Thinking CLEARly
As many readers of this blog know, one of the programs we offer at The Nonprofit Center is what we call CLEAR (Cultivating Leadership Excellence and Responsibility) Circles. These are small groups (seven to eight people per group) of similarly situation individuals—either all executive directors, all new (less than three years in the position) executive directors or all emerging leaders (people who have direct reports and who report directly to the executive director of their organization)—who meet once a month over eight or nine months Read more
Failure to Fire
Over the holidays, I was fortunate enough to see the revival of South Pacific, last seen when I was but a wee lass. Its songs are currently in that perpetual song fest in my head with one in particular: a larger “I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair.” I have, however, swapped “Man” and “Hair” with other things.
The version I am currently singing for the sector is “I’m Gonna Wash Bad Practices Right Outta the Sector.” Not nearly as catchy as Rodgers and Read more
Sometimes mother does know best
When it comes to political and nonprofit leaders coming up with interesting ideas, the United Kingdom is outshining its American child. First, this past summer, Prime Minister David Cameron announced his intention to create a Big Society Bank. (Just the name sends shivers up and down my spine!) Initial funding for this bank – to the tune of £350m to £400m (the equivalent of $544,519,104 to $622,307,547 in US dollars) – will come from bank accounts that have been dormant for at least 15 years.
But Read more
Life in 140 Characters
When I was growing up, we had a vacation home on the Potomac River, right outside of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. We used the house primarily for weekends throughout the course of the year, with a bit more time during school holidays. One of the first things we did as we drove into town on the way to our house was to stop and buy the current edition of the Jefferson County local newspaper (The Chronicle and The Shepherdstown Chronicle.
My siblings and I loved reading those papers. Read more
Maximizing Trust
This is the season of hope, so let me share some findings from recent studies that give me hope.
The recent American Express “Perspectives on Nonprofits” survey found that 71% of Americans trust nonprofits to address our most pressing issues more than they do government or industry.
Think about that for a minute. The Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy found that 94% of wealthy families believe that nonprofits can solve the world’s problems. Such confidence in our sector! Are you maximizing that potential?
And the third biennial Read more
Engage in Your Greatness
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I started reading The Soul of Money, by Lynne Twist. I’ve really only just begun the book, so I cannot comment on it as a whole. So far, nothing she has said is radical or new, but she does have a lovely way of making what we know is true sound new. For The Soul of Money is the story of her journey of discovering these “truths.”
While I had wanted to stay away from the whole topic of fundraising, as it Read more
Twisted into Knots at Year-End
When things come together in a short period of time, I pay attention. So, this blog is my paying attention to this series of events that happened last week, all related to year-end fundraising anxieties.
So, the first event: a reporter called to ask me what was I hearing about people’s (meaning nonprofit staff and board) attitude towards philanthropic giving as we move into the frenzy of end of the year giving. So I decided to ask around, and heard a lot. I asked about 50 Read more
Freedom vs. Burden in Charitable Giving
It starts right about now: an increase in solicitations in your snail and email boxes, on your phone and via all forms of social media, asking for donations for what is hoped is your favorite charity. It continues with the news articles and radio and television stories on assessing where and how to give. It continues right up to the first note of Auld Lang Syne.
The tug of war has begun: charities that need your money versus the highly sought (and in high demand) donors Read more
What’s Normal About the New Normal?
I hate current hot phrases and this one is no exception: the new normal. If the current economic conditions—by which I don’t mean the level of unemployment, the number of home foreclosures on the books, the lack of agreement as to how we got where we are and hot to get out, but rather the reduction in credit availability, people’s fear of unemployment and their hesitancy to spend money on anything other than essentials, and more—are, in deed, the new normal, why haven’t nonprofits moved Read more
