Why It Matters What Nonprofit Leaders Say

The Israel-Hamas war is tearing nonprofit staffs apart; how to forge peace in the workplace? [Philanthropy Today Logo]( This is a special weekly edition of Philanthropy Today featuring stories and content from [The Commons](. You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. If you no longer want to receive the Philanthropy Today newsletter, [unsubscribe](. This Week in The Commons This is the [National Week of Conversation]( as declared by the hundreds of nonprofits that aim to close divides through conversation-based programs. In recognition, we’re devoting this newsletter to words — those that bring us together and those that divide us. What to Say About Israel-Hamas? With their staffs split over the war, many nonprofit leaders are opting to say nothing, fearing a misstep will touch off turmoil in the ranks, reports Sara Herschander. Sara talked to experts who offered advice about how to forge peace in the workplace and help employees feel like they are heard. - Read the full story: “[The Israel-Hamas War Is Tearing Nonprofits Apart]( Let’s Talk It Out Philanthropy is investing in programs that aim to bring people together across differences through one-on-one conversations. But do they work? Eden Stiffman examined the evidence and looked at one model: [One Small Step]( a spinoff of StoryCorps, the long-running NPR program. - Read Eden’s story: “[It’s Hard to Hate Up Close]( Your Vote Counted Following Alex Daniels’s [story about “philanthro-speak,”]( we asked readers and [our LinkedIn followers]( to pick the words they’d like to see stripped from the nonprofit lexicon. Nearly 400 weighed in, with more than 40 percent choosing “concretize” as the jargon to ditch. Another quarter of respondents chose “best practice.” Other language suggested as troublesome: - Social actor and changemaker — “They’re catch-all words/phrases to describe people in the field that end up saying nothing.” - Impact — “This word means nothing and everything, depending on the goals of the grant makers.” - Cultivation — “It sounds like you’re farming.” One critic said our story was off the mark, arguing that our examples of jargon are actually “critical for communication with one another. … These words properly demonstrate acumen in the industry.” SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE [Chronicle of Philanthropy Subscription] Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. How to Navigate Conversation Landmines For our Commons Collaboration collection of resources, Rasheeda Childress went to experts to put together a primer for nonprofit professionals on how to handle powder-keg conversation topics (including Biden vs. Trump, Israel and Hamas) with boards, supporters, staff, and more. - Read the full story: [“Advice to Keep Tough Conversations Civil”]( Of the Moment Noteworthy news and items: - Read: Writing for the American Enterprise Institute’s [Journal of Democracy]( Arthur Brooks (author of Love Your Enemies and other books) describes a “crisis in civic virtue” and a decline in public honesty and civility, “which are necessary to govern free markets and are also central to a democratic society.” - Watch: PBS journalist Judy Woodruff’s series [“America at a Crossroads”]( looks at the movement by counties in rural eastern Oregon — upset at what it sees as the state’s urban focus — to secede and join Idaho. “It’s partisanship on steroids,” one observer says over the rural-urban clash. Events [April 29 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy and the Chronicle for The Place of Pluralism in Charitable Giving. We’ll gather the following leading figures in charitable giving and philanthropy to ask what role pluralism does and should play in the sector, a key theme of [The Commons]( the Chronicle’s new section focused on how nonprofits and foundations can best heal the nation’s divides: Aisha Alexander-Young, Sam Gill, Brian Hooks, Stacy Palmer, Hilary Pennington, Benjamin Soskis, Tené Traylor, Lori Villarosa. [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037