“In its most advanced sectors, a highly concentrated capitalism has begun selling “fully equipped” blocks of time, each of which is a complete commodity combining a variety of other commodities. This is the logic behind the appearance, within an expanding economy of “services” and leisure activities, of the “all-inclusive” purchase of spectacular forms of housing, of collective pseudo-travel, of participation in cultural consumption and even of sociability itself, in the form of “exciting conversations.” “meetings with celebrities” and suchlike. Spectacular commodities of this type could obviously not exist were it not for the increasing impoverishment of the realities they parody. And, not surprisingly, they are also paradigmatic of modern sales techniques in that they may be bought on credit.”
So, have you ever been to Disney world? Have you been to a Disney “timeshare”? Me TOO.
It was a completely artificial experience. It made me want to seek out nature, and the dark, and something more real.
If you have been similarly dissatisfied with Disney and its sanitized backward-looking version of life, perhaps you might enjoy this video.
Have you ever had a funder pull out of a sponsorship or grantmaking deal because of your association with a revolutionary movement or because of something a person at your nonprofit said about them?
Do YOU find it horrifying that an AmeriCorps VISTA might make $16,000 per year, or just minimum wage, while the CEO of Goldman Sachs makes $16,000 per HOUR?
Did you hear Goldman pulled out of a fundraiser after learning it honored Occupy Wall Street?
So Blue-Sky thinking is being overly optimistic. Grey sky thinking is rather less so. Nonprofits seem to sit on their own hands rather than take a risk with anything having to do with spending money. How do Charities engage in grey-sky thinking? Let me count the ways. 1. We’ve never had any money, and we [...]
“Don’t spend one minute “paying your dues” or “proving” yourself to an employer. This is a scam. You are either paid fairly—by your own standards, not theirs—from day one or you never will be. The moment you stop enjoying your job, quit—because they certainly won’t hesitate to fire you on a whim. There is no such thing as “loyalty.” Don’t waste your youth “building your resume.” Go have fun and let life develop as it may. Working for a living simply does not pay—and to exert any effort whatsoever above and beyond what you are being compensated for is to be complicit in your own exploitation.”
-Heather: Adjunct college professor, Illinois, from Mother Jones magazine, July, 2011
RE:Philanthropy wrote this review of Dan Pallotta’s talk to the council on philanthropy, and I just want to shout, “FRABJOUS DAY!” So tell me, as a fundraiser, would you like a higher salary? Would you like grants to fund your salary so that you can keep this nonprofit afloat, instead of your org looking at [...]
I recently got an email from a reader asking me how I would fundraise for a think tank in a country that does not have the best history of democracy or political discourse. This is my response. —————————————————————– Thanks for writing! As far as I know, usually American think tanks are funded by a few [...]
