NonProfit Pro

Many nonprofit fundraising departments are dualistic in their setup. Usually I find that either they are direct-response driven or annual fund/event/major gift driven. (For simplicity, let's call this annual fund driven.) Both are wonderful—yet deeply flawed if one discipline significantly outweighs the other.

Announcing the winners of the 2015 Nonprofit Professionals of the Year Awards. Category: Rising Stars.

Announcing the winners of the 2015 Nonprofit Professionals of the Year Awards. Category: Fundraiser of the Year.

Announcing the winners of the 2015 Nonprofit Professionals of the Year Awards.

Announcing the winners of the 2015 Nonprofit Professionals of the Year Awards. Category: Nonprofit Professional of the Year.

Announcing the winners of the 2015 Nonprofit Professionals of the Year Awards. Category: Executive of the Year.

A rush order on about a week's notice for a local nonprofit might seem like an unlikely beginning for a great promotion, but for Jammie Hsu, owner of Las Vegas-based Proforma Element 7, that's exactly how it started. The weekend before Mother's Day 2012, one of Hsu's repeat clients, Victory Missionary Baptist Church, called and asked her to help put together a giveaway bag for the upcoming holiday.

The economic, political and cultural climate faced by human-serving nonprofits continues to challenge efficiency amid shrinking resources, increased demand and higher expectations of demonstrating return on investment. And while there is an urgency to achieve efficiency, there is even more urgency to achieve impact―in that "sweet spot" where operational excellence and mission alignment converge.

Just because we are experts at fundraising doesn't mean we are great managers or leaders. Yet most of us who excel in our profession end up with management responsibilities—often with less training than we received when tackling our first direct mail appeals, websites or DRTV campaigns.

Corporate growth is almost always a good thing. It can augment the bottom line, create new jobs and open new business opportunities. Yet, expansion can sometimes create unforeseen human resource issues, especially in small organizations. In a rush to fill the personnel gap growth creates, companies often accelerate staffing actions without first assuring structures are in place to maintain organizational identity.