I’ve been in nonprofit 16 years and the last 6 or so I’ve been continuously frustrated with how we prop up these shitty systems that negatively impact our clients but then try to clean up the mess by helping the individual people affected. I’ve had a hard time articulating these frustrations well and this really hits the nail on the head. I’m sending it to everyone. Thank you.
I worked at a nonprofit for many years. I finally woke up but only some. The history of the organization was what was needed then and now. But the federal government didn’t like the good work and slammed harsh restrictions. Left the nonprofit organization with no real power to do much to help make real change in Tennessee. Then the agency began asking for $ from other nonprofits and smoozing it up with wealthy private law firms, having to beg them to take a few cases a year because the need was enormous and the help was a drop in the bucket! Early in its history the staff wasn’t all about their wages. But later people inside wanted more $ and then young attorneys came in with huge student loan debt! Anyway I learned more from your article about why I began to believe it just wasn’t right any more. There has to be a better way! Thank you.
An article I’ve come back to over and over the last few years is Restorative Justice and the Dance with the Devil, which teases out the insidious nature of nonprofits using federal funds to obscure more carcerality by presenting it as restorative justice practices.
I’ve been in nonprofit 16 years and the last 6 or so I’ve been continuously frustrated with how we prop up these shitty systems that negatively impact our clients but then try to clean up the mess by helping the individual people affected. I’ve had a hard time articulating these frustrations well and this really hits the nail on the head. I’m sending it to everyone. Thank you.
I worked at a nonprofit for many years. I finally woke up but only some. The history of the organization was what was needed then and now. But the federal government didn’t like the good work and slammed harsh restrictions. Left the nonprofit organization with no real power to do much to help make real change in Tennessee. Then the agency began asking for $ from other nonprofits and smoozing it up with wealthy private law firms, having to beg them to take a few cases a year because the need was enormous and the help was a drop in the bucket! Early in its history the staff wasn’t all about their wages. But later people inside wanted more $ and then young attorneys came in with huge student loan debt! Anyway I learned more from your article about why I began to believe it just wasn’t right any more. There has to be a better way! Thank you.
You know I could scream about this ad nauseam.
An article I’ve come back to over and over the last few years is Restorative Justice and the Dance with the Devil, which teases out the insidious nature of nonprofits using federal funds to obscure more carcerality by presenting it as restorative justice practices.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08861099221084830
More links on NGOs (nonprofits) & their counterinsurgent role:
https://types.mataroa.blog/blog/ngo/