NonprofitAF
@nonprofitaf.bsky.social
Yup. It’s me, rabble rouser, seitan-worshipper, and defender of the Oxford Comma. I’ll be more active on here as time goes on.
“give multi-year general operating dollars (MYGOD), fund faster, give more, remove barriers they impose on nonprofits —do what conservative funders have been doing for decades for their grantees. Get over these paternalistic, condescending philosophies and assumptions and act like true partners.”
Funders, stop viewing your tedious and paternalistic requirements as nonprofit "accountability"
Last week, I was in Toronto facilitating a conversation on equitable grantmaking with a group of colleagues, including several funders and impact investment leaders. During the rise of authoritarianis...
www.nonprofitaf.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:50 AM
“give multi-year general operating dollars (MYGOD), fund faster, give more, remove barriers they impose on nonprofits —do what conservative funders have been doing for decades for their grantees. Get over these paternalistic, condescending philosophies and assumptions and act like true partners.”
“The past few months (years) we have all been inundated with terrible news about awful things happening all over the world. While we should continue paying attention to them and act when we can, it’s important to acknowledge that awesome things are also taking place.”
Good news roundup: Things to make you feel hopeful this week
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, jo...
www.nonprofitaf.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:43 AM
“The past few months (years) we have all been inundated with terrible news about awful things happening all over the world. While we should continue paying attention to them and act when we can, it’s important to acknowledge that awesome things are also taking place.”
“We have seen how toxic many of the ‘best practices’ we’ve entrenched in fundraising over the past few decades have been […] Maybe during philanthropic advising’s nascent stage, we can prevent some of these pitfalls before they gain too much ground.”
Philanthropic advisors, embrace your role as agents of justice
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 thous...
www.nonprofitaf.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:42 AM
“We have seen how toxic many of the ‘best practices’ we’ve entrenched in fundraising over the past few decades have been […] Maybe during philanthropic advising’s nascent stage, we can prevent some of these pitfalls before they gain too much ground.”
“as a sector that prides itself on its collective mission of fighting inequity and injustice, we also cannot absolve ourselves of the responsibility of grappling with difficult conversations about the tech we use and how we may be complicit in furthering the things we’re seeking to counter.”
GoFundMe and the much scarier stuff behind many of the technologies we use daily
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 St...
www.nonprofitaf.com
October 28, 2025 at 6:07 AM
“as a sector that prides itself on its collective mission of fighting inequity and injustice, we also cannot absolve ourselves of the responsibility of grappling with difficult conversations about the tech we use and how we may be complicit in furthering the things we’re seeking to counter.”
“No!” said another leader, “We don’t need research! Or summits! Money! We need money! Our programs run on money! We’re all so tired trying to get you to understand!”
“Got it!” said the program officer, writing “self-care” on the easel paper.
“Got it!” said the program officer, writing “self-care” on the easel paper.
Scary Nonprofit Stories to Tell in the Dark 2025
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 an...
www.nonprofitaf.com
October 21, 2025 at 5:38 AM
“No!” said another leader, “We don’t need research! Or summits! Money! We need money! Our programs run on money! We’re all so tired trying to get you to understand!”
“Got it!” said the program officer, writing “self-care” on the easel paper.
“Got it!” said the program officer, writing “self-care” on the easel paper.
“Of all the crappy funding practices funders sometimes pull, requiring nonprofits to justify line items variances on their financial reports is one of the most archaic, inane, insipid, ludicrous, and banal of them all.”
Funders, stop requiring line-item budget reports and variance explanations
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....
www.nonprofitaf.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:56 AM
“Of all the crappy funding practices funders sometimes pull, requiring nonprofits to justify line items variances on their financial reports is one of the most archaic, inane, insipid, ludicrous, and banal of them all.”
“I don’t want the asshole tech-bros' sad dystopian visions to be the dominant ones. I want the visions I’ve read about on countless nonprofits’ websites.”
Let's reclaim our vision for the amazing society we can build from the ashes
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 ...
www.nonprofitaf.com
October 7, 2025 at 6:29 AM
“I don’t want the asshole tech-bros' sad dystopian visions to be the dominant ones. I want the visions I’ve read about on countless nonprofits’ websites.”
“we’ve tried being nice and cordial and courteous and diplomatic. If anything, our white moderate tendency to gravitate toward civility has strengthened and enabled fascists.”
Let’s be less nice while we fight against fascism
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 chan...
www.nonprofitaf.com
September 30, 2025 at 4:26 AM
“we’ve tried being nice and cordial and courteous and diplomatic. If anything, our white moderate tendency to gravitate toward civility has strengthened and enabled fascists.”
