How does a bunch of people become a tribe? By sitting around the campfire telling stories about themselves (and eating avocado sushi). A micro annual report:
- Now 62,000 subscribers are sitting around the Blue Avocado campfire!
- We operate on the public TV model: free to read but we have pledge breaks (like this one) asking readers to help keep it free. More than 200 people made membership donations this last year, along with four foundations. (Click here to donate!) Thank you!
- Thanks to to our steadfast sponsors — Nonprofit Insurance Alliance Group and CompassPoint — who dare to support our taking on the powers-that-be and our against-the-tide practical content.
- We’re now experimenting with webinars (the January 11 free webinar has 500 sign-ups — now full), in-person meetups, and a Facebook page with insider news.
- Stealing Blue Avocados: with our blessing, more than 45 Blue Avocado articles were reprinted this year by other nonprofits in their newsletters. Click here to learn how.
- Mail: Just one sample: "No fear of sacred cows, no hype; only fairness, a belief that the nonprofit sector is still worth being in. Blue Avocado is a small flame in the darkness and that’s all I need to rekindle faith." Thank you, Lisa Poultney!
Most popular articles from 2010:
- Teach for America: Icon with Feet of Clay?
- The Just Awards: For Narcissism in a Foundation and Abominable Press Coverage of the Nonprofit Sector
- Decline and Fall of the Vanguard Foundation (for which we even won a journalism award)
- How Much to Pay the Executive Director
- Who’s Responsible for the Board Doing a Good Job?
- Eight Strategic Mistakes with Memberships
- Five Internal Controls for the Very Small Nonprofit
- Ten Things I Learned from Women Executives of Color
- Facebook + Employees = Yikes!
So Happy New Year from all of us at Blue Avocado:
Jan Masaoka, Editor. Columnists Rick Cohen, Ellen Aldridge & Pamela Fyfe (Ask Rita), Steve Zimmerman. Patrick Santana and Darryl Dunn, technology. Copy Editor Cristina Chan. Subscriptions, graphics, donors, and more: Keiko Rosenstiel, Susan Sanow. Blue Avocado Steering Committee: Pamela Davis & Susan Bradshaw of the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group and Jeanne Bell and Nelson Layag of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services.
This issue: Blue Avocado investigates foundation affinity groups for fundraising opportunities, we defend old media, explain how to find the right nonprofit board to join, and especially cool: a test to give prospective bookkeepers. We’re taking January off . . . see you on February 1 and then every three weeks as usual! Happy New Year! –Jan Masaoka
Thank you for sharing the wisdom of the Blue Avocado with us. Have a great 2011!