Lead With Your Mission
By: Mark Belcher, Partner How often have you decided to accept a gift from a donor that is designated for a “new” program? Nearly every development office has faced this opportunity in a climate when every gift seems like a step closer towards achieving our development goals. I recently heard that a very established organizationRead More Lead With Your Mission
Six Degrees of Fundraising
It happened to me again yesterday in a meeting. I had traveled to another city conduct a Campaign Strategy Study with a young couple. Before even sitting down in their living room, I was quizzing the couple about their professional backgrounds, their connection to the organization – warm up questions – when I happened to mentionRead More Six Degrees of Fundraising
Making A Measurable Difference
“It is more difficult to give away money intelligently than to earn it in the first place.” Thus said Andrew Carnegie in his 1889 essay, The Gospel of Wealth. I was reminded of this quote by some students whom I had the good fortune to encounter on a cold January day in a warm classroom.Read More Making A Measurable Difference
The Power of “For”
I was at an educational session recently where the topic was nonprofit financing. It was a robust discussion about the use of capital, creation of endowments, financing growth, etc. The primary focus of the speaker was on the area of “growth capital” and the idea that, perhaps, too much of the equity in the nonprofitRead More The Power of “For”
A Little Bit About Your Nonprofit Board
There is nothing more important to the health of a nonprofit than a quality Board of Trustees. It is the Board that sets your mission, chooses and provides leadership and provides resources in order to implement the mission. Often times, as consultants, we are asked about Board composition, size, wealth and responsibilities. I try toRead More A Little Bit About Your Nonprofit Board
How to Deal with a Sticky Situation like a Government Shutdown
Diana Leon-Taylor said recently that, “The nonprofit community serves as the glue that solves a lot of problems in a community.” Leon-Taylor, the President/CEO of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington, was referring to the current government shutdown. “Statistics show that any community that has a strong nonprofit sector has a strong economy,” she continued.Read More How to Deal with a Sticky Situation like a Government Shutdown
Exploring Corporate Social Responsibility
In September, Sarah Cahan, a senior insights supervisor with Cone Communications’ Research and Insights team, wrote some interesting observations about consumers, companies, charitable causes, and the impact perception gap in the world of CSR. CSR is Corporate Social Responsibility, aka “cause marketing,” where companies and charities partner to create opportunities that allow consumers to feel good,Read More Exploring Corporate Social Responsibility
Great Teachers
Somewhere along the way in school or college most of us have encountered great teachers who made an indelible impression on us. I feel fortunate to have been touched deeply by: A high school physics teacher with the gift of making it a joy to wrestle with complex problems and to learn from failed effortsRead More Great Teachers
Maintaining Your Development Plan: There’s No Time Like the Present
By Jerry Henry An organization we are working with is seeking to raise funds for “deferred maintenance.” For a while now, the Board has delayed installing a new roof and updating its heating and air systems, as well as taking care of other physical plant needs. Instead, they have taken a “Band-Aid” approach of justRead More Maintaining Your Development Plan: There’s No Time Like the Present
Nonprofit Financial Planning: Dealing with Major Expenditures
By Jerry Henry, Partner Nonprofit financial planning typically includes where you’ll raise money, which grants you’ll apply for, whether you’ll do events, and how you’ll spend that money. You think about the things that affect the organization’s mission: Programs, personnel, and direct services. What you don’t plan for are the major expenditures no one wantsRead More Nonprofit Financial Planning: Dealing with Major Expenditures
