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Thanks for the honest and productive discussion--great links.
-Lan

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	How Nanda found her voice in Nepal Nov 19th, 2008 \| By: Ken Burnett Listen to Nanda for awhile. What she is saying is amazing. So is how she is saying it. But even more remarkable is that this semi-literate young woman is speaking out at all, in a packed public meeting with many...
	Earned media is essential part of any advocacy campaign Nov 13th, 2008 \| By: Michelle Dally What exactly do you read in the newspaper? The letters to the editor? The guest columns or OpEds? How about the editorials? Do your friends? Your relatives? The answers to these questions are ...
	Transitions in board leadership style: Moving toward a governance model Nov 3rd, 2008 \| By: Cindy Willard Organizations evolve. Budget growth, staff leadership transition and changing community needs may spark that evolution. As part of organizational change, boards of directors must adapt along with the organization. Many boards begin their ...
	Use subject lines and calls-to-action to generate better email marketing results Oct 23rd, 2008 \| By: Michael Clark Email marketing has become critical to increasing fundraising success and membership enrollment for many nonprofit organizations. The opportunity to engage with your community, communicate news and solicit funding is ...
	Build your leadership capacity with development programs and learning communities Oct 15th, 2008 \| By: David LaPiana In recent years, forward-thinking capacity builders have learned that they could build the leadership capacity of the nonprofit sector not just through direct individual consulting, but also through the design and delivery of ...
	Levels of authority: The art of effective delegation in projects Oct 9th, 2008 \| By: Bernard Ross As a project manager, does it sometimes seem that your projects have got out of hand? That there’s so much you need to do that you’re almost suffocating under the weight of it all? Do you have a nagging thought that there must be a better way to ...
	Tap into growing Hispanic donors by avoiding common pitfalls Sep 30th, 2008 \| By: Judith Nichols The U.S. population is projected to grow by 48 percent by 2050, with one in five Americans being an immigrant, according to the Pew Research Center. Under current trends, the report states, the U.S. population would increase from 296 million in 2005 ...
	Learn from exiting board members to improve board experiences Sep 24th, 2008 \| By: M.L. Hanson Many times the expiration of a board member’s term is celebrated by giving the retiring board member a plaque or certificate thanking him or her for his/her service and leadership. Rarely, in my experience of working with a variety of boards, is there ...
	Advocacy organizations should be a resource, not a charity Sep 16th, 2008 \| By: Elaine Mariner I am the director of a state arts agency, but I am not an artist. I am a salesperson for the arts, and I use my creative skills to help government leaders and, to a lesser extent, foundations and individuals, understand why they should invest in the ...
	Altering the course of history: Collaborations make good Sep 5th, 2008 \| By: Mary Lou Makepeace Mohandas Gandhi said, “A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.” This statement speaks volumes to the important role individuals can play in shaping ...
	DNC SPECIAL REPORT: Philanthropists encourage nonprofits to collaborate with government, business Aug 29th, 2008 \| By: Gina Bernacchi Young people have the power to change the world—but it will take a collaboration between philanthropy, government, corporations and individuals to create real change. That was one of the themes repeated by foundation executives and other philanthropists at ...
	Strengthen your foundation proposals by including organizational inclusivity Aug 25th, 2008 \| By: Naomi Harris As a consultant for nonprofit organizations, I have noticed an increased concern on the part of my clients to boost the diversity of their board, staff and volunteer corps and to embed inclusive policies into organizational practices. The more I have those ...
	Enhance your organization’s adaptive capacity to build effectiveness Aug 19th, 2008 \| By: Sarah Fischler Understanding where adaptive capacity fits into a larger capacity-building framework is important to understanding how an organization can start building its adaptive capacity. According to the TCC Group’s capacity-building model, adaptive capacity is ...
	The myth of the press event—Part two: Avoiding five totally wrong mistakes Aug 9th, 2008 \| By: Michelle Dally Any of my clients will tell you I am not a fan of press conferences. For most issues, individual meetings with key reporters, well-written press releases and phone calls, and a comprehensive but concise fact sheet should do the job and get you all the ...
	Tap into your local community foundation for funds, other resources Aug 1st, 2008 \| By: Rebecca Arno In nearly every community across the United States—and increasingly in cities and towns around the world—you’ll find an important and sometimes puzzling entity called a community foundation. “They make grants to us,” says one nonprofit executive ...
