We are continually told a story about how starkly divided we are. The obvious solution is that we need to embrace unity. But could the word—unity—actually be a trap for nonprofit leaders and grassroots organizers?
How Unity May Tear Us Apart
Present at Our Nation’s Founding—but Excluded from Its Promise
Elizabeth Freeman demanded her rightful place among this country’s founders and helped forge a tradition of forcing America to live up to its ideals.
In a Warming World, Border Walls Increasingly Harm Wildlife
Three miles of new border wall are being built every week along the US-Mexico border, endangering critical ecosystems and animal migration patterns.
The Gatekeepers: For-Profit Platforms, Nonprofit Power, and the Risks to Charitable Giving
When for-profit intermediaries prioritize their own best interests, the results can be catastrophic for organizations. Recent scandals at Flipcause and GoFundMe offer grim case studies in what happens when the fundraising gatekeeper role is exploited.
A Vision of Food Justice, Collective Care, and Safety
The value of reciprocity shapes how some farmers tend to relationships within their community and land stewardship practices, which are forms of collective care.
Earth Day Is for the Planet. What About the People Protecting It?
Every Earth Day, we are urged to care more deeply about the planet. For many people, that is a one-day appeal. For conservationists, rangers, field scientists and frontline practitioners, it is the job—one that has a silent cost.
What Leading Planned Parenthood Is Like Now
As the political energy around abortion rights shifts, Alexis McGill Johnson is navigating the future direction of the organization.
Parallel Institutions Are Challenging the Takeover of US Democracy
When formal systems and government break down, it is everyday people, building parallel institutions, who fill in the cracks.
Faster Than Authoritarianism: Rapid Response as a Frontline Strategy for Democracy Defense
Rapid response infrastructure doesn’t need to be reinvented, it needs to be reinforced for sustainability. Here is what philanthropy and movements should do.
Older Adults and Volunteerism: A Vital Social Justice Issue
Senior volunteerism exposes a deep problem with how organizations and society at large view older adults. Seniors are cast as people to be helped, rather than as people who help, despite being the only age group whose volunteer hours are increasing.
Maternal Mortality Is a Policy Failure
Most pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable. What we are witnessing is not inevitability. It is failure in policy design, implementation, and accountability.
The Politics of Loving Kindness: Insights from a Birth Equity Initiative
What might happen across our country if those working to make life better for our neighbors embraced the politics of loving kindness? What if we were explicit about caring for all people, more than corporations or profit?