Nonprofit Leaders Who Blog -- Please Alert Me to Bloggers Missing from the List

Just Added -- December 18th!

• Taking the Initiative (Sierra Club)
  • Blogger: Executive Director Carl Pope has been blogging for almost two years now, and he's a pro at it. He writes zingy, pithy posts on issues that are relevant to audiences lives, so they catch readers' attention.
  • A recent post on Illinois' recently signed bill to restrict pollution, partially focused on ensuring that regional fish are as mercury-free as possible pulled in readers with Pope's focus on:
    • Many fish have dangerously-high levels of mercury
    • Illinois is ahead of the game in signing this new bill
    • Detailing aspects of the bill which are great models for other states.
  • So he pulls readers in via a personal concern (mercury-laden fish), then hooks them into the legislative/advocacy agenda.Masterfully done, Carl.
  • Subscribe to this blog's feed and track Carl's posts. He's one of the best nonprofit bloggers I know, and the top of the list of advocacy bloggers.

Don't forget to email me when you hear of a new blog from a nonprofit or foundation CEO.
_______________________________________

• President's Blog (Trinity University)
  • Blogger: President Patricia McGuire is a natural blogger -- disarmingly straightforward, tackles the hard issues, writes in a conversational voice.
  • She gives her point of view on two fronts -- University news and current affairs. In Her November 16th post, McGuire hones in on Nancy Pelosi's (a Trinity alum) perceived loss of power after her appointment of Steny Hoyer as whip (Pelosi had supported Murtha, but was out voted). She uses this event as a springboard to discuss "losing and leading, learning the art of compromise in order to make progress."
  • McGuire's clear, strong voice is compelling. If I was a student considering Trinity, or a prospective donor reviewing giving opportunities, I'd source her blog for a powerful sense of what I'd be getting into.
  • BTW, comments are accepted only through an email form, with McGuire blogging her responses only to selected comments and queries.

• President's Blog (Oregon Institute of Technology)
  • Blogger: Martha Anne Dow, Institute president, blogs on issues as wide-ranging as the campus physical plant to the Institute's GRAD program for high school graduates. No comments are accepted.
  • Dow's posts are in "admin voice," so don't make as much impact as they could.
  • Nonetheless, she posts on some controversial issues. See Dow's October 23rd post on the decrease in state support, results in increased tuition.
  • However, Dow needs to post more frequently. I'm writing this on November 17th and the last post was made on October 30th.

• Beneblog
  
  • Blogger: James Fruchterman, social entrepreneur, founder of Benetech and 2006 MacArthur Genius award winner. Benetech creates innovative technology solutions that address social needs. Its Bookshare.org initiative created the world’s largest accessible library of scanned books and periodicals, providing people with visual or print disabilities access to a dramatically increased volume of print materials.
  • Fruchterman's blog is a great example of what studio 501c blogger Celeste Wroblewski calls the "business lunch blog."
    
    • In a simple and clear, short to medium-length posts  Fruchterman discusses Benetech news and comments on current events related to the mission and  work of the organization. Definitely stays at the overview level but his comments supplement the reader's understanding of Fruchterman's vision,and where the organization is going.
    • Just the kind of interesting but finite content you'd discuss over lunch with a donor, staff member, colleague or board member over a roast beef sandwich, when you have a 2pm meeting coming. Enough, but not too much.

• Nick's Blog
  • Hybrid blogger Nick Jacobs is President and CEO of Windber Research Institute (a nonprofit) and the for-profit Windber Medical Center.  His relatively new blog has evolved from "CEO speak" (which may work for an annual report, but is a bust blog-wise), to more personal insights on his work and the institutions he runs.
  • Nick's most effective posts let me understand him personally (the influences that have shaped him, what matters to him, how he responds) and how these traits plug into his leadership of the Windber Institute and Medical Center.
  • Best posts include:
    • Nick's excitement in finding some very relevant organizational development ideas for Windber in Dee Hock's Birth of the Chaordic Age.
    • How growing up with fear, including "duck and cover" training in his 1950s school days, made him a worrier, and thus, a strong institutional administrator.
    • Nick's relief at the release of some earmarked funding, and his tales of partnerships that went bust.( Via Blog Write for CEOs)

Here's a fairly comprehensive listing of leadership blogs across the world.

Comments

[Nick Jacobs]

Thanks for the plug. Windber has a "D" in it. It's Berwind spelled inside out...or something like that. Nick

[Celeste W]

http://inprogress.typepad.com/studio501c/2006/09/jim_fruchterman.html Thanks for compiling this list. I blogged yesterday about MacArthur genius and nonprofit CEO Jim Fruchterman at the URL above.

Best,
Celeste

[Beth]

I bet it might be difficult to find them? Or I wonder how many blog anonymously?

Well, I might have found one or two for you
http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2006/09/psst_where_you_.html