Sierra Fernandez

Nov 16, 2023 | nonprofitquarterly.org | Alison Stine |Saphia Suarez |Keecha Harris |Sierra Fernandez

PEN America described the 2022–2023 school year as “marked to date by an escalation of book bans and censorship in classrooms and school libraries across the United States.” There were nearly 700 attempts to ban books in the first eight months of 2023 alone, as reported by . Books are being challenged that include characters, narratives, or mere mentions of race, queerness, even climate change.

Nov 16, 2023 | nonprofitquarterly.org | Saphia Suarez |Keecha Harris |Sierra Fernandez |Rithika Ramamurthy

Click here to learn more about this new series from Edge Studios, and follow @npquarterly and @offthehookshorts on social to see episodes of “Off the Hook” as they are released.

Nov 15, 2023 | nonprofitquarterly.org | Steve Dubb |Keecha Harris |Sierra Fernandez |Rithika Ramamurthy

At NPQ, we have, from time to time, examined the impact of philanthropic big bets. The Gates Foundation, the nation’s largest private foundation, is well known for its proclivity to “swing for the fences,” with mixed results (more success in global health, less success in US education). The MacArthur Foundation, too, has engaged in “big bet philanthropy” with its $100 million (“100&Change”) grant competitions, with similarly mixed assessments to date.

Nov 14, 2023 | nonprofitquarterly.org | Keecha Harris |Ali Webb |Sierra Fernandez |Rithika Ramamurthy

People enjoy puzzles—be it jigsaw puzzles, Wordle, or Scrabble. Our brains like things to fit together. When it comes to the work of dismantling racially oppressive structures and creating a more just world, well-done racial equity audits—that is, comprehensive assessments of the strengths and shortfalls of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices across the organization—are an important piece of the puzzle. These audits are part of the bigger picture of organizational change management.