“Think about what you want to do and how you want to engage with your guests. Think about what you have access to without having to go anywhere else. Find the hidden treasures within your own organization and make those things work for you.” This wisdom comes from Jeanette O’Bryant, development officer with the National
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Charlottesville. DACA. These are just three “hot topics” that dominated traditional and online media recently. Here’s the question: has your nonprofit increased its revenue, number of donors, people served, or community profile as a result of recent national media attention? We encourage you to be proactive and share the value of
So you’re ready to launch – or re-launch – your nonprofit. Or maybe you want a fresh start, a tune-up, or a do-over for your existing organization. What should you do? Get together and talk? Listen? Plot and plan? Review your finances? Visit organizations that inspire you? Yes. And more. When starting or restarting, be
Online giving, viral campaigns, large grants from foundations, funding from government agencies. These are some of the popular revenue streams for nonprofits. Those with earned revenue also secure funds from tuition, fees, sales, leases, rentals, licenses and other sources. All sources provide the money needed to make the missions of nonprofits come to life. There
We recently heard the phrase “small up.” It means to look wisely at your resources and find ways to live with less while retaining your focus on what’s important. While the phrase is being used within the context of personal finance, it is one that can have value to a nonprofit. Fundraising often focuses on
“How many of your current board members are actually worth paying? If you had to pay your members what board positions would you fund?” These questions caught our eye as we read a promotional piece for a book about philanthropy. The author, Jimmy LaRose poses some provocative thoughts in his book Re-Imagining Philanthropy. He promotes
Nonprofits play a critical role across the country. They represent, serve and advocate for a great diversity of individuals, families and causes. They are joined in this work by foundations and corporations who provide money, resources, connections and technical assistance. In many cases it is through the work of nonprofits that foundations and corporations live
Summer is often associated with beaches, family vacations, hot sun and good fun. For those in the nonprofit sector summer is also the season for retreats. These are times set aside to focus on programming, strategy, growth, partnerships and – many times – fundraising. While we believe in keeping the “fun” in fundraising – and
One of the biggest changes within the life of a nonprofit is the change in leadership. In most cases this will be accompanied by a period of transition with an interim leader. The position is short-term and in most cases temporary. We have seen interims who serve as placeholders or caretakers. Others are innovators. Some
It’s a funny thing how we credit others with super powers and become intimidated based on what we think we know. Here’s our advice: don’t be intimidated. Learn what contributes to success and get to work, day-by-day, building a culture of success. We understand the reality that for most organizations there is always a nonprofit,
