The Rude Sector
When I started blogging, I was told it was ok to be provocative and controversial and I was prepared for flak and feedback. But I am not going for controversy or provocation here; here, I’m venting. Numerous recent experiences have led me to conclude that the nonprofit sector that I truly love has become down-right rude. I’ve got a collection of experiences to whine about, but I’ll share two recent ones with you that painfully contrast our sector with the for-profit world.
I was Read more
Kids and EDs – What’s the Matter with Them?
I have had a song swirling in my head for a couple of days now. It is a song from “Bye Bye Birdie” which the parents, and one younger brother, sing when they believe their teenagers are off doing the kinds of nefarious things teenagers might have done in the days (1958) of “Bye, Bye Birdie.” It is titled “Kids!” and the lines in my head are (and be glad you can’t hear me singing): “Why can’t they be like we were, perfect in every way? What’s the matter with kids Read more
Starting a Nonprofit is the Easy Part
I was never a big Judy Garland fan, but recognize that she had an incredible voice. But her classic, “Let’s put on a show!” comes screeching into my head every time I hear of someone wanting to start a nonprofit For reasons that are beyond fathoming, I would think, to anyone who has been in this sector for more than several years, people think operating a nonprofit is a cakewalk. And truth be told, it is not.
Starting one, as I’ve said before, is Read more
Best Practices for Nonprofit Excellence
I love the New York Times. I’m not one of those snobs who thinks that if you aren’t reading the NYT you aren’t reading a paper, though. It just does good journalism—and more.
The Times recently announced that the application for its fourth annual Nonprofit Excellence Awards[1] (to be awarded in June 2010) is now available. (By the “fourth annual” I figure this isn’t a fly-by-night deal, but something that is really here to stay. So, it is safe to sing its praises.) But this Read more
True Confessions: I Hate Being a Supervisor
During tough economic times, folks spend so much time worrying about money that all too frequently they forget to worry about people. And yet, truth be told, the most important resource any nonprofit has is its people. If we don’t worry about them, it doesn’t matter how much—or how little–money we have, we won’t be doing a good job of fulfilling our mission promises.
There is absolutely no question that the human resources at a nonprofit who suffer the most during financially Read more
There Really Are No Quick Fixes
Americans always seem to be looking for a quick fix: meals all in one box; the all-in-one dusting and polishing; matching services that find you the love of your life. Maybe these work; I honestly don’t know. But what I do know is that they take individual responsibility out of the equation.
Let’s look at what could be used as a quick fix in the nonprofit sector. With somewhere between 1.4 million to 1.8 million nonprofits in the United States, how do you Read more
It’s a Zoo Around Here
We go from the politician who seems to understand nonprofits (Dan Malloy, potential candidate for governor of Connecticut and the subject of my last blog) to those who seem pretty clueless about nonprofits. I’m speaking about the city of Tampa, which wants to reinvent the wheel. Late last year, a city audit revealed that the Lowry Park Zoo—recently rated the number one zoo in America by Parent’s Magazine—wasn’t the number one best managed nonprofit in America. Far from it.
The Read more
My Write-In Vote
I want to live in Connecticut. Well, not really. But I would like the Mayor of Stamford, Dan Malloy, who is assessing whether he will make a bid for the Governor’s seat, to run and I’d like to vote for him. And, even more importantly, I’d like him to win and carry out his tentative campaign promises—well, at least one of them.
But before I get into why I want to vote for Malloy, I need to make one thing clear: I am not a one Read more
Common Waters, Diverging Streams
As I am sure someone much wiser than I once said, “There are lessons to be learned from tragedy.” So, I hope nonprofits all around the world are watching what is happening in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is almost two months overdue in passing a state budget. Until last week, state employees had not been paid since the start of the new fiscal year. Vendors have not been paid since the start of the new fiscal year. And the emergency budget that was Read more
August 28th, 2009 0 Comment And I’m Worth It
I run a business. It is a business that is designed to help nonprofits. So, our product is help. That’s how we earn our living, pay our bills. But why do people think that we should give that product away for free? If my business were manufacturing sneakers, my phone would not ring off the hook with requests that I give away free sneakers. I would not be contacted by people three blocks away saying they are starting a sneaker factory and would I please tell Read more
August 21st, 2009 0 Comment 