Darth Vader Reads My Blog Katrina VanHuss

By Otis Fulton, Ph.D. and Katrina VanHuss

A couple weeks ago I wrote about my revelation that Dan Pallotta is smarter than he looks. And he looks pretty smart—not just because he dresses well, which he does.

Dan regularly rants about the focus on overhead and its death-spiral inducing effects on nonprofits. I was skeptical, until one of my own beloved nonprofit buds came out with this statement in conversation: "If we had $500 million we could cure X." My kid has X. I was a changed woman. Screw overhead; it's about absolute dollars. I absolutely want $500 million so my daughter's life is unencumbered by X.

I wrote about it, and joked (yes, I was joking), "To hell with GuideStar! Let's raise $500 million any way we gotta."

GuideStar was watching, like a spaceship with lots of antennae. It turned its big eye on me.

I got an email.

Then, I got a call.

I was worried. Then, I remembered, "I'm not a nonprofit."

We talked. Gabe Cohen, media and outreach manager for Guidestar, referred me to a letter co-authored by BBB Wise Giving Alliance, GuideStar and Charity Navigator. Basically, GuideStar is totally onboard with raising absolute dollars. And, they have a good grasp on the challenges—potential fraud, donor disgust with expenses, being able to figure out what actually is needed using real numbers and real goals. I was impressed.

The evangelical Gabe shared with me not only that he and I had a shared university background (go Hokies!) but that his organization has a big interest in changing reporting so that donors can have more meaningful information with which to make decisions than simply using the expense-to-income ratio. To that end, GuideStar gives nonprofits the opportunity to submit more information than the 990 requires, to allow donors to see more. The results of their collection efforts are far more meaningful than what the 990 contains. The 990 is an antiquated form designed to collect data for entirely different reasons than to create meaningful output that can assist nonprofits and humanity.

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Otis Fulton, Ph.D. Author's page

Otis Fulton, Ph.D., spent most of his career in the education industry, working at the psychometric research and development firm MetaMetrics Inc., Pearson Education and others. Since 2013, he has focused on the nonprofit sector, applying psychology to fundraising and donor behavior at Turnkey. He is the co-author of the 2017 book, ”Dollar Dash: The Behavioral Economics of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising” and is a frequent speaker at national nonprofit conferences. With Katrina VanHuss, he co-authors a blog at NonProfit PRO, “Peeling the Onion,” on the intersection of psychology and philanthropy.

Otis is a much-sought-after copywriter for nonprofit fundraising messages. He has written campaigns for UNICEF, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, March of Dimes, Susan G. Komen, the USO and dozens of other organizations. He has a Ph.D. in social psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia, where he also played on UVA’s first ACC champion basketball team.

Katrina VanHuss Author's page

Katrina VanHuss has helped national nonprofits raise funds and friends since 1989 when she founded Turnkey. Her client’s successes and her dedication to research have made her a sought-after speaker, presenting at national conferences for Blackbaud, Peer to Peer Professional Forum, Nonprofit PRO, The Need Help Foundation and her clients’ national meetings. The firm’s work is underpinned by the study and application of behavioral economics and social psychology. Turnkey provides project engagements, coaching, counsel and staffing to nonprofits seeking to improve revenue or create new revenue. Her work extends into organizational alignment efforts and executive coaching.

Katrina also regularly shares her wit and business experiences on her and Otis Fulton's NonProfit PRO blog “Peeling the Onion.” When not writing or researching, Katrina likes to make things — furniture from reclaimed wood, new gardens, food with no recipe. Katrina’s favorite Saturday is spent cleaning out the garage, mowing the grass, making something new, all while listening to loud music by now-deceased black women, throwing in a few sets on the weight bench off and on, then collapsing on the couch with her husband Otis to gang-watch new Netflix series whilst drinking sauvignon blanc.

Katrina grew up on a Virginia beef cattle and tobacco farm with her three brothers. She is accordingly skilled in hand to hand combat and witty repartee — skills gained at the expense of her brothers. Katrina’s claim to fame is having made it to the “American Gladiator” Richmond competition as a finalist in her late 20s, progressing in the competition until a strangely large blonde woman knocked her off a pedestal with an oversized pain-inducing Q-tip. Katrina’s mantra for life is “Be nice. Do good. Embrace embarrassment.” Clearly she’s got No. 3 down.