Better Living For All of Us
I recently facilitated a board discussion in an effort to help the group reach consensus on a very divisive issue that had been consuming their time, energy and good will. far longer than it. The clock was ticking down to the allotted time of reckoning, and despite my greatest attempts, I did not see the group getting any closer to resolution. Literally, at the 11th hour, a thought came to me and I proposed it as a third option for them to consider.
The room went Read more
Opportunity Lost
I’m frequently asked if I think the fundraising horizon is looking better. Depending upon whether you believe the economy is in recovery, is doing a double dip recession, is spiraling out of control, nonprofits most likely have at least one—or several–more tough years.
So, as harsh as this sounds, now would be a good time for funders—from individuals to foundations—to review their giving goals and make sure their strategies align with those goals. And it would be a good time for nonprofits to honestly assess their Read more
Executive Excess
It seems that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has painted a bulls-eye on his state’s nonprofits. He recently announced the creation of a task force to audit nonprofits that receive state funds. Not a bad idea in and of itself. But these audits won’t be assessing the general financial health and well-being of the nonprofits; they won’t be looking for misappropriated tax dollars.
They will solely be about determining whether the salaries of the executive directors/CEOs is “appropriate.” See, Cuomo thinks that heads of nonprofits are Read more
Money Talks, Ethics Walk
I do NOT believe for a moment that breeches of ethics and displays of questionable to unsavory to downright illegal behavior are more plentiful in the nonprofit sector than the for-profit sector. But they do evoke a very different response for me. Sad to say, whenever I read of an ethics violation in the corporate world—of which there have been far too many examples in the last 10 years—I now just shrug my shoulders, and admit to saying, “That’s to be expected,” and then move Read more
Value, don’t Punish
I keep hearing that economic recovery depends upon the return of small businesses to a position of strength. While nonprofits are, by no means, the largest part of the economy, we are an important factor that everyone seems to want to ignore. And that just isn’t right.
According to a Small Business Administration report released in February, there were 27.3 million small businesses (defined as business with fewer than 500 employees). The nonprofit sector stands a tad below that at approximately 1.5 million.
A 2009 Congressional Research Read more
Zero Sum Pie Tastes Bitter
Why does the scrutiny always get focused on the charities instead of the funders? Are the latter immune from wrong-doing or questionable-doing? And I am sure in far too many circles, the mere fact that I’m suggesting that a funder might do wrong is blasphemous and minimally cause for tar and feathering. After all, look what happened to Rell Grrls when an employee tweeted about Comcast! But two different articles, read hours apart, just got me thinking.
Go get the nonprofit! The New Jersey Division of Read more
Second-Class Citizen
We recently got a request from a smart executive director who wanted to enroll in our Certificate in Nonprofit Management. She thought it would be a good thing for her, as she could learn new things, get a refresher on old things and expand her network. But, she didn’t know how to justify this to the Board. Her request: did we have any data that showed the benefit of pursuing this professional development opportunity?
What? Isn’t what she enumerated justification enough? If need be, however, there Read more
Getting Extra Credit
It’s late afternoon and I’m sitting on the porch of my sister’s slice of Northern Michigan heaven, working on my computer. My niece, a freshly minted Ivy League MBA, joins me and asks me if I’m done working. Almost, I respond, trying to finish a blog post I started before I left on vacation. But I confess that it no longer inspires me. “Write about bonuses,” she says. “How do you feel about bonuses?”
Having just been joined by my sister, an elementary school teacher in Read more
No Leftovers Please
I don’t like being considered second best. Yet, when I hear people looking to the nonprofit sector as the top choice for their “encore career” (don’t even like that term!), that’s what I hear.
Oh, now that you have done the real work of your life, go to the nonprofit sector. Forget that thinking! We are not second best. Not good enough for the first choice of a career, but okay for the encore—the light, flip, “everyone can do it at the drop of the conductor’s Read more
Sink or Swim
I have been saying it for years: don’t throw them into the deep end without first teaching them to swim. It is true of both children (that’s a joke) and nonprofit board members. Don’t ask and pressure them to fundraise until you have taught them how. Makes perfect senses, but it is amazing how frequently this doesn’t happen.
I don’t know the drowning statistics, but I do now have fundraising statistics. Cygnus Applied Research conducted a survey of donors that included almost 3,500 current or recently-resigned Read more
