Jeff Jowdy

Jeff Jowdy

Looking for Jeff? You’ll find him either on the lake, laughing with good friends, or helping nonprofits develop to their full potential.

Jeff believes that successful fundraising is built on a bedrock of relevant, consistent messaging; sound practices; the nurturing of relationships; and impeccable stewardship. And that organizations that adhere to those standards serve as beacons to others that aspire to them. The Bedrocks & Beacons blog will provide strategic information to help nonprofits be both.

Jeff has more than 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience and is a member of the NonProfit PRO Editorial Advisory Board.

How to Create the Optimum Donor Experience

Donors at all levels should have as personal an experience as possible with the organizations they support. If donors do not feel positive about their giving experience, how can they have confidence that your programs are run with effectiveness? 

10 Ways to Keep Board Members Out of Nonprofit Operations

When a nonprofit is young, it may have few to no full-time employees. In that case, the board may have to be involved in operations. However, that’s not ideal as the organization grows. Here are 10 ways to ensure that your board is properly educated and empowered in its role and that it stays out of daily operations.

Develop Peak Donor Management Performance at Your Nonprofit

In the nonprofit arena — like in healthcare — there are best practices, systems and protocols that keep the organization functioning at peak capacity. Much like the human body, when an area is weak or neglected the nonprofit and its mission suffer.

What Does Trust Have to Do With Nonprofit Success?

In “The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything,” Stephen M.R. Covey shares that when trust in a relationship increases, speed goes up with it and cost comes down. Everything happens faster and costs less because trust has been established.

Use the Magic of Focus to Conjure Powerful Fundraising Results

We all know the power of focus, the magical results when we can remain single-minded in our effort. Sometimes you’ll hear someone brag about how great they are at multitasking. For most of us, that is a fallacy. Research shows that’s not how we’re wired.

Great Fundraising Success or Falling Far Short? The Difference Is in the Planning

The great composer Leonard Bernstein has been quoted as saying, “To accomplish great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.” Bernstein would have been aghast — as we were — to read this proclamation on the website of a particular independent school about its strategic planning process...

Boards Are the Top Ingredient in a Nonprofit’s Success

Every time we finish a client engagement, we review the experience to see what we can learn from it. In every case, one major theme is clear: The quality and engagement of the board is a critical factor in the nonprofit’s success. Here are eight key tips for building and engaging your most successful board...