Reposted by NonprofitAF
A message and a Lesson from Norway 🇳🇴 💙💙
September 28, 2025 at 3:38 AM
A message and a Lesson from Norway 🇳🇴 💙💙
Reposted by NonprofitAF
Our work is not done…
📌 Sinclair Broadcast Group is still refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC affiliates nationwide.
Folks, you know what to do.
Google Sinclair-owned networks and channels in your city and act accordingly.
📌 Sinclair Broadcast Group is still refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC affiliates nationwide.
Folks, you know what to do.
Google Sinclair-owned networks and channels in your city and act accordingly.
September 23, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Our work is not done…
📌 Sinclair Broadcast Group is still refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC affiliates nationwide.
Folks, you know what to do.
Google Sinclair-owned networks and channels in your city and act accordingly.
📌 Sinclair Broadcast Group is still refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its ABC affiliates nationwide.
Folks, you know what to do.
Google Sinclair-owned networks and channels in your city and act accordingly.
Reposted by NonprofitAF
Urging ALL Californians to vote YES ON 50. Take those five Republican seats without an OUNCE of mercy, just like they did to us in Texas! Be our get back!!!!!
September 23, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Urging ALL Californians to vote YES ON 50. Take those five Republican seats without an OUNCE of mercy, just like they did to us in Texas! Be our get back!!!!!
“negative emotions get misdirected to ourselves and the people closest to us, often without our being conscious of it. This is a tactic and goal of fascism, as a populace that is constantly on edge and emotionally dysregulated is easier to control.”
Let’s try to be nicer to ourselves and one another while we fight against fascism
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 stresse...
nonprofitaf.com
September 23, 2025 at 6:19 AM
“negative emotions get misdirected to ourselves and the people closest to us, often without our being conscious of it. This is a tactic and goal of fascism, as a populace that is constantly on edge and emotionally dysregulated is easier to control.”
Reposted by NonprofitAF
Netanyahu: ‘These So-Called Genocide Experts Have Probably Never Committed A Genocide In Their Lives’
Netanyahu: ‘These So-Called Genocide Experts Have Probably Never Committed A Genocide In Their Lives’
JERUSALEM—In response to an independent United Nations inquiry concluding that Israel is committing an ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a defiant...
theonion.com
September 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Netanyahu: ‘These So-Called Genocide Experts Have Probably Never Committed A Genocide In Their Lives’
“All of us—nonprofits leaders, donors, funders, volunteers, clients—are like people living together in a village that is half on fire and rapidly spreading. In this situation, a retail-like mentality would be silly, if not downright destructive.”
Donor engagement and the retail-ification of equity and justice
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 d...
nonprofitaf.com
September 16, 2025 at 5:54 AM
“All of us—nonprofits leaders, donors, funders, volunteers, clients—are like people living together in a village that is half on fire and rapidly spreading. In this situation, a retail-like mentality would be silly, if not downright destructive.”
Reposted by NonprofitAF
There has been a rush among centrists like Gavin Newsom and Ezra Klein to brush over the hateful life of Charlie Kirk and valorize the man.
Let me be clear, killing Charlie Kirk was wrong and abhorrent.
We must condemn murder without sanitizing a man who built his empire on hate.
My latest piece.
Let me be clear, killing Charlie Kirk was wrong and abhorrent.
We must condemn murder without sanitizing a man who built his empire on hate.
My latest piece.
We Must Not Posthumously Sanitize Charlie Kirk's Hateful Life
Influential anti-LGBTQ+ activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday. While condemning violence is something most can get behind, sanitization of his hate has gone too far.
www.erininthemorning.com
September 11, 2025 at 6:03 PM
There has been a rush among centrists like Gavin Newsom and Ezra Klein to brush over the hateful life of Charlie Kirk and valorize the man.
Let me be clear, killing Charlie Kirk was wrong and abhorrent.
We must condemn murder without sanitizing a man who built his empire on hate.
My latest piece.
Let me be clear, killing Charlie Kirk was wrong and abhorrent.
We must condemn murder without sanitizing a man who built his empire on hate.
My latest piece.
“it is better to take any action at this point than to remain frozen while fascists and their enablers mobilize so effectively”
Donors and funders, instead of freaking out or being numb, here are things you can do to fight fascism:
Hi everyone, I just attended a wonderful retreat put on by Solidaire Network, a network of progressive funders, donors, and movement leaders. The attendees all seemed so attractive, but that could be ...
nonprofitaf.com
September 9, 2025 at 7:28 AM
“it is better to take any action at this point than to remain frozen while fascists and their enablers mobilize so effectively”
“Is there a never-ending apocalypse of pandemic/fascism/g3nocide that you maybe should account for [in the annual review process]?”
Annual performance reviews suck. Here’s how to make them better. Or maybe we should just ditch them.
