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 [...]
We've been following the excellent research of Derrick Feldmann and Achieve into how millennials connect, give and involve themselves with social and political causes Achieve, with the help of their sponsor the Case Foundation, has released its final Millennial Impact Report: 10 Years Looking Back which shares insights into over [...]
Co-dependency is such an ugly term. Yet, a pleaser is often one-half of a co-dependent team. The one who accommodates, and the one who does their best to smooth things over, placate, please, and keep the peace. If you are a pleaser fundraiser at work, you may have internalized some [...]
Have you ever met a pleaser, or worked for one? What is a pleaser? A pleaser is someone who: Has a hard time saying no, so you can’t trust their yes. Will give and give instead of setting good boundaries. Will say “oh, sure, do what you want” and that’s [...]
It can be tough working with a nonprofit team of volunteers, donors, and paid staff. Everyone has their own ideas, their own ways of working, and their own perception of what’s best for the organization. It’s a common challenge. It seems to pop up whenever three or more people get [...]
It's late June, which in the philanthropy world always means the release of the latest Giving USA report. The report estimates total giving in the United States based upon a multitude of sources. It is the oldest and most referenced barometer on the state of the charitable sector's health. The [...]
Let’s talk about conflict, baby! Let’s talk about you and me! Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that can be! Let’s talk about conflict! Why? Because if you’re a good nonprofit leader, or a good fundraiser, you’re going to have to say no. Because it’s [...]
I was talking with a new friend recently, who had stopped working at nonprofits years ago. When I asked her why, she said, when she and her friends worked at nonprofits, they would all say that they were “dragged through the street” by them. I asked what that meant. She [...]
Here’s the thing. A couple years ago I talked with a representative of an economic development program here in Portland. He focused on the big industries, Intel, Nike, Adidas. I asked him why they didn’t focus more on nonprofits. He said, “because they bring the median income of the region [...]
What is Founder’s Syndrome? Nonprofit Founder's Syndrome is a common treatable disease. Frequently carried as a recessive gene by passionate, dedicated, dynamic and visionary entrepreneurial leaders. Commonly found paired with groundbreaking new ideas to solve social problems. Often associated with new fledgling organizations. If seen in an established organization, it [...]
Shining a light on the future of your nonprofit, and how you can shape it, requires looking at big picture strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) from many perspectives. When was the last time you did a simple SWOT analysis? Charities tend to have a lot invested in doing what [...]
Each of us has different issues that subconsciously drive our behaviors at work (and in our lives generally). Some behaviors are useful; others, not so much. If you find certain behaviors stressing you out, diminishing your performance, making you unhappy or otherwise holding you back, it’s time to STOP these [...]