Weekly Reader – October 8, 2018

What we’re reading and recommending this week. We add to this post throughout the week and look for your suggestions in the comments.

Monday, October 8

Busting Philanthropy’s Myths about Native Americans (Raymond Foxworth, Nonprofit Quarterly) In many ways, the early stigmatization and dehumanization of Native people has wrongly stood the test of time and continues to marginalize and exclude Native people in all circles of American life today—including within philanthropy.

Tuesday, October 9

How to Lose/Retain Diverse Leaders in 365 Days (Leniece Flowers Brissett, Kerrien Suarez, and Andrew Plumley, Medium) Organizations have a feverish obsession with getting diverse talent in the door. It turns out there’s a secret to losing diverse talent.

Wednesday, October 10

Philanthropy’s Ultimate Power-Sharing Opportunity: Governance (Jim Canales and Barbara Hostetter, SSIR) One of the most important responsibilities for any board chair and chief executive is to ensure that their board remains connected to the realities in its communities, open to new ideas, inclusive of divergent perspectives, and responsive to a changing world.

Thursday, October 11

Bringing the “Beginner’s Mind” to Funder-Grantee Conversations (Joann Ricci, CEP Blog) CEP’s new study, Strengthening Grantees: Foundation and Nonprofit Perspectives, finds that a gap in understanding exists between CEOs of nonprofits and foundation leaders when it comes to strengthening organizational needs.

Friday, October 12

Ready! Fire! Aim? (Mark Larimer, Foundant Technologies) Every day, our clients find ways to further their missions with a mix of intelligence, creativity, and gumption. So, how can the philanthropic sector look to technology for solutions to help in this (often daunting) endeavor?