Nonprofit Resources of the Week curates timely articles, tools, and commentary to help nonprofit organizations, their leaders, and their advisors stay informed about legal developments, sector trends, and emerging issues affecting the nonprofit and philanthropic ecosystem, including those related to equity, climate change, and resilience. The series also seeks to share tools, perspectives, and sources of inspiration that support more effective, thoughtful, and sustainable nonprofit leadership, and that help those working for and with nonprofits carry out their roles with greater confidence, efficiency, and purpose.
Notable Nonprofit Posts, Articles, & Other Resources:
Why the Trump administration’s bid to end diversity efforts at nonprofit schools is likely to get tied up in court (Elizabeth Schmidt, Conversation)
Proposed Reg on Tax Exemption and Discrimination by Private Schools (Lloyd Hitoshi-Mayer, Nonprofit Law Prof Blog)
State of Nonprofit AI Adoption and Governance (NTEN & Bridgespan Group)
Are Youth the Disruptors Philanthropy Needs? (Glen Galaich, Who Gives?!)
Dreaming Is a Political Act: How Imagination Shapes What Becomes Possible (Asha Athman, Juliana Roman Lozano, Jody Myrum, Akinyi Rose, Laura V and Nyawira Wahito, NPQ)
Why Should Your Nonprofit Advocate? (National Council of Nonprofits)
Rules of the Game: Best Practices for Collaborative Advocacy and Resource Sharing During Election Season (Maggie Ellinger-Locke, Sarah Efthymiou, Monika Graham, Alliance for Justice)
Facing Trump crackdown, foundations form a mutual-defense pact (Stephanie Beasley, Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Revisiting the DEI Debate: What We Can Learn From Corporate Capitulation (Phil Buchanan, CEP)
Opinion: 3 lessons from 9/11 that can help philanthropy defend democracy (Dimple Abichandani, Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Significant Events:
- “In an improvised pledge of allegiance to himself, Trump directed the crowd of about 20,000 to raise their right hands and repeat: “I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States, that loves us so much he can’t even breathe, that I will go out with my family, my friends, I’ll do it any way – I don’t care if I’m registered or not, I’m going to try to cheat like hell like they do.”” Guardian
- “At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, President Trump made a stunning and implausible pledge: to send every American adult a $5,000 cash dividend. But only if his party maintains control of the House and the Senate in November’s midterms. … Quick math puts the bill for this proposed “dividend” at more than $1 trillion. Plus, it’s illegal to pay or be paid to influence voting.” NPR
- “The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday once again prevented Missouri from using a congressional map in November that was redrawn to give Republicans an advantage in the midterm elections. … There were no noted dissents.” NY Times
Equity and Justice Related Articles & Resources:
Opinion: 9/11 entrenched Islamophobia in US politics. But it doesn’t work the way you think (Moustafa Bayoumi, Guardian)
‘Nakedly political’: US attempts to link trans support to authoritarianism in new health department report (Meloday Schreiber, Guardian) [Ed. The cited and likely illegal (according to one quoted source) report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was not peer-reviewed.]
Ibram X. Kendi Chain of Ideas Book Tour (Northern California Grantmakers & Stupski Foundation) [Ed. It was an illuminating conversation expertly moderated by Jaimie Allison (Executive Director, Walter & Elise Haas Fund) with Ibram X. Kendi and Glen Galaich (CEO, Stupski Foundation).]
Why are a growing number of people consenting to their own domination?
– Ibram X. Kendi @ SFJazz
Climate Change and Environment Articles & Resources:
Global heat is stuck on high. Scientists say August was Earth’s hottest month they’ve measured (Seth Borenstein, AP)
Global Climate Governance, Short-Termism, and the Vulnerability of Future Generations (Simon Caney, Cambridge University Press)
Only present interests make themselves heard and felt and enforce their consideration. It is to them that public agencies are accountable, and this is the way in which concretely the respecting of rights comes about (as distinct from their abstract acknowledgment). But the future is not represented, it is not a force that can throw its weight into the scales. The nonexistent has no lobby, and the unborn are powerless. Thus accountability to them has no political reality behind it in present decision-making, and when they can make their complaint, then we, the culprits, will no longer be there. (quoting Hans Jonas in The Imperative of Responsibility)
It’s time for long-termism: improving intergenerational policymaking in today’s democracies (Wieke Pot & Jorren Scherpenisse, Policy Studies)
Democracy Articles & Resources:
Opinion: Trump Is Sabotaging the Midterms. The Supreme Court Must Stop Him. (Editorial Board, NY Times)
Opinion: Two Nations. Two Democracies at Stake. (Thomas L. Friedman, NY Times)
Every American and every Israeli needs to think about these questions when entering the voting booth. No foreign enemy is powerful enough to destroy either of these two democracies — not Iran, not Russia, not anybody. Only forces from within can do that. Only self-destruction can do that. And have no doubt: Self-destruction is on the ballot in both countries.
Voters Have a Message for Democrats (Sarah Longwell, Atlantic)
A.I. Articles & Resources:
‘Extinction’ warnings ramp up as more OpenAI, Anthropic researchers join calls for an AI slowdown (Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC)
OpenAI and Anthropic researchers are ramping up calls for an AI slowdown and warning of existential risks to humanity after the resignation of a researcher at Anthropic fueled fresh scrutiny.
AI Is Already Making Us Less Human (David Brooks, Atlantic)
AI Transformation Requires Redesigning Work, Not Cutting Roles (Faisal Hoque, Tom Davenport and Paul Scade, Harvard Business Review)
Good Vibes:
The Muppet Show (50th anniversary last week) – celebrate with articles from The Guardian and The Smithsonian