What Members Are Thinking and Sharing

Heraclitus was right. The Greek philosopher is known for having said, "Change is the only constant in life."

What Members Are Thinking and Sharing (Publications & Products))

Vu Le is the brains and comedic voice behind the Nonprofit with Balls blog. As an executive director of a nonprofit, Le often writes from the perspective of a grantee, producing no-nonsense articles such as “9 annoying nonprofit trends that need to die.” His Seattle-based organization, Rainier Valley Corps, trains people of color for nonprofit leadership positions, so he has lots to say about improving diversity.

What members are thinking and sharing

Ideas we love from institutions everywhere

A growing number of college students aren't bright-eyed, newly minted high school graduates. They're seasoned adults with greater financial responsibilities, including a family of their own.

How many times have you heard this: "I didn't plan on a career in advancement—I just fell into it"? Despite a growing need for fundraisers, recruiters are struggling to find talent. "The development profession is still a well-kept secret—and something we need to change," CASE President Sue Cunningham said during a recent CASE program. Degree programs in advancement remain rare (although notable ones include the U.K.'s University of Chichester's charity development degree and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University), and the field is frequently misunderstood.

Between January and April 2014, three George Washington University students died by suicide—two within the same week. The incidents unnerved the institution's campuses in Washington, D.C. Lorraine Voles, GW's vice president of external relations, has directed crisis communications everywhere from the White House to mortgage finance company Fannie Mae during the 2008 financial crisis. 

In May 2014, Eastern New Mexico University asked a tough question: Were we engaging in cultural appropriation? We weren't known as the Redskins or Savages nor were we represented by a disparaging image. ENMU was not one of the 18 colleges and universities identified in 2005 when the NCAA issued its policy prohibiting institutions using "hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery" from participating in its championship tournaments.