Recently at a conference, I sat on a panel of three women -- two white, one black -- and we ended up talking about how women treat each other badly at work. As the talk went on, it became apparent that a lot of white women in the audience were [...]
Whether your organization’s work life has been stay-at-home and online or essential workers taking temperatures with protective gear, or a mix of both, COVID-19 has brought change and there’s no end in sight to making adjustments as we gradually return. How should nonprofits manage their COVID-19 changes? How can they [...]
"The only constant is change." How cliché and how true! Everyone and everything encounter change. Nonprofits experience this regularly with turnover on their Board of Directors, new executive leadership, collaborations and partnerships…and during a global pandemic. While some changes come with plenty of planning and strategy, not every time offers [...]
I once had a boss who insisted employee morale didn’t matter. She even sent me articles from Harvard Business Review purporting to prove this (if you read them closely, they didn’t). Her insistence on this was directly related to her management style. Top down. Holding information close to the vest. [...]
Our Ask An Expert series features real questions answered by Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE, our very own Fundraising Coach, also known as Charity Clairity. Today's question comes from an executive director who is looking for advice on hiring their first development staff member. Dear Charity Clairity, I’m an executive director [...]
A donor-centric culture is the essence of a highly effective nonprofit organization, driving its operations and fundraising. Donor-centricity is more than an industry buzzword, it’s a way of being, a way of operating. But what exactly is a donor-centric culture and how can your organization develop it? Simply stated, a [...]
It’s not personal, it’s business. It’s not about you, it’s about our goals. It’s not about getting along, it’s about getting the job done. These are all interesting phrases I’ve heard thrown around in the living rooms of leaders...aka...the conference room. These are the phrases leaders like to use to [...]
Do you have a culture of philanthropy at your nonprofit? You either do or you don’t. There’s no in-between. All it takes To destroy your nonprofit's reputation as a force of goodness in the world is: One rude receptionist. One program staffer who doesn’t return phone calls promptly. One harried [...]
Nonprofits tend to wring their hands a lot about fundraising. We don’t have enough. It’s so difficult. Our board won’t help. Our staff isn’t sufficiently skilled. It’s so distasteful. It’s a necessary evil. We have more important things to do with our resources. All of this hand-wringing comes from a [...]
I want to make a point about the significance of a culture of philanthropy. About treating our internal stakeholders as kindly as we treat our external ones. About being grateful to those who support us and work with us, donors and staff alike. About being able to fully enjoy and [...]
Hey. You care about keeping your donors. That’s why you’re on the Bloomerang blog, right? You want more ideas about how to get donors to stay with you. I want you to keep your donors too. Do you even know what your donor retention rate is? Here’s how to calculate [...]
Are your development operations set up for success? Is the program team at war with development? Does communications get treated like a service fulfillment department by everyone else? Are major gifts and direct mail fighting over donors or who gets credit? Are donors treated like ATMs? Do you have a [...]