Let’s face it when you work in nonprofits all day, sometimes the last thing you want to do is read more about them in your free time. But there are some nonprofit blogs that are a pleasure to read. The authors make the subject matter come alive by connecting it with things you see every day, both in your work and personal life.
A few nonprofit blogs that should be on your list and a little more about the authors:
Joan Garry Consulting
Joan Garry’s blog focuses a lot on nonprofit leadership, like boards and executives, but you don’t have to be a board member or VP to get a lot of good information out of it. Most of her blogs focus on the communication and authenticity of leadership, but those qualities are critical to all relationships in a nonprofit. Plus, lessons for board members can often be applicable to interoffice relationships and donors.
Who is Joan Garry? Her blog has the tagline “Because nonprofits are messy” and that alone should grab your attention. Joan has worked with for-profit businesses like MTV and Showtime. She eventually joined the nonprofit sector after haggling with famed boxing promoter Don King, realizing she had a gift for securing revenue (a great story if you’re curious to learn more: “Let’s Not Call It ‘Fundraising”.
She became the Executive Director of GLAAD in 1987 and led a resurgence of the organization. She then co-chaired the LGBT Finance Committee for soon-to-be President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Now she teaches nonprofit communications at the University of Pennsylvania.
Beyond that, why should you read the blog? She gets it. She knows how to talk about it. She mixes humor with her years of experience and she’s actually very funny. She shares not only the stories of success but also the moments of failure that she learned from.
All too often nonprofit blogs and advice are centered around all these success stories, but it can be extremely valuable to see the failures and to read about them as well. You see the impact of poor choices and the background of the decisions she made.
Also, she cares and that’s key. She understands the importance of nonprofits and the value that they bring to the world around it and the critical nature of those interactions.
Here’s a very quick introduction to her perspective in a TED Talk that she presented called “Leading with Purpose”:
The Storytelling Nonprofit blog does just that, focusing on the storytelling of nonprofits and how they can use it to increase their fundraising and outreach. It is written by Vanessa Chase Lockshin.
Who is Vanessa Chase Lockshin? She has years of experience working with nonprofits, including Meals on Wheels Association of America and Girl Scouts of the USA. According to her website, she has “helped clients raise millions of dollars, increase a monthly giving program to more than 5,000 donors, improved donor retention rates, and created donor stewardship plans.”
Beyond that, why should you read the blog? Because storytelling matters. The stories of your successes are what makes a nonprofit donor-worthy.
Her blogs focus on all aspects of telling your story, from how to support your community by sharing their stories (and how to make them better storytellers) to why you need to tell stories and how you gain buy-in to the storytelling process.
While storytelling often sounds simple, it’s not. Vanessa breaks it down into a variety of categories and reasons why it can be important in almost every aspect of your nonprofit. From conducting interviews to writing the stories, emails, and more. She explores many different angles of how storytelling can be used and how it can be most effective.
In short, while storytelling is fantastic, how you tell the story for different audiences and mediums can make a huge difference.
Beth Kanter’s blog is focused a lot on technology and its impact on the nonprofit sector. Obviously, that’s been a huge issue for the past 20 years and will continue to be an issue going forward. That makes her blog an amazing resource for many who may not be that tech-savvy in a field that’s depending more and more on technology.
In the pandemic, her writing has taken on even more importance by addressing more virtual offices, staffing issues, and fundraising issues. It’s a must-read for anyone even curious about technology.
Who is Beth Kanter? Beth is a pioneer in the field of nonprofit technology blogging and information. She has been blogging since 2003 and has written a number of articles and books on the topic, including the upcoming “The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human-Centered in an Automated World”.
Her clients, past and present, include Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and many others.
Beyond that, why should you read the blog? Technology and the use of it to make nonprofits work better for everyone is a topic that matters. Even seemingly small topics like a recent article entitled “Zoom Cameras On or Off?” cover real office issues that are impacting almost every person working for nonprofits today. And it deals with the subject in a relatable, but factual way that examines what the experts are saying.
The blog topics range from matters the normal worker may face to issues on an organizational level. From work-life balance working at home to examining “philgorithims” aka data mapping to guide donor decisions.
Beth also often discusses a “culture of resilience” at nonprofits, a key part of her Happy Healthy Nonprofit book. In short, it focuses on the friendship and feelings of those who are part of the nonprofit. And how technology can be used to gain that culture and promote it.
One of the more hilarious blogs out there, Vu Le offers a frank and down-to-earth style that shows that he knows exactly what it’s like “in the trenches”. But he also has the experience to share some really interesting points between the laughs.
Who is Vu Le? He is the former founder and executive director of Rainier Valley Corps, a Seattle social justice organization. These days, he writes for one of the most popular nonprofit blogs and is a speaker. He describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as an “unemployed rabble-rouser”. He also created the Nonprofit Happy Hour on Facebook, which is a great group for those who work in nonprofits.
Beyond that, why should you read the blog? If you work in nonprofits and need a laugh or a shoulder to cry on, that is reason enough. But beyond the entertainment value, there is a lot of great information that he shares, particularly on equality and inclusion, and hiring.
Perhaps it is best to look at a quick overview of some of his more interesting/entertaining posts:
Hopefully, you found a few new nonprofit blogs, in addition to Giveffect’s. And if you liked this blog, check out some of our other blogs at www.giveffect.com/blog.
Most nonprofit leaders know how important grant funding is for progressing their programs, initiatives, and missions — and helping as many beneficiaries…
