Executive Issues

One of the things donors often wonder is whether the “ask” they just heard or received from the major gift officer (MGO) is really true. They’re just not sure that the promise of what will be done with the money is totally factual. When you include the organization's leaders in your process with the donor, the donor feels included in the inner circle of decision-making...

A North Carolina woman and her mother have been indicted on federal charges that they defrauded more than $574,000 from a program designed to feed low-income children. Cindy Hall and her mother, Stephanie Almond, falsified documents and exaggerated the number of children being fed through their Suffolk nonprofit in order to get more federal funds,…

The “Wheels for Wishes” advertisements seemed clear about who would get the money raised from donated vehicles, stating “Donate Your Car. Benefiting Make-A-Wish Minnesota.’’ But the wishes of kids with cancer weren’t driving the arrangement, says Minnesota’s attorney general. Instead, Make-A-Wish charities in Minnesota and nationally received about 20 percent of the revenue from donated cars,…

Great leaders are not born overnight. It takes time, effort and humility to become a great leader. Which is why leaders of high-caliber are one of the most sought-after resources in business, and seemingly, one of the most scarce. However, I denounce the idea that the well of impactful leaders is drying up. I believe…

Volunteers are not fundraising professionals. You have to show strong leadership in guiding and coaching them to success. Paint a picture of the outcomes you will achieve. Show them how the right strategy will work. Make them feel comfortable with their roles...

Nonprofits are missing the boat on fundraising with businesses. Last time I checked, the average nonprofit raised just 5 percent of its revenues from businesses. Compare that number to the 72 percent nonprofits raise from individuals. Nonprofits would be eager to target businesses more if they knew just how much potential they had—and why businesses…

If newspapers are having trouble turning a profit without deep annual cuts, how about becoming a nonprofit? That question’s been asked a lot over the last decade of print decline—even though it glides past the fact that nonprofits need revenue and a business model just as much as for-profits do. The latest possibility to be…

A U.N. office said it is rejecting the remainder of a $15 million offer from a foundation now under scrutiny after its leader, vetted and approved by the office earlier this year, was arrested and accused in an alleged bribery scheme. The director of the U.N. Office for South-South Cooperation told The Association Press in an…

A new report from the Century Foundation questions the legitimacy of four former for-profit colleges' recent transformations to nonprofit status. Those institutions are "covert for-profits," according to the report, "where owners have managed to affix a nonprofit label to their colleges while engineering substantial ongoing personal financial benefits for themselves." The report's author is Robert…

I’ve done plenty of searches as a manager of fundraisers and as a headhunter. In my headhunting role I would always ask, “Will you consider nontraditional candidates?” Even among those who say "yes" (most are honest and say no, despite my discussion of the possible advantages), it was clear that there was a discomfort with hiring an outsider. This from clients who I knew were outsiders themselves not long before. In effect, they locked the door behind them...