9 Nonprofit Blogs You Should Follow

Thank you for being a reader of my blog. I am so grateful that my posts resonate with you and so many other nonprofit leaders. Truly.

But this blog is hardly the only one you should read. There are a whole lot of really smart and terrific folks in the nonprofit sector that have an awful lot to share. And they write great nonprofit blogs.

So today I want to share with you 9 nonprofit blogs that are written by other people that you ought to be following.

But there really are a lot more than 9 great nonprofit blogs out there! Which ones should I mention? And so, I decided to get a little bit of help.

In 2017, I launched The Nonprofit Leadership Lab, an online membership site for leaders of small to midsized nonprofits that want to take their nonprofits from “messy” to “thriving.” The Lab offers ongoing education, support, and community. We have thousands of members currently and registration will open again eventually so stay tuned. We’ll be opening the doors again to new member soon and so I hope you will jump onto the waiting list.

The Lab members teach me as much as we offer them. If I have a question, I post it in the Lab community and voila – an embarrassment of riches in terms of ideas and insights. The road absolutely runs both ways.

And so I decided to ask the Lab members to share their favorite go-to nonprofit blogs.

Here are the 9 they mentioned the most…

(Posted in alphabetical order)

1. Asking Matters

Friend and NJ neighbor Brian Saber offers incredibly practical advice and works closely with boards on fundraising. He has a great test you can take to determine your asking style and to shape your fundraising work around it. His own voice and the voices of other experts share their knowledge, insights and practical advice.

2. Beth Kanter

Beth is awesome and while she began her work focused on the intersection of technology and nonprofits, she also is a great go-to source on program evaluation. Lastly, the torch she is really carrying these days is about self-care. Her new book The Happy Healthy Nonprofit, is a must read.

3. Blue Avocado

Interestingly (at least to me) this was the first nonprofit blog I stumbled on when considering writing one of my own. I was drawn to it because it was practical and had a sense of humor. It is a biweekly magazine of American nonprofits and what I love about it is that the articles are written largely by nonprofit leaders. What I also love is that it is immensely practical. A toolkit for creating cash flow projections, how to engage in strategic planning.

4. Fake Equity

Here’s one more that was brand new to me. I love the tag line on the banner of the site: Fakequity = Fake Equity. Fake Equity is Bad. It shows up as all talk and no action. Great information, food for thought, and some good exercises you can employ to move your nonprofit toward equity. The real kind, not the fake kind.

5. Fired Up Fundraising with Gail Perry

Gail is a woman on a mission, which I had the pleasure of learning all about when she was a guest on my podcast Nonprofits Are Messy. I find her smart, feisty and deeply passionate about working with boards to be that effective engine in the twin-engine jet that is your nonprofit.

6. Future Fundraising Now

Fundraising strategy focused on the DONOR. Now there is a novel concept. It’s written by Jeff Brooks who calls himself a “fundraisingologist.” He’s been blogging since 2005 and his voice reminds you of the nobility of the work of fundraising. My most favorite blog on his site, Stupid Nonprofit Ads is informative, jaw dropping and funny.

7. Know Your Own Bone

A eyebrow-raising title but listen to the ‘why.’ Henry David Thoreau said, “Do what you love. Know your own bone. Gnaw at it. Unearth it and gnaw at it still.” While blogger Colleen Dilen has a focus on arts and culture, the information is universal, well written, and thoughtful. Colleen serves nonprofit clients developing creative and smart engagement initiatives. How to reach more folks, different folks. Sounds pretty universal, eh?

8. Nonprofit AF

Vu Le is hilarious. It won’t be long before there will be a sitcom about a nonprofit with a consulting credit for Vu. But while Vu’s blog can give you just what you need as a break from the sobering responsibility of changing the world, Vu raises real issues and offers practical advice (often involving unicorns). For me, Vu’s most significant contribution is that he uses his platform to raise important issues about building leadership in communities of color.

9. Nonprofit Tech For Good

Created by Heather Mansfield, this blog provides valuable, easy to understand information, news and resources related to nonprofit technology, online communications and mobile and social fundraising. This one was mentioned A LOT by our members.

So there you go. 9 more nonprofit blogs you should follow. Perhaps you already read some of these, but I’m hoping there are at least a couple that are new to you. That’s what happened for me by writing this post and I’m excited to dive in further.

Now it’s your turn. What is your one favorite nonprofit-related blog you would most recommend that’s a) not mine and b) not already on the list? Let us know in the comments below!