Wherever thereâs a problem, there will be someone trying to fix it to various degrees of success. The nonprofit sector does just that, applying itself to make things better with a can-do spirit and that tangible sense of optimism. If only optimism was enough! In reality we need the counterbalance [...]
With one and a half million tax exempt nonprofits in the United States alone, itâs not surprising that thousands of nonprofits fail each year. Forbes states fifty percent will hit the wall in the first twelve months. Other data suggests itâs less, with the National Centre For Charitable Statistics putting [...]
Today weâre going to talk about the BIG PICTURE. Because fundraising abhors a vacuum. Thereâs no point trying to fundraise unless you do so in service of your vision, mission and values with fundraising pre-conditions in place to help. Duh, youâre saying. Why are you stating something so obvious, youâre [...]
In uncertain times, organizations with a focus on both short and long-term revenue and resources experience less disruption of services. One way to ensure the longevity of your operation is to develop and execute a planned giving program for your organization. Giving USA reported 10% of 2019 giving in the [...]
Iâm about to hit you with a big Truth Bomb: Your donors are confused during this period of philanthropy triage. The past year changed everything they thought they knew about the world â and that includes you, your nonprofitâs place in the world, and your nonprofitâs mission among their list [...]
Researchers have uncovered a key component of organizational agility, and it's not what you might expect. A study by Elaine Pulakos and Rob Kaiser published in Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research (2019) reveals stability as an essential part of agility. This finding seems counterintuitiveâisn't agility all about change? Yes, [...]
When discussing legacy gifts, most assume the conversation is around bequests. Time and time again, surveys have shown that gifts given via a will are the most common planned gift vehicle. While nonprofits should absolutely be prepared to accept bequests from donors, professionals in these organizations should also be aware [...]
A vivid imagination allows us to envision or mentally rehearse future possibilities. As nonprofits nationwide consider how they can return from the torment inflicted by the coronavirus, reimagining the nonprofit board and governance provides an opportunity to refresh, recover, rebuild, and rethink. We all realize the importance of organizational governance, [...]
Organizational agility has been a hot success topic for a few years, and itâs more relevant now than ever. As we face COVID-19, a raging global pandemic, many organizations have had to figure out how to pivot to sustain and thrive while business is not as usual. Agility is an [...]
Lining Up To get a coronavirus test. To receive a food box. To get a vaccine. To buy toilet paper. To await oneâs turn to enter a grocery, pharmacy⊠Lines today are everywhere. What if you could add lining up to give to your charity to the list? Itâs possible [...]
Get out there and ask -- don't stop fundraising! Some nonprofits Iâve talked to have told me theyâre toning down their year-end campaign this year. Maybe itâs because⊠theyâre short staffed due to pandemic-related lay-offs. theyâve cut back on their programming and donât feel âworthyâ of making a philanthropic ask [...]
As we continue to think about 2020 events and how nonprofits are adapting to the ongoing changes, an important topic that keeps coming up centers on building nonprofit sustainability. What exactly does sustainability refer to in the nonprofit setting and why should this be top of mind? To be clear, [...]