Writing For Good

Stories, thoughts, and tidbits from the fight to help change the worlds most important organizations for the better

When we gather feedback, we spread the seeds of hope which we must be careful to nurture.

Blake Kohler - 3/4/2021

Recently I was in a meeting and sharing some of the work we do it. An individual in the discussion mentioned to us how much hope the ability to give input provides. Hoping that something will get better based on their feedback can be a lifeline for individuals experiencing the vulnerability you cannot easily escape. Giving feedback is based on a desire for a better future. When we talk about what…

4 questions about Tech and Nonprofits with Helen Knight

Helen Knight of Helen Knight Consulting answers a few questions about how to maximize the use of technology in your non-profit

Blake Kohler - 2/25/2021

*These questions are from Helen's appearance on the Business of Vulnerability podcast. To listen to the podcast here: * What advice would you have for a non-profit that finds themselves in a situation where there is no one advocating for the effective use of technology? IT is an investment that, if done right, will accelerate your mission return on investment every time. If an IT manager doesn't…

Vulnerable vs vulnerable

There is a difference between self-imposed vulnerability and the vulnerability you can't escape

Blake Kohler - 2/16/2021

This past winter, the mayor of Aurora, Colorado - Mike Coffman - decided he wanted to learn more about what it is like to be homeless by pretending to be homeless himself for a week on the streets. He's using his experience to influence how his city addresses the issues around homelessness. His assumptions, based on his observations, have been heavily criticized by homeless advocates around the…

The other side of client feedback

How to improve the psychological safety of the staff inside your organization

Blake Kohler - 2/10/2021

When attempting to build a culture with the requisite psychological safety, you need to utilize feedback most effectively; it can be tempting to focus just on the people from which you're gathering feedback. "If you do feedback right, the other person also feels cared for, valued and closer to you" - Carole Robin, Feedback Is A Gift, 2013 While maintaining a high level of psychological safety is…

The Importance of Lived Experience

People’s lived experience makes them experts, and if you aren’t listening to them, then your organization is missing out.

Rebekah Holt - 2/3/2021

It’s important to listen to experts. Most organizations see the value in following (and employing) professional experts such as researchers, advocates, and policymakers. However, if your organization serves people, then there’s another crucial group that should be leading you: the people you serve. These people’s lived experience makes them experts as well, and if you aren’t listening to them…

How Might Corrections Change to Be More Humane in the Next Decade

Twenty-five percent of the world's people who are incarcerated reside in the United States, even though only five percent of the global population resides here - it is clear that institutional change is long overdue.

Rebekah Holt - 1/29/2021

The United States of America has a massive carceral problem. Even when adjusting for factors such as economic status, social service spending, and crime victimization, the United States incarcerates people at a higher rate than other countries. Twenty-five percent of the world's people who are incarcerated reside in the United States, even though only five percent of the global population resides…