Overhead Isn’t the Issue — and It’s Not a Fundraising Tool

As a nonprofit staff member, you need to be ready to explain your organization's overhead. High or low, be ready to tell the story. But as you’re talking with donors and prospects, don’t brag about the percentage. You don’t want to be in that conversation. And focusing on percentages cripples your board members’ ability to fundraise. Focusing on percentages and budgets makes it very difficult for board members and others to make solicitations. It stresses them out, like math tests did to so many of us in school. And that stress is unnecessary.