Office Culture - Nonprofit AF

humor

7 New Rules of Workplace Professionalism: Post-Pandemic Edition

Hi everyone, a couple of things before we get started: If you’re free on June 27th at 10am Pacific Time, please join me and Common Future’s Co-CEO Jennifer Njuguna in a conversation where we discuss our sector’s propensity for fear and risk-aversion, especially in light the pushback

nonprofit field

Let’s de-normalize alcohol consumption in nonprofit, and let’s be more considerate of colleagues who don’t drink

Hi everyone, next week we have PEEP (Party to Enhance Equity in Philanthropy), a series of fun events where nonprofit and foundation staff and board members get together and stare into one another's eyes while the wind rustles through the leaves and the warm sun paints the afternoon

Office Culture

We need to talk about our toxic obsession with productivity

At the beginning of the pandemic, I texted a friend, an executive director, to see how he was doing. “I share this in confidence,” he texted back, “current sitch, watching Frozen 2 in bed with [my daughter].” He sent over a picture of his TV, on which Anna was huddled

Community Engagement

Guidelines for higher education programs that require students to do special projects with nonprofits

Hi everyone. Quick announcement before we launch into today’s post. The Peery Foundation, whose CEO Jessamyn Shams-Lau and I co-authored the book Unicorns Unite (along with the amazing Jane Leu of Smarter Good), is having an Ask Me Anything on 2/14 at 11am Pacific time. They're

ED Life

Toxic Self-Marginalization: How our unconscious addiction to being underdogs harms our work

Hi everyone. This post is long and will deal with a serious topic that may rile you up. Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more of us who are supposed to be on the same “side” attack one another. “We progressives are eating our own” is a refrain I

humor

Vacation tips for nonprofit professionals who suck at vacationing

Hi everyone, I am still in Vietnam. This was supposed to be a vacation, but I realize that I suck at vacationing. So I went on to the NAF Facebook community, made up of witty and attractive people, to ask for tips. The community did not disappoint! Over 500 comments

Grantwriting

25 beautiful and profound haiku about nonprofit work

Hi everyone, Thank you to all of you who participated in Unicorns Unite’s first-ever #NonprofitHaiku contest on Twitter. Apologies for being late in judging the winners. Here they are below. Co-authors Jessamyn Shams-Lau, Jane Leu, and I each picked our favorites. They varied a lot. I put those in

nonprofit field

“Does this board member spark joy?” How to tidy your organization using the KonMari method

Have you noticed how we in this sector tend to hoard stuff? There are several reasons for this. First, we are trained to be thrappy, which is a combination of “thrifty” and “scrappy,” to keep our “overhead” low. Second, because we are empathetic, even to inanimate objects, and just the

leadership

Welcome back to work, you stunningly brilliant and attractive world-changer, you!

My friends of the nonprofit sector. For many of you, this is your first week back at work after a much-deserved but all-too-brief period of rest. It is not a fun feeling, and not helped by the perky morning people in the office who probably should not talk to me

ED Life

Our default organizational decision-making model is flawed. Here’s an awesome alternative!

Hi everyone, before we launch into today’s post, my friend Oz recorded my Guided Meditation for Nonprofit Professionals. Check out Oz’s soothing voice as he guides you to the Land of Sustainability in this free 12-minute relaxation exercise. “Breathe in and out […] Your desk is completely clutter-free and

ED Life

Being thankful is not enough. Here are 21 tips to help you do a better job thanking people

Hi everyone, before we get into this week’s post, please take a moment to help people affected by the wildfires in California. Your donations and support in other ways make a difference. -- Thanksgiving is coming up this week, and all of us in the US will likely be

leadership

The Wheel of Disillusionment: What it is and how it destroys relationships and creates toxic cultures

Hi everyone. This week’s post is long and a little serious (despite the picture of ducklings). But before that, a couple of quick announcements. First, PLEASE VOTE!!! Second, I’m doing a Facebook Live this Tuesday, November 6th, 12:30 to 1:30pm PST, to update you all on