“I’m not sure Audre Lorde would agree that any tool that’s used by ‘the master’ is a ‘master’s tool.’ […] If the right-wing uses community organizing effectively (and it has), does that mean progressives shouldn’t do organizing, because that’s now a ‘master’s tool?’”
“The right-wing knows that young people are the future, that every goal it has is dependent on leaders, and that when its leaders feel respected and are supported over a long time, they are loyal to conservative values and they get things done.”
“if you’ve been thinking of running for office but have been doubting yourself, please run. A cursory glance at the people in charge right now should end everyone’s imposter syndrome forever.”
“Their spurs are strong enough to support their weight, so once they stab an unlucky person with their spur, they can just hang there, maybe upside down, attached to their victim, chilling while the venom does its work. Inspiring, right?! Let’s be more like that.”
“If we’re paying search firms thousands of dollars, then we can spread some of that around to others.”
“It’s great that funders like MacArthur are putting more money into nonpartisan work like civic infrastructure. But this needs to be combined with several billion dollars of investments in absolutely, assertively, unapologetically partisan/political organizations and movements.”
“Colorado passed a law to make Black History year-long. Starting in 2028, Black History won’t just be something relegated to the shortest month of the year.”
Questionable Assumption 9: The decline in giving is because we don’t do enough traditional fundraising….maybe the assumption is completely wrong, and that the decline in fundraising is because some donors are getting sick of that stuff and want more meaningful engagement.”
“once a while, we do need to stop and acknowledge that we don’t have an infinite number of afternoon walks around the neighborhood, or trips to the playground, or opportunities to catch a movie. The people we care most about are not going to be there forever.”
“What we have coming up is a year of bold visions, courageous stances, quick and decisive actions, risk-taking, and fanning the small sparks we’ve been nurturing so they become engulfing infernos of equity and progress”
“Philosophically speaking, of course it is; it was outdated as soon as it was invented. We’re talking about a system that really shouldn’t even exist. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need so many nonprofits or foundations, or even any.”
“even the most radically progressives among us, need to get over the delusion that many of the inequities in our world can be addressed without money. Saying that MLK didn’t have corporate money is ridiculous and inaccurate.”
“I don't care what the reasons have been for your foundation not treating the rise of fascism like the serious humanity-ending threat that it is. It is not too late to get involved and help defeat it.”
I think it will be great if we map out and categorize all the ways that white moderation manifests. Doing so will help us identify when we’re engaged in white moderation, and help us find ways to mitigate it. I’m going to call this project the White Moderation Genome Project (WMGP)”
Shane: I know. But it’s killing me. Clandestine meetings. Pretending we don’t know each other. Sexy times after work hours in my cubicle/supplies closet roleplaying as a Mountie interrogating a maple syrup counterfeiter. I want more than this.
“The work you do is like going skinny-dipping on a moonless night: You create significant ripples, even if you don’t see them and may never.”
“With the increase in Artificial Intelligence, all these and other forms of poverty porn, othering, and saviorism will be easier to produce, and possibly harder to identify and counter. Let’s all be on the lookout in the coming year. Yay, something to look forward to in 2026!”
“Take naps and stay hydrated, and if you make some silly mistake, just remember that you're human, and that no matter what you do, you're amazing...and probably still vastly more competent than the majority of people in power right now.”
“She loved food. She cussed a lot. Society often puts people who are most affected by injustice on pedestals, treat them like fragile baby birds, or define them only by the oppression they face. But we are more than that.“
“Thanking people and feeling thanked may cause people to be placated instead of justifiably angry, which prevents them from addressing systemic issues more meaningfully.”
“give multi-year general operating dollars (MYGOD), fund faster, give more, remove barriers they impose on nonprofits —do what conservative funders have been doing for decades for their grantees. Get over these paternalistic, condescending philosophies and assumptions and act like true partners.”
Thank you Rachel. Your kind words and recommendation made my week. Much appreciation.
“The past few months (years) we have all been inundated with terrible news about awful things happening all over the world. While we should continue paying attention to them and act when we can, it’s important to acknowledge that awesome things are also taking place.”
“We have seen how toxic many of the ‘best practices’ we’ve entrenched in fundraising over the past few decades have been […] Maybe during philanthropic advising’s nascent stage, we can prevent some of these pitfalls before they gain too much ground.”
“as a sector that prides itself on its collective mission of fighting inequity and injustice, we also cannot absolve ourselves of the responsibility of grappling with difficult conversations about the tech we use and how we may be complicit in furthering the things we’re seeking to counter.”
“No!” said another leader, “We don’t need research! Or summits! Money! We need money! Our programs run on money! We’re all so tired trying to get you to understand!”
“Got it!” said the program officer, writing “self-care” on the easel paper.
“Of all the crappy funding practices funders sometimes pull, requiring nonprofits to justify line items variances on their financial reports is one of the most archaic, inane, insipid, ludicrous, and banal of them all.”
“I don’t want the asshole tech-bros' sad dystopian visions to be the dominant ones. I want the visions I’ve read about on countless nonprofits’ websites.”
“we’ve tried being nice and cordial and courteous and diplomatic. If anything, our white moderate tendency to gravitate toward civility has strengthened and enabled fascists.”
A message and a Lesson from Norway 🇳🇴 💙💙
