Philanthropy Bloggers | Rosetta Thurman

Top 10 Young Nonprofit Bloggers to Watch in 2011

January 19, 2011 by rosettathurman · 22 Comments

We’re still in the first month of 2011 and change is in the air. Can you feel it? Indeed, this year has begun full of hope and possibility for massive social progress in our world. And as you might expect, young people are going online more than ever to connect with others and share those experiences. A new generation is beginning to lead the way through blogging and other forms of social media, courageously sharing our ideas, expertise and passion to inspire others to make a difference.

As a guide to what’s happening in the social change space, here are my top 10 bloggers to watch this year. Each of them writes at the intersection of nonprofits, philanthropy, social progress and life as they know it. Take a moment to bookmark all of these and make sure you subscribe, because I have a feeling these bloggers are going to teach us a LOT in 2011!

Allison Jones, allisonj.org

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Allison for a few years now and have also had the opportunity to work with her through my company, Thurman Consulting. Not only is she a passionate professional in the work she does with nonprofits and social media, but she is a fearless voice for social justice on her blog at allisonj.org. She is also the mastermind behind the Nonprofit Millennial Bloggers Alliance and has recently launched two additional social change sites: OnlyUp.org and Do Good in Brooklyn. Allison’s my partner in crime for our monthly Twitter chat for young nonprofit professionals (#ynpchat), so another way to connect is to join us every first Wednesday of the month from 12-1pm EST online! Read more about Allison and follow her on Twitter.

Akhila Kolisetty, Justice for All

I’ve been reading Akhila’s blog, Justice for All, for about a year now, and it always blows my mind how brilliantly she writes about social change issues like human rights and criminal justice reform. Akhila is a recent grad and legal professional who volunteers with social justice organizations and shares her experiences around that work. She also writes poetically about the real deal of being a young person in the nonprofit field. And don’t let Akhila’s age fool you. She’s one of the youngest bloggers on my “must-read” list, but she has just as much, if not more, to teach. Read more about Akhila and follow her on Twitter.

Sam Davidson, samdavidson.net

Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that Sam is my peer – he’s a masterful storyteller and social change agent who combines the personal with the professional in a way that inspires you to be whole. Drawing on his experiences in nonprofits and business, Sam’s blog offers tips and motivation to think differently about your life and work and how you interact with the world. He’s also just come out with a new book, 50 Things Your Life Doesn’t Need, and I can’t wait to read it. If it’s anything like his first book, it will offer the kind of practical information that will help you change your life, and indeed, your world. Read more about Sam and follow him on Twitter.

Elisa Ortiz, elisamortiz.org

I’ve known Elisa “in real life” for a while now. She and I have worked on projects together in our respective nonprofit association jobs and she is literally one of the most organized, effective professionals that I know. She’s also funny as hell. But the one unique asset that Elisa is bringing to the blogosphere right now is her experience as a manager and supervisor that she shares with other nonprofit professionals. Many young people have not had management experience yet, and she gives it to you straight about what it takes to succeed. Her blog offers real-life tips for thriving as a nonprofit employee. Read more about Elisa and follow her on Twitter.

Nikita Mitchell, Journeyful Life

I first found out about Nikita on Twitter and I believe we met in person not soon after that at a philanthropy event in DC. I soon began following her more closely online and was drawn in by her down-to-earth nature and curiosity about the nonprofit world. Her blog, Journeyful Life, shares her personal and professional growth with the world. Nikita offers valuable insight at the intersection of business and philanthropy as she works for a large corporation but also serves as a nonprofit board member and volunteer. Her experiences as a young person navigating work, life and giving are always interesting and enlightening to read. Read more about Nikita and follow her on Twitter.

Jessica Journey, jessicajourney.com

I’ve written about Jessica before. I’ve also interviewed her for my radio show. Oh yeah, and she’s also featured in my book. So, clearly I think Jessica is pure awesomesauce and worthy of your online reading time. Her blog offers smart, passionate, authentic commentary about nonprofits, fundraising, philanthropy, volunteerism and leadership. Jessica’s journey (no pun intended, but ha ha) is an inspiring one for educated young people coming into the field to make a difference in their own unique way as she is constantly developing herself and helping others do the same. Read more about Jessica and follow her on Twitter.

Ian David Moss, Createquity

Ian was one of the first men I came across in the nonprofit blogosphere who was writing in a way that I could connect with. His blog, Createquity, serves as a “hub for next-generation ideas on the role of the arts in a creative society” and he has recently added a writing fellowship component to the site. Ian writes intelligently about the arts, arts policy, Generation Y and community, bringing in the latest research to inform readers on what’s happening right now. What I really love about Ian though is that he’s a very passionate advocate of the arts, being that he’s an artist himself. Read more about Ian and follow him on Twitter.

