5 lessons for nonprofits from the Seahawks’ bizarre Super Bowl loss
Hi everyone. I am trying to calm down enough so that I can write this week’s blog post. But I can’t. This post is going to be crappy. Because the whole City of Seattle, probably the whole world, is...
View Article“I Can Write the Saddest Grant Proposal Tonight” and other nonprofit love poems
Hi everyone. OK, I think I’ve almost recovered from the Seahawks’ Super Bowl defeat. I can now eat Skittles without bursting into tears. All of you were very helpful throughout this grieving process,...
View ArticleWhy we should rethink Accountability as an organizational and societal value
Every once a while we nonprofits have a retreat to select or reevaluate organizational values. Invariably during the brainstorming, someone will scream out “Accountability!” and feel very proud for...
View ArticleCapacity Building 9.0: Fund people to do stuff, get out of their way
Some people think capacity building is boring. Well, I think it’s sexy, and I’ve spent many hours writing romantic poems about it: “Can Love’s arrows seek truest rapture/Without the quiver of...
View ArticleStandardized answers to the Sustainability Question
Hi everyone, last week the Chronicle of Philanthropy published a piece I wrote on the Sustainability Myth. Warning: The piece is for paid subscribers, but it was adapted from this post—“Can we all just...
View Article9 annoying nonprofit trends that need to die
Hi everyone, I am heading to Vietnam this week for a much-needed vacation. I’ll still be writing each Monday, but can’t guarantee the quality of the blog posts, since I’ll be stuffing my face with...
View Article20 quotes by famous people if they had worked in nonprofit
Hi everyone, I am back in the US after a rough 24-hour trip with a two-year-old that ended with us at US Customs declaring that we had brought back several packages of vegan deer jerky made from soy...
View Article21 time-saving tips for busy nonprofit professionals
One of the most common questions that I am asked is, “Dude, how do you manage to find time to write a regular blog post each week, while being a full-time ED, while also maintaining a family that...
View ArticleFunders, thank you for doing these 12 awesome things
Hi everyone, after talking to an ED of color who was on the verge of quitting the field after a horrible and demoralizing experience with a small grant that left her almost in tears, I started writing...
View ArticleFunders, your grant application process may be perpetuating inequity
A few weeks ago, a fellow Executive Director of color and a friend of mine, “Maria,” was nearly in tears after failing for a second time to get a small grant. She doesn’t drink, or else I would have...
View ArticleWhy individual donations strategies often do not work for communities of color
Hi everyone, this week is my organization’s first annual fundraising reception, where we formally introduce our Fellows to the community. Doing special events, to be honest, freaks me out, and I have...
View ArticleIs your organization or foundation unknowingly setting Capacity Traps?
Happy Fall, everyone. Time for pumpkin spice in everything. And butternut squash, which I have never gained a liking for. It’s in or on all sorts of stuff: ravioli, pizza, bread, ice cream. I just...
View ArticleWhy Equality is actively harmful to Equity
A few weeks ago, I gave a keynote speech to a large group of youth involved in philanthropy, along with a few of their parents and mentors. My topic was “The Role of Equity in Philanthropy.” It was...
View Article“I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas” and other nonprofit holiday songs
Hi everyone, happy holidays. I hope that you are taking it easy these next couple of weeks. This week, instead of reading serious articles about our sector, I learned about the dark origins of...
View ArticleCommon nonprofit terms and concepts and what they actually mean
Hi everyone, a colleague asked me to write a translation of nonprofit terminologies and concepts, which may be helpful to those who are thinking of going into nonprofit work. Since I was pressed for...
View ArticleWhy Budget Testing is a terrible way for foundations to determine funding...
A while ago, I wrote “When you don’t disclose salary range on a job posting, a unicorn loses its wings.” The post highlights the importance of salary transparency from the beginning of the hiring...
View ArticleDude, what’s with this notion that nonprofits don’t have clear outcomes?
Hi everyone, this post will likely be my last coherent one for a while, because my second baby is due to arrive next Tuesday, March 15th (Eeeeeeek!) I plan to keep up with my weekly writing schedule,...
View Article7 lessons nonprofits can learn from newborn babies
Hi everyone, my apologies in advance, as today’s post may not be very coherent. On Friday, my son, Kiet Thomas Prinzing Le, was born (you can see a picture on Nonprofit Happy Hour). The little tyke...
View ArticleThe role of the Oxford Comma in nonprofit communications
Hi everyone, today we must address an issue that has been causing much tension, grief, and consternation in our sector, as well as in other fields. This is an issue that has ruined friendships, pitted...
View ArticleHey foundation trustees, come get a beer with us
Hi everyone. You may have noticed that NWB now has ads. I tried to hold out for as long as I could, but with increased traffic comes increased costs to maintain this blog. I’ll try to make sure the ads...
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