Reviving Passion in Nonprofits: Insights from Vu Le

Every once in a while you need a reminder of why you do the work that you do. Working in the nonprofit sector is extremely rewarding but it also comes with many challenges that few can truly understand.

Earlier this week I was refreshed thanks to the insightful, funny and outspoken writer and speaker, Vu Le of NonprofitAF. He spoke at an SVCREATES town hall about the importance of the arts and nonprofits.

Here is what Vu Le said and what I needed to hear:
-The nonprofit sector is like air. Our sector is critical but easily forgotten because we are not always visible.
-The arts are vital; they are not just a “nice to have”. They are critical to democracy and humanity.
-Nonprofits have lost their imagination; don’t believe in their mission statements anymore and are not asking for enough.
-We need to organize and have conversations about injustices with our donors.
-Nonprofits are fire fighters fighting the fires of injustice and we can’t do it alone. We can’t take on all the responsibility of fixing the system.

This session revived me. It was inspiring to be in a room full of people who are passionate about helping others. I’m so thankful to work in the nonprofit space and I truly can’t imagine myself working in any other sector.