Tara Connolly, Quarterlife Tango

I just recently became aware of Tara via Twitter and I’ve been following her insights ever since. Her blog, Quarterlife Tango, explores her experiences as a young professional working in North Carolina. As a recent grad, Tara has already worked with a number of nonprofits and acts as a savvy connector of people and resources online. Her posts border the personal as well as the artistic in a sort of wondering way that highlights the full journey of finding your true passion in life. Her blog is no ordinary nonprofit blog though, as it also incorporates smart disussion about Generation Y, entrepreneurship and community collaboration. I always come away from Tara’s blog thinking something new. Read more about Tara and follow her on Twitter.

Devin Mathias, More Donors Blog

I learned about Devin during my 31 Days to a Brand New Blog Challenge and had the chance to read his insights on social media, fundraising and philanthropy. As a young philanthropy consultant, Devin applies both his experience as a former university fundraising professional and his passion for nonprofits to his work. On his firm’s blog, Devin writes about the integration of fundraising and social media in a matter-of-fact kind of way, dispelling a lot of prevalent myths about tactics for nonprofit success. His posts are smart, engaging, and always worth a read. Read more about Devin and follow him on Twitter.

Tracey Webb, Black Gives Back

I’ve been following Tracey since she started her blog and its growth has been simply phenomenal. I’ve also had the pleasure of working closely with her through some of my consulting gigs and she is totally passionate about spreading the message of philanthropy all over the country. Just in the past year, Black Gives Back has expanded from Washington, DC to several other major cities like Atlanta and New York, highlighting the work of African Americans in those communities. 2011 promises to be another year of incredible growth for Tracey and Black Gives Back as the blog expands to support black philanthropy not just online, but offline as well. Read more about Tracey and follow Black Gives Back on Twitter.

What other young social change bloggers should we be checking for this year? Who else would you add to this list and why?

Rick Moyers is Blogging

September 27, 2010 by rosettathurman · 1 Comment

I’m always excited when people I know start blogging in the nonprofit space! Especially when those people are super smart and thoughtful like Rick Moyers, director of programs at the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation in Washington, DC. Especially when those people work at foundations, which are known for being closed door everything and rarely encourage their staff to share their thoughts with the greater nonprofit community through social media.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with Rick quite a bit over the years as Meyer has funded many of the organizations I have worked for or volunteered with. He also served as a thought partner as we developed several leadership programs in my previous role at the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington. The thing I most appreciate about Rick is that he always gives it to you straight. He’s upfront about what nonprofit organizations really need and is also very aware of his privileged role in philanthropy.

Rick’s new blog on the Chronicle of Philanthropy website is called “Against the Grain” and you can check it out here. Be sure you read his first post, When Executive Directors Disappear. Here’s an excerpt:

A few weeks ago, I received a terse e-mail from an organization announcing that its executive director of the past 10 years had stepped down (and was already gone). While acknowledging the contributions of the departed executive, the announcement fell far short of thanks or praise. It offered no explanation for the transition, not even the vague but utilitarian “has left to pursue other interests.” That left me to conclude that the executive director had departed involuntarily. Most likely under Circumstances That Cannot Be Discussed.

Welcome to the nonprofit blogosphere, Rick! Your voice will be a much-needed addition to the collective conversation.

Photo credit : Chronicle of Philanthropy

Filed Under: Nonprofit Management, Social Media · Tagged With: Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation, Meyer Foundation, nonprofit bloggers, philanthropy bloggers, Rick Moyers

32 Nonprofit & Philanthropy Blogs Written by People of Color

June 29, 2010 by rosettathurman · 18 Comments

Last year, I compiled this list of 20 nonprofit and philanthropy blogs written by people of color, which is still the most viewed post on this site to date. Since it’s so popular for readers, I decided to update it with some more great bloggers of color writing about nonprofits, philanthropy and social change. I’m excited that this list has increased by 50% since last year, but I know there can be so many more of us out there sharing our voices! In the meantime, read the bloggers on this list – all brilliant, thoughtful writers and thinkers in the nonprofit field. And please add any that I missed in the comments!

