Whether you are leading a nonprofit team, a project, an agency, cultural institution, or angling to be the leader in your next career move, you’ll learn something along the way if you stay connected to these 5 great nonprofit leadership blogs.
If you prefer to read leadership advice with a lot of bite, humor, and pop culture references, you really must subscribe to Vu Lee’s blog, Nonprofit With Balls. The blog covers a wide range of topics which affect all leaders in nonprofit, but with an infectiously witty slant. Want to better understand job descriptions for an open position? Be sure to refer to his recent post, “Common nonprofit terms and concepts and what they actually mean.” Otherwise you won’t realize that “a dynamic work environment” is often code for “a very disorganized group”.
2. Seth’s Blog
Leadership isn’t sector or job specific. It can help you in your journey to become a better person, one who can inspire others to give their best, whether it is your kid or your co-workers.
A very literal characteristic of a leader is being the one who goes first. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more forward-thinking blogger than Seth Godin. His posts are very brief: concise and salient. His posts center around the ever-changing attitudes of consumers and provide tips on how to enable your organization to be more responsive and adaptable to change. Check out his Manifesto for Small Teams Doing Important Work.
How connected nonprofits leverage networks and data for social change
Beth Kanter is a rock star in the world of nonprofit technology… and at one point even became the target of late night comedian Conan O’Brien when he had set out to conquer Linkedin. She does a great job of marrying the practical with the technical—and keeps it readable.
Her reach is seriously significant because she is an expert on technology and the trends that help and hurt nonprofits. Besides the famously huge Linkedin following (nearly 389,000) and a verified Twitter account @Kanter with 404,000 followers, Beth’s blog consistently ranks in the top 10 of The Top 150 Nonprofit Blogs.
4. Stanford Social Innovation Review
Have you had enough of the digital and social media chatter? Would you rather sink your teeth into great articles that deal with the very essence of social change? Then head over to the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Another perennial favorite, SSIR’s tag line says it all: INFORMING AND INSPIRING LEADERS OF SOCIAL CHANGE.
Philanthropy, not fundraising
Sometimes you need a little sugar to help the medicine go down. We all know that the ability to raise funds is a must, but harping on fundraising is not at the top of anyone’s list. Check out Claire Axelrad’s blog, which never fails to provide an inviting and enlightening take on how “fundraising” can be positioned more positively as a culture of philanthropy—and carried through all aspects of our organizations and actions. Great advice for leaders, those who aspire to lead, and those in the trenches.
Have other ideas for great blogs? Let us know!
Amy DeVita is a publisher, entrepreneur, mother, wife, social media enthusiast and fan and avid supporter of the nonprofit/ for-impact sector. She has written for Top Nonprofits and Third Sector Today; she has been quoted on pieces about social media and social impact on The Huffington Post and The Daily Beast. She was named to the Leading Women Entrepreneurs in NJ Monthly and she is a member of Social Media for Nonprofits’ Leadership Council. In her spare time she enjoys kayaking, yoga, hiking, traveling, and playing Scrabble. Amy lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children, and two dogs. In 1984 she earned the “Most Improved Average” honor on her bowling league.