising is needed. Our sector has a vital role to play.

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[Image description: An outline of a clenched fist, sprayed in black paint on a brick wall. Image by TheDigitalArtist on Pixabay]

I know everyone has been on edge, anticipating the Executive Orders that are coming this week, possibly even today, that are targeted to devastate the nonprofit sector, including targeting climate-focused organizations, punishing organizations that fund or do work abroad, revoking the tax status of organizations like Harvard that refuse to comply with the administration’s ideology, and designating certain organizations as terrorist organizations.

The attacks are strategic, designed to overwhelm and exhaust us all so we can’t fight back against the horrible things this fascist administration is doing, including the planned gutting of Head Start, a vital resource for hundreds of thousands of low-income families.  

The actions of this administration are unlawful, as this helpful document from the National Council of Nonprofits shows. It has no authority to limit what types of orgs are eligible for 501c3 status, nor does the president have authority to order the IRS to revoke the c3 status of specific nonprofits, nor does the IRS have the authority to remove nonprofits of its status without due process.

Of course, none of that matters when we’re dealing with a dictator, one who has suggested deporting US citizens to torture camps abroad and who has ignored even the unanimous ruling of the Supreme Court.

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Funders, here’s the blueprint for saving democracy

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[Image description: A protestor in front of a tent, surrounded by several signs. One that stands out says “Stay the course, this will happen to YOU” accompanied by several pictures of war and suffering. Image by greyerbaby on Pixabay]

Two weeks ago, I met with a colleague who was invited to a convening of funders in Seattle. He reported that the funders present were wringing their hands, unsure of what their foundations should be doing to respond to the rapid dismantling of democracy and the exponential increase in suffering communities are facing.

This week, David Callahan of Inside Philanthropy wrote a post on LinkedIn reporting similar dynamics of tentativeness among funders across the sector. David suggests several possible reasons for the hesitation, including shellshock from the cruelty and chaos unleashed by this administration, as well as funders’ lack of knowledge and confidence as to what strategies would work to counter it. While David and I agree on a lot of things, it’s this last point he makes where we may differ in opinions:

“Third, there’s only so much that funders can or should do to lead. Philanthropy’s main role is to support civil society groups, who rightly should be out front in the pushback to Trump’s actions. If those organizations aren’t coalescing around a set of promising big strategies — and there’s no sign they are — funders have limited options. They can’t bankroll grand new plans to fight MAGA if such plans don’t yet exist.

“Or, as one foundation CEO told me, ‘People keep yelling at us to give out more money, but for what?’”

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National orgs must step up to help nonprofits and our communities as we face this fascist sh!tstorm

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[Image description: A street packed with protestors holding signs. One says “Capitalism kills our future” and another sign says “It IS an emergency.” Image by LeoSch on Pixabay]

About 15 years ago, I was invited to speak on a panel at a conference run by a large, well-funded national organization whose mission was to represent the entire nonprofit sector. The entry fee for this 3-day conference was $2200, which my org with a budget of $500K couldn’t afford. The panel organizer asked me to apply for a scholarship, which I did, but it wasn’t successful. “Sorry,” I said, “I can’t speak on the panel because my scholarship application got rejected.” She was able to convince the organization to let me in.

Those were three surreal days. I felt like an unwashed peasant who had sneaked into the royal ball. But that dissonance tapered off, and I was disappointed at how a space full of the most powerful nonprofit organizations and leaders were focused on some of the most banal topics possible (“Legal compliance for foundations” “How to lower overhead costs” “The art of keeping donors happy” “Signs someone from a small organization has crashed your conference”). I stuffed my tote bag with as many free swag items and snacks as I could get, consolation prizes for the disillusionment I felt at our sector’s leadership.

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My one-man show about nonprofit and philanthropy is going on tour!

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[Image description: An empty stage in the darkness with multiple spotlights shining down. Several grids, looking kind of like windows, hang from the ceiling. Image from Pixabay]

Hi everyone, I have been keeping quiet about this exciting project I’ve been working on for the past two years, but I’m happy to report it’s finally ready for the limelight! As some of you know, I have a background in theater. Well, OK, I took Drama as an elective in high school, and I have been pulled up on stage at least once during an improv show. This is enough for me to realize I love acting and performing.

So for the past couple of years, I’ve been developing a one-man show and testing it out with small focus groups (usually my friends and family members who couldn’t think of excuses fast enough to get out of it).

And now, with generous sponsorship from the Satterberg Foundation, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN), and my Patreon community, it’s ready to hit the road this June on a nine-city tour (Seattle, Portland Oregon, Denver, Austin, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Asheville, New York, and Toronto).

The four-hour show (with intermission) is called “Please Send Money: A Joyful Yet Soul-Crushing Journey Through Nonprofit and Philanthropy.”

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Amidst the rise of fascism, we need to stop catering to donors’ passions and preferences

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[Image description: A happy-looking fluffy, kind of light pink poodle. Image by petfoto on Pixabay]

Hi everyone, happy Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This post may be short and incoherent, because I’m supposed to be wrapping up the manuscript of my book and sending it to my editor at Wiley. Due to the collapse of democracy and the rise of fascism, it must be changed a bit, including the title, which right now stands at “Burn It All Down and Rise from the Ashes: A Guide for Transforming the Nonprofit and Philanthropy Sector into a Badass Phoenix of Equity and Justice!” But I’m sure the publisher will demand a more boring and “marketable” title.

A few weeks ago, as the federal government launched the first phase of its war on DEI and on the nonprofit sector, I was on LinkedIn perusing the comments while eating a container of Ben and Jerry’s “Cherry Garcia” non-dairy ice cream, when one of those annoying AI questions popped up, where apparently, I was one of the experts invited to answer a question. The question was “You’re seeking to engage new major donors. How can you tailor your fundraising strategy to their preferences?”

72 answers were given by various fundraising experts, most of them advising nonprofits to cater to donors by doing things like:

  • “personalize outreach with stories and opportunities to align with their passions,”
  • “research their philanthropic interests and past giving patterns” so you can adjust your interactions, and
  • “invite them to private events or behind-the-scenes tours to show how your cause aligns with their values.”

Only one person pushed back against the idea that nonprofits should “tailor” their strategies for donors or funders.

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