Fund the People

Government & foundation funders: Do u strive 4 great results by restricting your grantees’ spending on staff costs? Well, here are some exciting data about the outcomes that this funding practice causes (especially when it is multiplied across many funders, across decades, across the country): — 5% of America’s nonprofit workers are living below the federal poverty line. — Another 17% of nonprofit workers earn less than what it costs to survive in the counties where they live. Our nonprofits need and deserve #FundingThatWorks for #Nonprofit #Workers. It’s time to smash the #OverheadMyth and #FundThePeople. Follow Fund the People and subscribe to our Fund the People Podcast to get all the latest research, ideas, and tools to help you invest in the nonprofit workforce: https://lnkd.in/eNQ8u5Qa Thank you Independent Sector and United Way for this report! And thanks Nonprofit Quarterly for reporting on it and Hub ONE for sharing it below.

If you are in AZ call Greg Stanton and tell him to oppose this bill and protect our nonprofit sector!

We stand opposed to the KILL NONPROFITS BILL (HR 9495), which will, for the third time in weeks, be put to a vote in the United States House of Representatives. The bill would gut our First Amendment freedoms. It would terrorize charities by letting the federal government accuse any nonprofit of being associated with terrorists — without showing any evidence or any due process. It would let any U.S. president become a tyrant, shutting down groups that protest or dissent from the president’s agenda. We say NO. We call on all our Representatives to vote against this bad, Anti-American bill.

Do funders understand the nonprofit burnout crisis? Listen to find out: https://lnkd.in/ehjwF7TH That’s right folks — the Fund the People Podcast is back with a sizzling new episode to kick-off Season 7. Our special guest is Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Ph.D. Listen now and let us know what you think in the comments.

Do funders understand the nonprofit burnout crisis? Listen to FTP Pod to find out: https://lnkd.in/gpDvcYVH On today’s brand-new episode of Fund the People Podcast, we share research data on “the state of the nonprofit sector”, and how foundations are supporting grantee staff to deal with burnout. My guest is Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at the Center for Effective Philanthropy! After a hiatus, the podcast is back with Episode 1 of Season 7! Unique show gives you the ideas, research, and tools you need to invest in the nonprofit workforce. More great guests and topics to come through the rest of this year and into 2025! Subscribe to get the latest, and check out our library of 80+ episodes since 2020!

Going into 2025, the nonprofit sector and social justice movements will see more burnout, turnover, transitions, worker vacancies, internal conflict and decline in morale. That’s why this December 9th through 11th, Fund the People will hold our California Talent Justice Summit in Berkeley — to spark investment in the Golden State’s nonprofit workforce. At the Summit, will be introducing our concept for a new type of grant: Staff Operating Support (SOS) Grants. We’ll hear from amazing keynote speakers: — Vu Le, the inspiring writer, thinker, and activist behind the Nonprofit AF blog (and other initiatives like Community-Centric Fundraising and Crappy Funding Practices) — Prof. Emerita Dr. Christina Maslach, Ph.D., who has studied burnout in the caring professions for over 40 years And we’ll engage in solo-busting dialogue, learn from an array of speakers and sessions, and strategize for action in 2025! If you’re a California-based funder, nonprofit, or capacity-builder, consider attending the Summit! (This was an invitation-only event, but we’re opening it up to our wider audience!) Agenda at a Glance: https://lnkd.in/e_Q5jPnY Registration Portal: https://lnkd.in/e52UWRCy Reserve a Hotel Room with Group Rate ($199/night): https://lnkd.in/enrtRVUP Registration and our hotel group rate both end this coming Sunday 11/17 at 11:59pm PT. So register today!

??WE’RE HIRING! Building Movement Project is seeking an experienced Director of Research to lead and expand our impactful work on nonprofit trends and equity. This role will oversee BMP’s research efforts, including the Race to Lead survey and reports, while collaborating with senior leadership to shape new areas of research. ?? Full-Time ?? US Remote Salary: $130-$140K Learn more and apply at https://bit.ly/4fr7iXA #nonprofitjobs #research #hiring

Keep your tank full. Take care of yourself. And take care of one another. These words end every episode of our Fund the People Podcast, which will return next week when we start publishing Season 7. The long haul toward social justice just got longer. Much longer. Once again, nonprofit and social justice workers will serve as the first responders for community and the last bulwark of democracy. They will need more care and ‘fuel’ to sustain ourselves. Emotional, spiritual, physical, financial fuel. Funders will play a critical role in addressing the already-heightened challenges facing the nonprofit labor market (burnout, compensation, recruitment, and retention) and supporting equity, effectiveness, and endurance in nonprofit work. Subscribe to our podcast now to hear from incredible guests and tap into ideas, research, and tools to help you invest in the nonprofit workforce. We’ve got a library of 80 published episodes, with more great ones coming as Season 7 launches next week! https://lnkd.in/eNQ8u5Qa

We’re pleased to announce that Marvin Webb MS, MBA, MFA, is starting work as our fractional CFO and CHRO for Fund the People. Marvin will help us engage in financial planning to diversify our revenue sources while advancing our mission, and build our staff team to better meet our goals and serve the sector. We’re excited to work with you, Marvin! Cc: Erin Giunta, Rebecca Schumer, Caroline Altman Smith, Neesha Modi, Kimberly Haskins, Leslie Payne, Seyron Foo, Russ Finkelstein, Jamie Allison, Pui Ling Tam, Rob Hope, Phuong Quach, Alicia Lara, MPH

For Inside Philanthropy, here's a look at data from the new Independent Sector/#UnitedforALICE report, an August survey from the Federal Reserve Board, and of course a look back to the work done last year by the National Council of Nonprofits on the #nonprofithiringcrisis. Taken together, these reports paint a troubling picture of the ongoing struggles of nonprofit workers in the face of substandard wages -- and how the resulting hiring issues are damaging nonprofits. From the piece: "Given their size relative to the U.S. government’s, funders could argue that they don’t have that large a role to play in shaping salary levels and capacity in the nonprofit sector. And as the Independent Sector/ALICE report itself shows, nonprofit workers are hardly unique in receiving below-living wages, and are even in better shape than self-employed and the lowest-paid for-profit sector workers. Why should nonprofit worker pay be prioritized? These arguments have merit on their face. They also strike me as cop-outs. Whether or not individual funders’ missions include fighting poverty or boosting working conditions including pay, the facts remain: Nonprofits are struggling to hire and retain workers. That struggle is impacting their missions. Lack of funding, which contributes to below-living-standard wages and overwork, thanks to understaffing, is a key factor determining how many staff nonprofits can hire and how long they can retain them. The equation is a simple one: No people equals no programs." #philanthropy Jamie Allison Rick Cohen Nina Ford Dr. Akilah Watkins Christine Aromando Fund the People Crappy Funding Practices