Editors note: While I do recognize that there are numerous people of color who write about different niche social issues, what I was searching for were those that are offering thought leadership to the field of nonprofits, philanthropy and social change overall. A little more about who is and is not included here:

Sometimes it is not easy to tell if a blogger is a person of color unless they self-identify. So again, if I missed some obvious thought leader bloggers writing about nonprofits & philanthropy, please do drop their blog link in the comments. I really appreciate it.
You will notice that I have included here links to blogs authored by Jewish bloggers, although I recognize that while not all Jews identify as a person of color, many of them do. So I’m happy to include their perspectives here as well.
I tried, for the most part, not to include bloggers of color that were writing exclusively under the auspices of any particular organization or institution, i.e. an African American blogging for the NAACP or something like that. I was looking for those who maintain thought leadership in their own right.
You’ll also notice that most of these bloggers have a focus on nonprofits and philanthropy in the United States, which mirrors my own focus and interests for readers of this blog.

This list is in no particular order. You’ll also notice that I removed a couple of the original bloggers from this list because they had not posted anything new within the last six months. Hopefully, they’ll start writing again soon!

Black Gives Back by Tracey Webb
South Asian Philanthropy Project by Archana Sridhar, et al.
New Voices of Philanthropy by Trista Harris, et al.
White Courtesy Telephone by Albert Ruesga
Leadership as a Field of Study by Lindsey McDougle
Entry Level Living by Allison Jones
Asian American Giving by Dien S. Yuen, et al.
Marketing for Nonprofits by Jocelyn Harmon
Being the Difference by Darius Graham
Nonprofit Connectors by Antonette Artiz
Nonprofit Law Blog by Gene Takagi
Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology by Michelle Murrain
The New Jew: Blogging Jewish Philanthropy by Maya Norton
Jewish Donor Blog by David Rubin and Yoav Kaufman
The Fabulous Giver by Karyn Brianne
Beacons on the Frontline by Asia Hadley
Mission Paradox by Adam Thurman
eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog (group blog)
Work in Progress by Tanya Simpson (NEW)
Nonprofit Adventures by Anh Phuong Tran (NEW)
Cabinet of Curiosities by Adrianne Russell (NEW)
More Than a Gift by Ayofemi Hunter Kirby (NEW)
From Our Perspective by Alfonso Wenker and Kevin Watson (NEW)
Social Change Diva by Ericka Hines (NEW)
Shannon Marshall (NEW)
Done by People by Joe Brown (NEW)
Of Service by Niecy Taylor (NEW)
Irene Agustin (NEW)
Cherita Smith | social media + social change (NEW)
Justice for All by Akhila Kolisetty (NEW)
Minnesota Rising by Diane Tran (NEW)
A Note or Two by Jenny Guerrero (NEW)

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Filed Under: Leaders of Color, Philanthropy, Race, Social Media · Tagged With: african american bloggers, asian american bloggers, bloggers of color, hispanic bloggers, jewish bloggers, nonprofit bloggers, Philanthropy, philanthropy bloggers

20 Nonprofit & Philanthropy Blogs Written by People of Color

April 14, 2009 by rosetta · 24 Comments

If you thought the nonprofit sector was too white, well I’ve got news for you: the nonprofit blogosphere is, too. I’ve been more than a little frustrated the past few days researching up, down and sideways looking for bloggers of color who are writing about nonprofits and philanthropy. Now, this should not surprise me since I know very well that the nonprofit sector is not very racially diverse at all. And while I do recognize that there are numerous people of color who write about different niche social issues, what I was searching for were those that are offering thought leadership to the field of philanthropy and social change overall. I was disappointed to find such a short list! But as you will see, the bloggers on this list are all brilliant, thoughtful writers and thinkers in the nonprofit sector. Most of them I read regularly already, and a few I found through my Twitter network and from other people’s blogrolls. So, of course, I am asking you to add any that I missed in the comments!

A few notes about who is and is not included here:

Sometimes it is not easy to tell if a blogger is a person of color unless they self-identify. So again, if I missed some obvious thought leader bloggers writing about nonprofits & philanthropy, please do drop their blog link in the comments. I really appreciate it.
You will notice that I have included here links to blogs authored by Jewish bloggers, although I recognize that while not all Jews identify as a person of color, many of them do (like Maya Norton and Yael Zakai). I’m happy to include their perspectives here as well.
I tried, for the most part, not to include bloggers of color that were writing exclusively under the auspices of any particular organization or institution, i.e. an African American blogging for AARP or something like that. I was looking for those who maintain thought leadership in their own right.

Now my dream, of course, is that this list will continue to grow as more and more people of color add their powerful and important voices to the nonprofit & philanthropy blogosphere. We REALLY need to have more of a presence in social media if we want to be more visible as nonprofit leaders. In particular, it’s time for the next generation to step our game up!

(Also note that I was too tired/lazy to put this list in alpha order, so in fact it is in no particular order.)