Accountability

3 Musts When Asking for a Nonprofit Gift
November 1, 2017 at 10:27 am

From October to December, nonprofits dedicate time and energy to fundraising. They reach out to supporters and ask them to give. They share their impact—what they have done this year and what they will do next year. They share stories from those whose lives have been changed as a result of donations from people just…

3 Essential Ingredients to Recruit and Retain Top Nonprofit Talent
November 1, 2017 at 10:20 am

Not too long ago, I got into a conversation with an executive director who brought up the survey that was published by Guidestar and Nonprofit HR. He recently graduated with a Master's in organizational development, and he genuinely wanted to see if he could recruit and retain top talent at his nonprofit organization with his newfound knowledge and expertise...

Cybersecurity Questions to Ask Your Vendor: Part 2
October 4, 2017 at 12:55 pm

Strapped for time and resources, nonprofits often need vendors to get things done. But just because you outsource projects, it doesn’t mean your data is safe from cybersecurity threats. In part one of this series, “Employ These Corporate Cyber Security Safeguards Now," we examined critical initiatives you can employ to help protect your constituent data internally...

Why It’s Important to Know the Numbers
October 4, 2017 at 12:52 pm

This week, I was having breakfast with an incredible leader. He owns three significant businesses in a metropolitan area and is one of the region’s most respected leaders, fully engaged in the civic affairs and direction. One of his affiliations is with a university. He was sharing with pride the caliber of the university’s current and past presidents and how, while with different leadership styles, they have taken the university to another level...

Culture of Philanthropy: How Are You Building Nonprofit Goodwill?
September 28, 2017 at 10:44 am

If you want to be sustainable over the long haul, you must incorporate this dual-pronged goal into your values and planning. The values part is critical, because if you don’t have goodwill internally (in how you treat your colleagues) you’re unlikely to have goodwill externally (in how others perceive you)...

Be Clear and Consistent With Your Board
September 27, 2017 at 11:46 am

Take a few minutes, step back and think of ways you can improve the consistency and clarity for your board. You’ll see immediate and positive results!...

Employ These Corporate Cyber Security Safeguards Now: Part 1
September 26, 2017 at 11:02 am

Nonprofits aren’t immune. In fact, nonprofit organizations may be prime cyber-attack targets. Most collect and store sensitive data like emails, social security numbers, billing information and more. Despite this, nonprofits are often hesitant to make cybersecurity a priority due to the investment of time and resources...

Opinion: Nothing Has Yet Gone To Charity
September 21, 2017 at 12:14 pm

President Donald J. Trump’s inaugural committee raised an unprecedented $107 million, and the committee pledged to give leftover funds to charity. That amount doubled former President Barack Obama's then-record inauguration donations in 2009, which totaled around $53 million...

Practice Saying ‘I’m Sorry’
September 21, 2017 at 12:06 pm

For nonprofits, apologizing is effective when it addresses two quite different situations. First, admit the mistakes you make in your programs. For example, the social service program that delivered mediocre outcomes or the performing arts performance that bombed...

What Can Fundraisers Learn From the Taxi Industry?
September 15, 2017 at 12:36 pm

It’s no secret that the taxi industry has been disrupted by Uber and a growing range of other services. The taxi companies remained largely unchanged for decades, mistakenly assuming that the status quo met their customers’ needs. The same can be said for the movie rental business disrupted by Netflix. In both cases, customers’ expectations became more sophisticated over time, leaving the traditional business operators vulnerable...