You are browsing: Politics
Against the Current: Jose “Che” Ramirez
For close to 25 years, I worked in the basement of America’s largest homeless shelter, where we built D.C, Central Kitchen into the model program it is today. But no matter how efficient and impactful we were, we still operated amongst the chaos & …
NextGen Nexus: Election Year Messages Nonprofits Can Use
As national elections drawn near, many are looking at data and wondering: what will it take to get Generation Z (Gen Z), young Americans born after 1996 just after the Millennials, into the voting booth? Research indicates they’re as excited to …
Political Polarization & Nonprofits: How Can You Bridge the Divide?
Is the world more divided or does it just seem like it? Most importantly, how does political polarization impact your nonprofit? Research shows that the ideology of our country’s two major parties is further apart than it has ever been, and animosity b …
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 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 …
Financial focus: You told us
In our April issue, we asked you to offer your thoughts on how the current political landscape will affect your organization’s funding. Your answers weren’t surprising, but they weren’t optimistic either. That’s understandable. It’s tough …
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 …
Point-Counterpoint: Too Much Influence or Not Enough – Should Nonprofits Be Allowed to Support Political Candidates
After signalling his intentions to do so at the National Prayer Breakfast in February, on May 4, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at weakening the Johnson Amendment, an act that has received mixed reaction from the nonprofit world …
Time to Get Political . . . editor notes issue #80
I’m not giving any more money to nonprofits this year. I’m not volunteering for nonprofits anymore this year. Instead, in this very, very crucial election year, I’m giving as much money as I can to candidates I support, and as much time as I hav …
Endorsing Candidates. Illegal. How to Do It.
Perhaps the most effective way to bring about social change is to elect the right people. Yet nonprofit 501c3 organizations are prohibited from supporting or opposing candidates running for office. Some long-time nonprofit practices address …
