If your job title falls under the category of “one-person development department,” it’s very likely that, sometimes, you feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off. Ah, the pressure. How on earth is a smart development director to do it all? Brace yourself for the big news, folks: You shouldn’t want to focus on all of that stuff, because you don’t have to focus on all of that stuff. Just look at Trader Joe's...
Good customer service is not always something we talk about in the nonprofit sector. As a sector, we often veil the concept in euphemisms, like “donor-centric fundraising” or “quality case-management.” Industry slang aside, the concepts of good customer service are the foundation of any good organization...
When you meet someone and they ask what your nonprofit does, what do you say? If you’re like most people, it sounds something like this: “We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing rescue services to at-risk populations in blah, blah, jargon, jargon, acronym, acronym, blah, blah.” Boring. Your listener tuned out about two seconds in. Being able…
We’ll dig deeper into when innovation makes sense. When does it really have value? I’ll be suggesting three additional questions for you to consider prior to adopting a new idea. And I’ll offer you a whole new set of tools to help you arrive at answers...
I’m going to rant for a minute here. Over the last six months, I’ve explored more than five dozen nonprofit development operations, and, in many ways, I’ve been disappointed at what I’ve seen. That’s not to say that these programs are failures or that the people in these organizations aren’t doing good and meaningful work.…
As a nonprofit professional, you’ve likely seen and heard your fair share of nonprofit gossip and fundraising myths. It can be difficult to tell myth from reality, especially when so many nonprofit best practices are just bad pieces of advice that get spun into the truth. But have no fear! We’re about to shatter some…
The post-digital revolution has indeed made change inevitable. "Business as usual" is no longer even possible. That’s a given, and charities must adapt. Much has to do with the fact that our would-be supporters today are all part of "Generation C"—they are connected and networked in ways that were previously (and not so long ago) unimaginable...
Donor-centered fundraising has been a constant all my fundraising life. Over time, it’s become a nebulous sort of construct, and that might be where some of the confusion comes from. But to me, donor-centricity always has meant embracing your donors like the valuable friends and partners that they are...
For the 2016 Nonprofit Professionals of the Year Awards, there were so many jaw-dropping statistics, inspiring stories and seemingly impossible accomplishments that it was near impossible to choose a single winner in each category. (There were more entries for “lifetime achievement” than any other category. How do you pick just one?) But that was our unenviable task. It wasn’t easy, but after careful consideration, we narrowed it down...
Announcing the winners of the NonProfit PRO Nonprofit Professionals of the Year Awards: Ankur Chatterjee, Lauren Meling and Angel Nuce, Rising Stars.
