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Myth: Good Board Members "Give, Get, or Get Off"

It's great to see Bill Ryan, writing at Nonprofit Quarterly, touch on the myth that good board members "give, get, or get off". Personally, I'm not sure I fully subscribe to the alternative notion that good board members "govern", because I think it's far from clear what governance is, exactly. It's even less clear whether, were it not for the tax and legal codes, the corporate model is even the right one for most organizations. Finally, there is something to be said for the alignment of commitment that fundraising responsibility has a way of creating. But in the end, I agree with this critique: Making a board all about raising money can create profound damage and distortion. Posted: 1/24/12; 6:24:10 PM #

Gates: Benevolent Dictator for Public Health?

Laura Freschi and Alanna Shaikh, in their article: Gates: Benevolent Dictator for Public Health?, ask us to imagine this scenario: "It is not inconceivable that you might find yourself some day reading a story about a Gates-funded health project, written up in a newspaper that gets its health coverage underwritten by Gates, reported by a journalist who attended a Gates-funded journalism training programme, citing data collected and analysed by scientists with grants from Gates." We need more analyses like this. It's not so much the alarming implications that concern me -- I may disagree with the Gates Foundation on their unfortunate focus on technological fixes, but they are moving the standards of practice in the field of philanthropy forward. I think we all need to be aware of the patterns of influence in civil society. Power in our sector is often a taboo topic, except when it's an explosive one. Neither is conducive to positive change. Posted: 1/24/12; 6:23:48 PM #

Allen Gunn on Blackbaud's Acquisition of Convio

You may have read that Blackbaud just acquired Convio. I invite you to recall that Blackbaud acquired eTapestry in 2007 and Kintera in 2008. Convio itself acquired GetActive in 2007. If you know the field, you'll recognize this as a dramatic consolidation of market power in one firm. In Talkin' Blackbaud Blues, Aspiration's Allen Gunn offers what I think is the most valuable first reaction to Blackbaud's recent acquisition of Convio. It's not an analysis, by any means, but I firmly support his call for meaningful, open alternatives. Posted: 1/24/12; 6:23:30 PM #

Marcia Yudkin's No-Harm Marketing Manifesto

I wonder what the nonprofit equivalent of Marcia Yudkin's No-Harm Marketing Manifesto (12 page PDF) would be. Some of the specifics don't apply to fundraising, because donors are definitely not customers. (Although many nonprofits do in fact have customers.) I don't even agree with all the principles here, but I appreciate the ethos. Those principles are: (1) Always aim at the best possible match between what you're selling and who it's helpful for. (2) Use responsible packaging. (3) Have reasonable return/refund policies that accommodate buyer's remorse to some extent. (4) Appeal to the positive values of customers, not fear or nastiness. (5) Sell in consumable amounts. (6) Don't run your business by numbers. (7) Donâ•˙t trick people. (8) Disclose back-room deals. Posted: 1/24/12; 6:23:05 PM #

Seven Predictions for Philanthropy in 2012

In the Nonprofit Quarterly, Rick Cohen offers Seven Predictions for Philanthropy in 2012, and I was fascinated to see him predict an enormous shaping influence of the Occupy Movement and its issues. In brief, his predictions are as follows: (1) The movement itself and the wellspring of discontent that it has tapped will drive requests to grantmakers in the direction of advocacy and distribution of wealth. (2) The prevailing language of theOccupy Movement, concerning the power of the 1% and of the 99%, will put some foundations in an uncomfortable position, given their relationship to wealth. (3) There will be more programmatic related investment. (4) Shifts in federal money will be an issue, but programs with social enterprise language may do well. (5) Foundations will be looked at to help with the slashing of humanitarian aid from government sources. (6) Nothing will change when it comes to the charitable tax deduction. (7) There will continue to be a growing class divide in the nonprofit sector, with the sector itself moving more and more in the direction of its own 1% and 99% divisions. Posted: 1/16/12; 7:46:25 PM #

State of the Dream 2012

Since 2001, United for a Fair Economy has done an assessment of the conditions in the United States as measured against the vision of equality articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birth and life we honor today in the U.S. Their most recent report, State of the Dream 2012: The Emerging Majority (cover page for executive summary, 42 page PDF, and links to past reports) is a stunning portrayal of a shift from a relatively egalitarian, middle class society to a society of rich and poor, resembling many third world countries, with people of color dominating the underclass. I can think of no other more compelling evidence that the Occupy Movement is the popular vehicle most aligned with King's vision. I encourage you to use this report, in the context of memorializing Dr. King and his work, to see where you and your organization fits in this movement. Posted: 1/16/12; 7:45:02 PM #

Discount Continues on Upcoming Report, Does Evidence Matter to Grantmakers?

We're counting the weeks until the publication of one of our most substantial reports in years: Does Evidence Matter to Grantmakers? Data, Logic, and the Lack thereof in the Largest U.S. Foundations. Leading up to that date, we're offering a series of discounts for anyone who pre-orders the report. The price on publication will be $249. With the current discount, you can lock it in at $189, if you order now. Posted: 1/11/12; 5:12:30 PM #