Each week we bring you a collection of links that highlight political news that impact nonprofits, helpful links for nonprofit professionals, the importance of sharing stories, and something positive to end your week.
Helpful Nonprofit Links
- Nick Ellinger from the Agitator shares stories and advice on how to talk about direct marketing. The leaky bucket is my go-to example, and I always love a reason to watch Bruno Gianelli share his sailing story.
- Pamela Grow writes about how a powerful story can continue to inspire and inform supporters, using a Bruce Almighty (a cat) as a great example.
- Are you an introvert and in an income development role? John Haydon shares some donor relations tips for shy people.
- Kevin Lamanna from NTEN provides a primer on PCI compliance and PCI DSS. If you don’t know these acronyms and are involved with collecting donations online, you should read the article.
- What responsibility does a nonprofit organization have to be transparent about an employee’s termination? This article by Justin Elliott and Ariana Tobin in ProPublica details how the American Red Cross gave Gerald Anderson “very positive references” when he interviewed at Save the Children. They did not share that he resigned because he sexually harassed a subordinate and was accused of raping another.
Political News
- Harper Jean Tobin penned a post in Scientific American explaining why the Trump Administration’s proposed “Treatment Refusal” rule for medical care providers puts discrimination ahead of patients’ health.
- It is important to remember that folks in Flint Michigan still don’t have clean water (1373 days). There is a new federally funded registry asking anyone who was exposed to Flint water during the city’s water crisis to pre-enroll. Ron Fonger of MLive provides details.
- Advocates for sexual assault victims filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Trump administration’s rollback of Obama-era guidelines for responding to campus sexual violence. Nick Anderson explains in the Washington Post. To learn more about the three nonprofit organizations that filed the lawsuit check out the great work by Equal Rights Advocates, SurvJustice, and the Victim Rights Law Center.
- We missed this last week, Fenway Health wrote a policy brief that outlines the actions taken by the Trump Administration in the first year of his presidency that undermine the health and well-being of LGBT people.
- And if you enjoy reading briefs, we encourage you to read America’s Promise Alliance research brief on the impact of Comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs) can have on local communities.
Sharing Stories
- Erin Stone of the East Bay Express shares the experiences and thoughts of two teenagers in Oakland California who are undocumented.
Lizette and Maria both often refer to a feeling of being stuck, suspended by forces beyond their control. For this reason, Lizette relates to Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist of Slaughterhouse-Five. “We have to live our lives and not just think about the bad stuff,” she continued, explaining the quote from the book. “All I can do is wait, hope for the best, expect the worst.”
Something Positive
- It’s been a week, so we’re providing TWO cute animal gifs. Click here to watch a cat crashes his bicycle in his dream and the creative way this puppy is trying to get a cat to play with him.