Dignity. Honor. Respect. Do not underestimate the vision, power and tenacity of grassroots community organizations. We have seen first-hand how a well-defined vision can transform a community and the lives of its residents. This month Bayview Senior Services, located in one of San Francisco’s last African American communities, celebrates the grand opening of the Dr.
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. – Albert Einstein Ideally your nonprofit is focused on raising the money you need to deliver on your mission and vision. You have a strong fundraising team with talented staff, enthusiastic volunteers, the right technology, and a communications strategy that
“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.” ― G. Marx Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us about our recent column on fundraising and proofreading. We heard from readers in Memphis, New York, and California on this topic. They included donors, volunteers, an executive
Have you considered “front loading” your yearend fundraising? Start now. Plan now. Put your systems in place. Mark your calendar. Build your team. Identify your prospective donors. You may think we’re joking, but we’re not. Imagine you are a private business and the bulk of your sales take place in the last quarter of the
Communication is the name of the game. It’s not just what we say it’s also what we write. How are you communicating using the written word? Do you read your reports, emails, and letters before hitting send? Does the thought of grammar and sentence structure make you roll your eyes and think back to days in
Sometimes it is necessary for you as a nonprofit leader to personally check how easy or difficult it is to communicate with your organization. When you verify these for yourself you can best assess your nonprofit’s responsiveness. Check the following to ensure you won’t have to make excuses in the future. Call your office during
Have you thought about branding – or rebranding – your nonprofit, college, or even your business? Is branding about a logo or something deeper? Discussions of branding can quickly turn to logos, colors, web updates and a social media presence. Are those your brand, or are they expressions of your brand? We believe they are
Many nonprofit organizations and institutions rely on revenue from special events. If you check any calendar of events you will find many to choose from: 5k and 10k runs and walks; galas with dinner, dancing and awards; concerts; luncheons with nationally recognized speakers. With strong competition for the philanthropic dollar we want to help you
For an African American agency the stakes are higher, and the bar is raised higher because of the general lack of trust given to African American based agencies. You have to work harder with less, and maintain your integrity at all times. That is just the way it is and surrendering to it allows you to be prepared in the ways you need to be.
“One of the unexpected joys is the renewed sense of brotherhood. …The word has spread around town that African American men in Richmond are coming together to give money to causes that they want to support.
