These Five Pivotal Moments Change Your Future

Time management.  There are probably more ideas for approaching this behemoth than there are minutes in a year, 525,600.  Sorry to trigger that song for the “Rent” fans out there.  However, there are pivotal moments that form a foundation for getting more things done effectively and efficiently, whether you are carrying out multiple tasks at home, work for a nonprofit, or in the corporate world.... Read More

Five Pitfalls Tripping Up Nonprofits

Working in various capacities with nonprofits from small to large for a few decades I’ve seen a great deal.  Surprisingly, “the more things have changed the more they’ve stayed the same,” a quote from 1849 attributed to French writer, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr. ... Read More

Why Isn’t Your Team Functioning as One?

We love to talk about our teams, and I’m not referencing the Colts and Pacers despite lessons to be learned from them.  I’m talking about our project teams, work teams, fundraising teams, sales teams, and special event teams.  Despite our packaging of the “teams” analogy, the irony is they are often not functioning as the name implies.  So how do we bridge that gap and bring the team together?... Read More

The Questions Every Board Member Should Ask

I have seen the look of dread on the faces of nonprofit staff as they anticipate "the same questions" from their boards. Board members are often uncertain of the proper questions to ask or worse yet are motivated by agendas. Donors have questions we might not have anticipated or had the opportunity to answer. ... Read More

Take the Pulse of Your Board Service

I would venture to guess you have been involved with organizations who have a few board members who are passionately dedicated, while others are just along for the ride. These may be the most obvious extremes but there are likely some in the middle who are willing to serve but need some guidance and motivation.... Read More

The Six Cs in Board Management

My mantra has always been there are "three sides to every story; yours, mine, and the accurate one." It's not much different with nonprofits, but I'm often aware of at least five perspectives - board,... Read More

Take the Pulse of Your Board Service

I would venture to guess you have been involved with organizations who have a few board members who are passionately dedicated, while others are just along for the ride. These may be the most obvious... Read More

Is It Donor Fatigue or Something Else?

I have never liked the phrase “donor fatigue,” because I am not sure it accurately captures one of the roots of the problem. Perhaps we should consider something new, like Organization Induced Disinte... Read More