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
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
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
We experienced Giving Tuesday on the last day of November and December is the time of year when an estimated 30% of charitable giving for the year occurs. In fact, nearly 12% happens in the last three days of December.... Read More
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
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
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
To the surprise of some, this article is not about privacy or security in the workplace or at home. It’s really a much simpler concept, which for some reason is being overlooked. With that in mind,... Read More
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
Proper planning is costly, and it’s not just about financial resources. There are ancillary costs, like human resources, political capital, opportunity costs, and donor relationships in nonprofits. Wh... Read More
