When people want to know more about your nonprofit, who do they talk to? Who serves as a reference? How can you help ensure your references speak knowledgeably and with specifics? Don’t take your references for granted. Take time to talk with those you ask to serve as a reference. Ask if it is okay to
We need more than a day to celebrate Father’s Day. It’s just gone too soon. It’s one Sunday and then we are back to the every day. Let’s expand Father’s Day by increasing its impact. We can do this by choosing to give to organizations that support boys, young men and fathers. Your gift would
Part two of a two part series Planned confusion can take you down. It’s like a fog. It envelopes everything, but you can’t pin it down. Nothing is moving forward, but everyone says “I’m on board.” If you don’t intervene you may find yourself – and your organization – strangled by exasperation and inertia. Here
Part one of a two part series Does your board, committee, or team meet over and over again without gaining any traction, let alone achieving anything that could be considered success or just completion? If you answer “yes” you may be suffering from planned confusion. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. And, what’s worse,
Every time we work with an organization, agency or college we experience a deep kindred feeling with the people gathered at the table. Whether presenting information, listening to concerns, or developing strategies we are also meeting new friends. We are witnessing diverse individuals put their beliefs into action, and we are inspired. Nonprofit board members
Mother’s Day is almost here. Most of us get mom a card. Many of us like to give flowers or candy, take mom to dinner, or have a gathering at the house. But these are short-lived. The flowers wither, the food is eaten and the cards are forgotten. You’ve created memories, that’s true. But what
The complaints associated with using technology to support fundraising are many and varied. Unfortunately the “human factor” plays a large role in how well a specific database or tool performs. We touched on a few of these in part one of this series. These include taking the time to evaluate your organization’s technology needs, evaluating
There is an ideal board in the consciousness of many nonprofit leaders. It often involves members who are engaged in governance and fundraising; who advocate for the organization; and serve as community ambassadors building relationships and partnerships. These ideal board members are well connected with time to spare. They magically appear, need no support or
Fundraising involves rejection. That’s just the way it is. But, you’re not going to find the right partners and funders unless you are busy talking with people, exploring areas of mutual interest, and submitting documents that communicate the work of your organization. And, with every submission comes the possibility of rejection. Connecting with an individual
What is your fiduciary responsibility? And what does fiduciary mean, anyway? We recently had the opportunity to work with an organization that is ready to increase its impact. Current board members had recruited and approved new board members; there was work to be done and people to do it. Our role was to help orient
