Episodes

Tuesday Feb 15, 2022
287: (news) Nonprofits Prepare for Ukraine Evac & Volunteer Shortage
Tuesday Feb 15, 2022
Tuesday Feb 15, 2022
Weekly news for the nonprofit sector.
Nonprofits & NGOs Prepare As The Russia <> Ukraine Standoff Becomes Dire
As the situation in Ukraine deteriorates, the nonprofit organization Project Dynamo has announced it is preparing for the potential emergency evacuation of Americans from Ukraine. The organization, initially formed to aid in the evacuation from Afghanistan, is just one of many civil society and NGO organization focused on preparing for the fallout of a potential war. The Russian military has approximately 140,000 troops surrounding Ukraine on all but its western border. On Friday, the U.S. government advised all American citizens to leave the country within 48 hours. While official intelligence publicly referenced by the U.S. notes that an invasion is not certain, that intelligence has assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has assembled the necessary military force to launch an attack should he chose to do so.
Read more ➝
The Great U.S. Volunteer Shortage & CEO Transition at VolunteerMatch
Greg Baldwin, CEO and President of VolunteerMatch, says that the number of open nonprofit volunteer opening positions needed has increased to approximately 10.5 million at the beginning of 2022. This represents a jump of nearly 2 million open positions since before the pandemic, which saw a need for 8.5 million volunteers. Macro trends related to the shifting impact of the pandemic have resulted in a shortage of volunteers felt by nonprofits large and small across the country. Baldwin joins Whole Whale (the publisher of this newsletter) CEO George Weiner to discuss this volunteer shortage as well as VolunteerMatch’s process for finding a replacement CEO after his scheduled departure.
Read more ➝
Summary:
- Eminem takes a knee during the Super Bowl halftime show | wbur.org
- How the National Butterfly Center Became the Center of Online Lies | nytimes.com
- For the first time in its history, Facebook is in decline. Has the tech giant begun to crumble? | the Guardian
- Salary competition adds to staffing challenges for nonprofits | MiBiz: West Michigan Business News

Wednesday Feb 09, 2022
286: The Great U.S. Volunteer Shortage & CEO Transition at VolunteerMatch
Wednesday Feb 09, 2022
Wednesday Feb 09, 2022
Greg Baldwin CEO and President talks about the current needs for volunteers across the VolunteerMatch network. What are the macro factors causing the return to normal volunteering behaviors and what can nonprofits do?
Greg also discusses the CEO transition and how the organization is approaching finding his replacement.
"Volunteer Demand has rebounded to over 10M but volunteers are in shortage"
VolunteerMatch is the most effective way to recruit highly qualified volunteers for your nonprofit. We match you with people who are passionate about and committed to your cause, and who can help when and where you need them.
And because volunteers are often donors as well, we make it easy for them to contribute their time and money.
The Topline numbers from VolunteerMatch
- 8.5 Million were needed pre-COVID
- 4.35 Million were needed in 2021 Jan
- The number is now 10.5 Million open opportunities starting 2022
About Greg Baldwin
Greg Baldwin is the CEO at VolunteerMatch. He joined what is now VolunteerMatch in the spring of 1998 as its Chief Imagination Officer to finish hot-wiring the Internet to help everybody find a great place to volunteer. Today, VolunteerMatch is the web's largest volunteer engagement network strengthening communities and organizations across the country by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. Greg completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University in 1990 with a degree in Public Policy. He is a life-long volunteer and currently lives in the Bay Area with his wife Kathryn and kids Ellie and Matt.

Tuesday Feb 08, 2022
285: (news) Don’t GoFundMe in Canada & Crisis at Textline Around Data Sharing
Tuesday Feb 08, 2022
Tuesday Feb 08, 2022
Weekly nonprofit news summary from hundreds of sources.
Crisis Text Line Ends Data-Sharing Relationship With For-Profit Entity
As reported by Politico and other outlets, Crisis Text Line has ended its data sharing relationship with for-profit spin-off organization Loris.ai, which uses data to inform customer service software. Crisis Text Line, which uses a text-based approach to provide crisis support to those contemplating self-harm or suicide, stated that while “the data is handled securely, anonymized and scrubbed of personally identifiable information,” “we have ended our data-sharing relationship with Loris.” The change came amid criticism from privacy experts and lawmakers including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Crisis Text Line is a former client of Whole Whale, the publisher of this newsletter.
Read more ➝
GoFundMe At Center Of International Dispute Over Funds To Anti-Vaccine Mandate Trucker Protests
As anti-Vaccine mandate protests led by truckers have forced Ottowa to declare a state of emergency, GoFundMe finds itself at the center of a complicated dispute over individual contributions to the protest movement. As reported by the Washington Post, the fundraiser for the convey had generated over $8 million in funds, of which $1 million had been distributed. After determining with local police that “previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation,” the company announced they would no longer distribute the remaining funds. The move drew ire from conservative lawmakers on both sides of the border and raises complicated questions about the role of decentralized fundraising with regards to disruptive protest movements.
Read more ➝
Summary
- Tribes Reach $590 Million Opioid Settlement With Johnson & Johnson | NY Times
- Cryptocurrency users are creating “decentralized autonomous organizations” that function as nonprofits |
Philanthropy Daily - The Jed Foundation Receives $15 Million Gift from MacKenzie Scott | businesswire.com
- Melinda French Gates No Longer Pledges Bulk of Her Wealth to Gates Foundation |
WSJ - Nonprofit uses Super Bowl parties as way to help homeless | Santa Monica Daily Press