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 rag...
nonprofitaf.com
September 2, 2025 at 8:19 AM
“Is there a never-ending apocalypse of pandemic/fascism/g3nocide that you maybe should account for [in the annual review process]?”
Reposted by NonprofitAF
NEW: The DoJ fails to get a grand jury to indict sandwich guy, blue city mayors are assembling a united front against Trump, Lisa Cook fights back, and Jon Ossoff's GOP challenger says Trump is in the Epstein files on a hot mic. Free to listen and subscribe! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Misdemeanor Sandwich (feat. John Fugelsang)
Podcast Episode · The Daily Beans · 08/29/2025 · 55m
podcasts.apple.com
August 29, 2025 at 7:29 PM
NEW: The DoJ fails to get a grand jury to indict sandwich guy, blue city mayors are assembling a united front against Trump, Lisa Cook fights back, and Jon Ossoff's GOP challenger says Trump is in the Epstein files on a hot mic. Free to listen and subscribe! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
“When looked through the lens of harm to nonprofits and the community, “when you’ve seen one foundation, you’ve seen one foundation” stops being a charming joke and starts being enraging.”
Funders, please stop trying to be unique snowflakes
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 b...
nonprofitaf.com
August 26, 2025 at 6:16 AM
“When looked through the lens of harm to nonprofits and the community, “when you’ve seen one foundation, you’ve seen one foundation” stops being a charming joke and starts being enraging.”
“Be in nature: Go for a nice long hike in the forest. Leave your phone behind. Walk backwards so nobody can trace you. Learn to forage for roots and berries. Befriend forest creatures for company. Stay in the forest a few years until things get better.”
How to stay motivated when everything is on fire and you look and feel like crap
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—with...
nonprofitaf.com
August 19, 2025 at 7:54 AM
“Be in nature: Go for a nice long hike in the forest. Leave your phone behind. Walk backwards so nobody can trace you. Learn to forage for roots and berries. Befriend forest creatures for company. Stay in the forest a few years until things get better.”
“our sector is more relevant than ever. Which means we need to figure out how to sustain ourselves”
Instructions on not giving up: Let’s conserve our energy for the battles ahead
***Vu’s new book, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector, comes out October...
nonprofitaf.com
July 1, 2025 at 7:49 AM
“our sector is more relevant than ever. Which means we need to figure out how to sustain ourselves”
Reposted by NonprofitAF
Generational change is coming: Since Zohran Mamdani won on Tuesday night, more than 1100 young people have reached out to @runforsomething.net to explore a run for local office -- one of our biggest spikes of the year yet.
June 26, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Generational change is coming: Since Zohran Mamdani won on Tuesday night, more than 1100 young people have reached out to @runforsomething.net to explore a run for local office -- one of our biggest spikes of the year yet.
“6.’How do we tell better stories to engage donors?’ We don’t. Donors need to grow the hell up and stop expecting to be fed palatable narratives about injustice before they’re motivated to do something about it.”
Brutally honest answers to 15 pointless questions our sector keeps asking itself
***Vu’s new book, Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector, comes out October...
nonprofitaf.com
June 24, 2025 at 11:25 AM
“6.’How do we tell better stories to engage donors?’ We don’t. Donors need to grow the hell up and stop expecting to be fed palatable narratives about injustice before they’re motivated to do something about it.”
“The No King rally was a good reminder that we, the people on the side of equity and justice, far outnumber the bullies and bigots who are currently in power. We will outflank them. We will outlast them. We will rebuild what they are trying to destroy and create a stronger, better society.”
The Tide is Surging: The No King Protests and the Beginning of the End of Fascism in the US
Hi everyone. Thank you for all your support when I announced the publication date of my new book last week....
nonprofitaf.com
June 17, 2025 at 7:07 AM
“The No King rally was a good reminder that we, the people on the side of equity and justice, far outnumber the bullies and bigots who are currently in power. We will outflank them. We will outlast them. We will rebuild what they are trying to destroy and create a stronger, better society.”
Reposted by NonprofitAF
Right now, Dems are hiding in their offices, scrolling their phones fearfully, wondering "how are voters going to feel about the National Guard being deployed?"
The right, meanwhile, is vigorously *attempting to shape* how voters feel about it, filling every medium with coordinated propaganda.
The right, meanwhile, is vigorously *attempting to shape* how voters feel about it, filling every medium with coordinated propaganda.
June 9, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Right now, Dems are hiding in their offices, scrolling their phones fearfully, wondering "how are voters going to feel about the National Guard being deployed?"
The right, meanwhile, is vigorously *attempting to shape* how voters feel about it, filling every medium with coordinated propaganda.
The right, meanwhile, is vigorously *attempting to shape* how voters feel about it, filling every medium with coordinated propaganda.