You are browsing: First Person
Using the Sensory Funnel to Improve Nonprofit Efficacy and Productivity
Have you ever been too tired to function or experienced the sensation of being hangry? When our basic needs are unmet, we cannot perform at our best. This is also true of our nonprofits, and without the right tools and understanding, the problem can go undiagnosed and unresolved. Understanding the sensory funnel can help nonprofits better take care of their employees and volunteers.
Making Strategic Planning (Relatively) Painless
Strategic planning time! Do I hear groans or cheers? In my experience sitting on nonprofit boards and employed as a nonprofit staff member, I typically hear some grumbling when the topic of strategic planning comes up. Volunteers (or very minimally pai …
Against the Current: Rudy Espinoza’s Request to President-elect Biden
When I arrived in LA, I was told by many people that I had to meet Rudy Espinoza. They were right. Rudy is one of the most respected, tireless, and up-front leaders I’ve ever met. More importantly for me, he’s focused on the economics of poverty. I thi …
Against the Current: Matt Jorgensen
When most people think of solving a growing problem, they often think, “Well, let’s just make what we’re doing now—bigger.” Not Matt. Since he got into social justice work, he’s been reversing the flow by finding ways to unlock the power of small, home …
Against the Current: Mitch Gruber
I’ve long argued that nonprofits should be more engaged in politics, so when any colleague runs for office, I usually spread the word. One such colleague is Mitch Gruber, who also happens to be one of my favorite social entrepreneurs and fierce social …
Against the Current: Nihal Satyadev
For years, I’ve been hyper-interested in aging in America, and particularly the costs we as a country will have to cover as the Boomer generation roars into its 80s. Out front on the cost-o-meter: Alzheimer’s, which is projected to cost our society $1. …
Against the Current: Eunice Lin Nichols
I’ve been focused on aging in America since the early 2000s, when I learned there’s already a waiting list for Meals on Wheels in many communities. But I was interested in more than just food: I was interested in isolation, fighting the beauty myth, an …
Against the Current: Mando Rayo
I am one of many. We are primarily white, often men. We have led the nonprofit sector for decades, and it’s time for us to step aside. When my last gig ended, I dedicated myself to supporting a younger generation of leaders and helping them challenge t …
Embracing Unlikely Allies: Sleeping with the Enemy
I’ve been actively engaging my so-called opponents in the meat, dairy, and egg industries for 20 years. As president of the animal protection organization Mercy For Animals, I work to end factory farming and construct a compassionate plant-based food s …
Against the Current: Rachel Sumekh
I am one of many. We are primarily white, often men. We have led the nonprofit sector for decades, and it’s time for us to step aside. When my last gig ended, I dedicated myself to supporting a younger generation of leaders and helping them challenge t …
