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Community Development: Strategies That Serve
After working for decades in international development, we’ve learned a lot that applies to nonprofits of all kinds, especially those passionate about building resilient communities. Let’s begin by looking at how things can go sideways if you neglect t …
3 Keys to Mission-Based Workplace Design
Does your workplace reflect your mission? For nonprofit and association leaders who pour all their energy and budget into their mission, this question can seem tangential. But what if your workplace was designed in a way that both reduces costs and ins …
Three Things We Know About Engaging Millennials in Your Cause
I’ve studied how millennials engage with nonprofits and social causes for more than 10 years—a decade in which young leaders have revolutionized cause engagement. The way young America today approaches injustices is unlike that of their parents’ genera …
Nonprofit Leadership Tips from the Basketball Court
As a former all-American and professional basketball player turned nonprofit leader, I see tons of similarities between life on the court and as an executive director of a small nonprofit. Everything I learned playing the game comes in surprisingly han …
Ask Rita: How Do I Prevent Sexual Harassment at My Nonprofit?
To Rita in HR: We’re a relatively new nonprofit that has taken note of the #metoo movement. This has increased our awareness, but has also led us to ask ourselves, “How do we prevent sexual harassment and assault from happening at our nonprofit, and ho …
Finding Your Voice As a Nonprofit
In these tumultuous political times, the nonprofit community has started asking important questions: What is our responsibility to speak out on behalf of our staff, clients, and community? How do we advocate for them without violating our 501(c)(3) sta …
The Nonprofit Student Debt Conundrum
At first glance, nonprofits and millennials seem like a match made in heaven. Despite often being judged by our peers, our so-called “entitled” generation puts our desire for positive change above almost all else, seeking jobs that allow us to both do …
Ego Checks, Spaghetti Sauce, and Other Suggestions for Nonprofit Collaboration
My dad is a fan of saying, “Many hands make light work,” as I’m being voluntold to help clean up after dinner. Now how does being elbow-deep in burnt-on spaghetti sauce relate to nonprofits? It’s hard work but collaboration makes it easier. One …
The Gentrification Phenomenon: A Nonprofit Dilemma
A Saturday morning walk through the Lower West Side (“Pilsen”) community of Chicago may trick you into thinking you’ve accidentally stumbled across the southern U.S. border. The sidewalks are crowded with pop-up artisan markets, stands selling homemade …
Editor’s Note
Welcome to the latest Blue Avocado! As a longtime reader, I’m thrilled to be serving as guest editor. I know that I’ve often used Blue Avocado as a resource, a reminder, and a refuge during those stressful nonprofit emergencies, and I’m happy to presen …
