The Association Blog

Listen to a new interview with The Association’s President and CEO, Jim Tedford, and Nonprofit AF’s unparalleled Vu Le

The Association’s Jim Tedford recently sat down with social justice warrior and everybody’s favorite nonprofit philosopher, Vu Le. The resulting chat is 100-percent intended to make you want to come to The Annual Conference in Portland in November, where Vu will be delivering a keynote.

Grab a half-hour to listen, and get ready to get real. You know how so many conversations start off with “How are you?” and “I’m fine?” Not this one.

“My kids are in the other room having way too much media, and I’m a little exhausted, but it is so good to see you,” says Vu.

Jim says that he’s doing better than usual, as it’s his day to volunteer at a local equine organization—“its like taking an energy pill”—and reveals that the parrot he shares his office with has started to make a ruckus.

“That’s delightful,” says Vu, about the parrot. And, “I love horses. Horses are vegan, aren’t they?”

While there are more laughs where that came from, the two explore heavy, pressing topics—how leaders can push back against the unhealthy conventions we’ve internalized about working in the nonprofit world (Vu: “I would love if more of us think of sabbaticals and 4-day work weeks”), and what we’ve learned, or haven’t learned, from the pandemic. There’s also a hard look at how nonprofits treat donors as superheroes, and the importance of DEI work.

Listen to the interview.

More Vu? We’re in luck. He’ll be delivering the keynote, Being Human: Self-Care During a Time of Relentless Crises, at The Annual Conference in Portland this November.