No Nonsense Nonprofit

This episode was originally going to be called something like Fundraiser Turnover or some such thing...but once we got to talking, Mazarine and my conversation soared far beyond just this one issue and touched on a multitude of things. 

One of the most powerful statements, I thought, and what I picked to lead the titling of this episode, was a quote by Thomas Merton that Mazarine shared on the podcast, in part. 

“There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist most easily succumbs: activism and overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.”
― Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander

The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. 

And so it is. The nonprofit world is a powerful force for good - and, sadly, can also be a powerful force in the undoing and misuse of the people who make it run. But it doesn't have to be that way. Listen to today's episode to see how you can make a contribution toward the change we'd like to see in the nonprofit sector. Whether it's learning how to stop avoiding conflict, or how to ask the right questions to see if an organization is a good fit for you, or how to support your employees as they advance their careers, or how pay parity would change the world for those of us who make it our business to change the world...well. There's a lot here. 

We mentioned many things in the show today! Here are a few good links for you to explore:

From Mazarine

Mazarine's Amazing Blog (Read Them ALL! and don't forget to sign up for her newsletter - because it has incredible content and also jokes).

Mazarine's Wild Woman Fundraising Store where you can find the book, "Get the Job," mentioned in the podcast - and so much more good stuff, you won't be able to handle how awesome it is.

Books

Apparently, Mazarine and I should start a book club, because we mentioned about a jillion books to read. You should read all of them, so get started now: 

Donor-Centered Leadership By Burk Penelope Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead $7.58 By Tara Mohr Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence $21.19 By Amy Jen Su, Muriel Maignan Wilkins