Now, correct me if I’m wrong when I say that the nonprofit field has its own set of lingo that can sound slightly overdone. I’ve heard buzzwords such as “grassroots” and “synergy” countless times; so much so that they’ve begun to lose their original meaning and instead sound just like a collection of syllables. It makes me think: Does the language we use sometimes just get old, and well, boring?
By Flickr user klynslis
Now there’s a way to keep our jargon in check. Joining the ranks of online bingo, drag queen bingo, and traditional bingo played in halls with your grandparents is
Nonprofit Buzzword Bingo. It works like the regular game: as speakers or your co-workers spew out tiresome words, mark it on your custom-built card. It’s a perfect way to make a meeting or conference a little bit more fun. And I don’t know about you, but yelling out “BINGO!” was one of my favorite things to do as a child. It still is.
Several key players in the nonprofit market capacity building field have also created a program to improve your skill set and give you tools to cultivate compelling communication.
Fight the Bull —a free piece of software—scans your writing to make sure sentences like that last one don’t happen.
Nonprofits are innovative; let’s make sure our language is, too.
This entry is by Celeste, who blogs and pods from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