Thursday Feb 03, 2022
284: The Case for Crypto Donations - The Giving Block
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
Thursday Feb 03, 2022
A lively discussion with Pat Duffy, the co-founder of The Giving Block about where crypto philanthropy is and important lessons from 2021. Is it time for your nonprofit to start accepting cryptocurrency? What are the questions and issues that might come up? We discuss the topic in depth.
Data from 2021 in Crypto Philanthropy from The Giving Block
- The total donation volume on The Giving Block in 2021 was
$69,644,535, an increase of 1,558% from 2020. - The average crypto donation size on The Giving Block in 2021 was
$10,455, an increase of 236% from the previous year. - NFT projects donated $12.3 million to charities via The Giving
Block in 2021. - Crypto donation volume increased every single quarter in 2021.
- The Giving Block’s Cause Funds (index funds for crypto
philanthropy), established in November, raised $418,200 in their
first two months. - The Giving Block’s Crypto Adoption Fund (a mission-agnostic index
fund for all pro-crypto nonprofits on the platform), established in
November, raised $444,700 in its first two months.

Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
282: (news) Nonprofits VS Spyware & National Blood Shortage
Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
Pegasus Spyware Poses Major Threat To Civil Society Globally
In a detailed post released last week by Human Rights Watch, the global advocacy organization details the exact ways that its Crisis and Conflict director was targetted by the Pegasus spyware “five times between April and August 2021.” The breach was “peer reviewed” by Amnesty International’s Security Lab, where it was determined that hackers had used a “zero-click exploit,” which means that no action has to be taken by the victim to initiate the breach. The sofwtare, made by the company NSO Group, has been purchased by multiple governments. Reporting by the New York Times uncovered that the FBI had purchased the software before deciding not to use it.
Read more ➝
National Blood Donation Crisis
Arizonans are working hard to organize blood drives, amid a national blood donation crisis. The American Red Cross estimates that a 62% drop in college and high school blood drives are partially able to explain the national shortage. According to the report, many hospitals in Tucson have had to cancel elective surguries as the state sees a two-year low in blood donations. Learn more about donating blood from the American Red Cross.
Read more ➝

Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
282: (news) NGO Capital for Capital Rioters & Red Cross Hack
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
Nonprofit news for the week of Jan 24th, 2022.
‘Red Flags’ At Nonprofit Backing U.S. Capitol Rioters
Experts see lots to worry about with the far-right endorsed Patriot Freedom Fund, a registered nonprofit organization fundraising money to support people charged with crimes involving the events of January 6th, 2021. As reported by NPR, the fund, led by an avid supporter of the U.S. Capitol rioters, and backed by far-right nationalists (chiefly Steve Bannon) , is sourcing donations using cryptocurrency. However, many nonprofit experts and even backers themselves are upset with the lack of transparency, lack of independent oversight, and potential failure to meet legal requirements. Laurie Styron, chief executive of rating organization CharityWatch, said the fund would undoubtedly receive a failing grade.
Read more ➝
ICRC Data Breached By Hackers
As reported by The NonProfit Times, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements have been targeted by hackers in what amounts to a significant data breach. Nearly 515,000 clients have had data stolen, according to organization communications. Those clients were part of the effort to help “people separated by migration, violence, war and other causes,” according to The NonProfit Times.
Read more ➝
Summary
- Chicago Public Media acquiring Chicago Sun-Times as nonprofit newsroom (The Spokesman Review)
- FBI investigates Minnesota nonprofit for allegedly misusing millions of dollars meant to feed kids (KARE11.com)
- Nonprofit proposes $50 million low-cost housing project on industrial site near Truax Field on North Side (madison.com)
- Bay Area Student-Run Nonprofit Offers Free STEAM Virtual Classes (Patch.com)

Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
281: (news) Thousands Serve on MLK Day & A Classy Acquisition
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Draws Thousands To Community Service Across Country
From Des Moines to Portland to Charleston and everywhere in between, thousands of volunteers across the country participated in a national day of service, often in partnership with local-based nonprofit and community organizations. MLK Day is the only federally-recognized national day of service and is usually focused on helping local communities. This Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day also saw renewed calls for commitments to civil rights ideals from community leaders and activists.
Read more ➝
Acquisition of Classy By GoFundMe Represents Continued, Fast-Paced Consolidation Of Nonprofit Fundraising Space
As reported by The NonProfit Times, nonprofit fundraising platform Classy has been purchased by the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. We encourage readers to read the full report in The NonProfit Times. Over $1.1 billion was raised on the Classy platform in 2021 alone, and since its inception, GoFundMe has raised more than $15 billion. This most recent announcement comes on the heels of the purchase of EveryAction by a private equity firm, and the Blackbaud purchase of Everfi for $750 million. All three deals have been publicly announced within the last two weeks.
Read more ➝
Summary
- 2020 Census Memo Cites ‘Unprecedented’ Meddling by Trump Administration (NY Times)
- Twin Cities nonprofits face critical shortages of volunteers amid omicron surge (Star Tribune)
- How Nonprofits Helped Fuel the Opioid Crisis (The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
- A Look Inside NYC’s Supervised Drug-Injection Sites, The First In The Nation
(Gothamist) - Local pet adoption nonprofit honors Betty White, holds fundraiser as part of nationwide challenge (CBS17.com)

Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
279: (news) PE Firm Acquires Nonprofit Tech & PEW 2021 Data
Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
Nonprofit News for mid January.
Acquisition of Network For Good, Backed By Provide Equity Firm, Rolls Up Numerous Nonprofit Technology Products
The same venture firm that brought EveryAction, Social Solutions and CyberGrants under one corporate roof has added Network For Good to its roster. The as yet unnamed umbrella firm is being funded by UK-based private equity group Apax Partners LLP. As reported by The Nonprofit Times, “terms of the deal were not disclosed but industry experts estimated the addition to be worth north of $300 million and a combined value in the neighborhood of $3 billion for the combined operations.” Network For Good operates both a tax exempt organization and a B Corps tech company that manages the CRM. Coupled with EveryAction’s recent acquisitions, EveryAction, Salsa Labs, GiveGab, Mobilize, Social Solutions, CyberGrants and other nonprofit tech platforms now are all backed by the same PE firm representing a consolidation of the space.
Read more ➝
Pew Research Center Releases Top 2021 Findings
The Pew Research Center has released a cohesive roundup of top social trends and findings throughout 2021. Nonprofit organizations should stay on top of larger narrative shifts, national conversations, and a changing landscape when it comes to public engagement, particularly on social and political issues. Among these findings: 72% of Americans say they know someone who was hospitalized or died from Covid-19, voter turnout increased in every single state in 2020, and the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans has increased 10% from a decade ago.
Read more ➝
Summary

Thursday Jan 06, 2022
278: The Hidden Cost of COVID on Children Who Lose Parents
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
Thursday Jan 06, 2022
More than 167,000 children have been robbed, by COVID-19, of a parent, grandparent, or other in-home caregiver on whom they had relied for their social, developmental needs. This estimate is from a new report from COVID Collaborative and Social Policy Analytics that explores the number, characteristics, and needs of these highly vulnerable children and offers policymakers a way forward to help them.
The effort was led by Dan Treglia, who joins us on this episode of Using the Whole Whale. Dan is an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, CEO of Social Policy Analytics, and our Research and Evaluation Whaler.
Read the report here. Want to learn more about the study, or how your nonprofit can help these children? Reach out to Dan at dtreglia@gmail.com.

Tuesday Jan 04, 2022
278: (news) Nonprofits Salary Struggles & Franklin A. Thomas Legacy
Tuesday Jan 04, 2022
Tuesday Jan 04, 2022
Nonprofits Struggle To Compete With For-Profit Businesses For Staff
Amid rising inflation, rising wages, decreased unemployment, and the so-called “great resignation,” nonprofit organizations are struggling to maintain and hire staff, according to reporting from The New York Times. While for-profit businesses lost more jobs during the pandemic, the nonprofit sector has struggled more to rehire, according to recent data. Total nonprofit employment was 4.8% below pre-pandemic levels, compared with for-profit companies that see just a 1.5% gap. Amid higher costs of living and other external factors, nonprofits are often struggling to offer wages to maintain or rehire staff, due largely to fixed and limited financial resources.
Read more ➝
Summary
- Franklin A. Thomas, Pathbreaking Ford Foundation President, Dies at 87 (NY Times)
- How the merger of United Way and other organizations will impact Knoxville nonprofits in 2022
- Russian Court Orders Liquidation of the Human Rights Group Memorial
- Third Quarter Fundraising: Dollars Increased From Fewer Gifts (NP Times)
- Oregon nonprofit that helps homeless families gets grant from Jeff Bezos' Day 1 Families Fund