Nonprofit board service is a serious matter! It is a huge commitment that requires devotion and proactive effort like making a cake from scratch for your sonâs 10th birthday party. A big deal indeed! Most people want to serve because they have passion for a cause or mission which is [...]
Way too often I hear from disgruntled nonprofit staff who feel their organization doesnât live up to its own nonprofit values. They talk a good game; they just donât walk it. Alas, I know from whence they speak. Having worked in the nonprofit trenches for 30 years before hanging out [...]
 âPeople do not give to the most urgent needs, but rather they support causes that mean something to them.â This is the key finding from a report done by the Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy at the University of Kent: âHow Donors Choose Charities.â They begin their study from [...]
Higher salary. Nicer car. An assistant. Perks. Nonprofit C-level executives are compensated better than their coworkers. There is a definitely a wide wage gap between senior managers and fundraisers, program managers and those in the field. But does that automatically mean senior managers should be expected to donate at a [...]
Giving makes people happy! I want all nonprofit fundraisers to get this straight, once and for all. Never, ever feel bad about asking people for a charitable gift. Especially those who are already affiliated with your organization so you know they have a positive association with you. People are always [...]
Never deprive someone the chance to become a philanthropist There are plenty of reasons to oppose employee giving: Pressure to give. Power dynamic. Staff already give through hours of unpaid overtime. Employees are underpaid. Disproportionately affects the lowest paid employees. In last weekâs post, I looked at five reasons why [...]
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 [...]
Iâm underpaid and overworked. You want me to donate as well?! Has the organization you work/ed for ever asked you to be a donor to them as well? How did you feel when they asked? Was the ask made in a respectful, polite way (like they would their actual donors) [...]
Unusual times call for unusual solutions. This year many folks will not be able to gather in person with friends and family for the holidays. It feels sad. Rather than mourning this loss, how about turning the tables and giving your holiday a little something special with new holiday fundraising [...]
A confluence of a global pandemic, growing social unrest and a totally bifurcated economy is testing the capacity and potential of American philanthropy as never before. The stark reality is that already huge gaps between the haves (primarily the affluent and those who can adapt seamlessly to the contact-free economy) [...]
Black Gives Back. According to a study by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, black people give 25% more of their income than their white counterparts. We are, hands down, the largest group of givers in our country⊠and yet, we donât see recognition in the media. Rather than realizing how generous [...]
Not long ago, I presented a webinar for Bloomerang on Organizational Planning in Times of Uncertainty. One of the questions that came up was how to meet, receive and be present for the challenging moment that weâre in: In our turbulent time, so many leaders, friends and colleagues are struggling [...]