No matter how large or small your nonprofit organization may be, it is imperative that every Board member, staff and volunteer enthusiastically embrace both a donor-centric approach and an enthusiastic role in the overall fundraising effort. The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone. Everyone associated [...]
During tax season, when you use the word “audit” you may think of a CPA spending several days combing through your financial paperwork and records. What I want to talk about is nothing like that but yet it is quite similar in many ways. A development audit is an assessment [...]
The worry in Howard’s* voice came through the phone line. Howard, the board president of a medium-sized arts and culture organization, reached out to us to work with the organization’s board of directors. From the outside, County Theatre Co. was having a banner year, bringing record crowds to its signature [...]
You do good work. You help the illiterate to read. You put paintbrushes into frail seniors’ hands. You organize programs to solve pressing public problems. You do a myriad of things to make lives better. Moreover, you often do this work under serious constraints. Too often, you operate in a [...]
Every now and then, I get a call from the executive director of a nonprofit organization that goes something like this: ED: Hello, Erik. How have you been? How about those Chicago Bears? ME: Hey, I’m fine. Way better than the Bears are, at least. What’s up? ED: Well, we’re [...]
When a client asks for help with their strategic plan, I start with two related questions: How do you intend to do this and what’s your organization’s current state? That’s in large part because a lot of folks think there is only one way to put together a strategic plan. [...]
“What’s keeping you from growing your nonprofit’s funding?” That was the first question on a survey I conducted before I spoke at a workshop for nonprofit Executive Directors earlier this year. I wasn’t surprised by the answers -- they were the same things I hear from leaders all over the [...]
In a recent Bloomerang webinar, one nonprofit leader asked an important question: What if working from home did not work out? This person writes, “Working from home is something staff is requesting. Huge trust factor is necessary for this. The agency tried this once before and was burned (staff posted [...]
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 [...]
Let me start by saying I did not do track and field (but maybe I should have) Track stars understand the concept of the finish line. When you cross it, you’re done. You actually get to fully rest. Every day are you racing towards an imaginary finish line? When you [...]
Tax season is no one’s favorite time of year. Even for tax-exempt organizations, dealing with the required forms and paperwork can get quickly overwhelming. However, it’s imperative you don’t blow off this work! Your 990 is critical for your fundraising success. Pulling all of the important data included in this [...]
A mentee of mine reached out to me the other day for advice about a role she was applying for in the near future. She shared the job description with me, and friends...friends…that job description was 2.5 pages long, and it had everything in it except solving world peace. I [...]