	Women and philanthropy: Six trends to watch Jul 25th, 2008 \| By: Judith Nichols Authors of Reinventing Fundraising: Realizing the Potential of Women’s Philanthropy (Jossey-Bass, 1995), they were among the first to assert that “whether they inherit, earn, or marry money, women are becoming a powerful financial force, and they are increasingly...
	Funder-grantee relationships offer more than just money Jul 14th, 2008 \| By: Cindy Willard One of the first things a colleague said to me when I started as a program officer at a foundation was that I’d never again receive a sincere compliment. My first thought was, “Really? I’m not brilliant, insightful, funny and wonderful?” My second thought ...
	Raising awareness and funds with trusted email: How to overcome the obstacles and reach your audience Jul 6th, 2008 \| By: John Arnold Issue awareness and fundraising are both essential to a nonprofit’s mission. Fortunately, over the last few years, affordable email technologies have emerged that have made it possible for nonprofits to do both while also building stronger ...
	Board committees: A closer look at a functional model Jul 1st, 2008 \| By: David LaPiana From my consulting work with hundreds of nonprofits, I have developed a keen appreciation for the role of a well-functioning board committee structure in helping the organization to achieve success. In my experience, most nonprofit organizations ...
	The nonprofit sector's role in corporate social responsiblity: Part 2 Jun 22nd, 2008 \| By: Michaela Hayes The nonprofit sector, along with government, can (and does) play a major role in shaping and monitoring CSR initiatives. International NGOs and NGOs in developing countries are playing a central role in influencing corporate policies in ...
	Use these tips to help maintain your fundraising during slow economic times Jun 18th, 2008 \| By: Richard Male Over the past several months, a sense of panic has settled in about the economy, led by the issues of housing foreclosures, the loss of value in the international and national stock exchanges, and the federal government’s economic ...
	Five practices of the exemplary leader Jun 10th, 2008 \| By: Bernard Ross In any senior manager’s career, the transition from manager to leader can be a tricky one. How do you lift yourself up from the operational to the strategic? What are the secrets ...
	Inclusiveness is good for business: A guide to developing effective outreach strategies for nonprofit organizations Jun 4th, 2008 \| By: Naomi Harris Communities across the nation are becoming more and more diverse. Conversely, recent studies have spotlighted the fact that many local nonprofit agencies, their boards, staff and volunteer corps, who all work to enhance the quality of life in ...
	The nonprofit sector’s role in corporate social responsibility May 27th, 2008 \| By: Michaela Hayes Corporate philanthropy and cause marketing are often what comes to mind first when nonprofits hear the term “corporate social responsibility” (CSR). While many nonprofits have benefited from these programs, others have felt somewhat “burned” ...
	Public News Service helps nonprofits get their issues in the news May 20th, 2008 \| By: Gina Bernacchi Global warming is expected to eradicate Colorado’s ski industry by 2050. If you’re surprised by that news, you’re not alone. It’s not the kind of information you’re likely to hear on commercial radio or TV. Public News Service (PNS), a member ...
	Older volunteers continue to be strong resource for nonprofits May 20th, 2008 \| By: Judith Nichols The value of volunteering for civil society organizations outdistances the value of gifts of cash to these organizations by almost one and a half to one, and in some ...
	Building connection in the workplace reaps big benefits May 12th, 2008 \| By: Gina Bernacchi One of the most powerful and least understood aspects of business is how a feeling of connection between management, employees and customers provides a competitive advantage. That’s the premise of both Michael Stallard’s 2007 book,...
	The myth of the press event—Part one: Much ado about nothing May 5th, 2008 \| By: Michelle Dally A mass delusion exists among nonprofits that the way into the pages of the newspaper or onto a TV news segment is to stage a “press conference.” A press conference, the myth goes, is the only way to get your story heard—whether it’s a...
	The art of constructive big talk: Tools for talking when the stakes are high Apr 28th, 2008 \| By: Debra Fine In the nonprofit world, constructive talk preserves a positive relationship between communicators, while enabling people to address problems, face challenges, negotiate resolutions and evaluate outcomes. Poor approaches to communication,...
	Get the most from your Gen-X leader by working together Apr 21st, 2008 \| By: Judith Nichols Whether you’re in the position of grooming Gen-Xers for future leadership roles within your organization or you’re suddenly being managed by a Gen-Xer, the following points will help you understand the younger leadership style, how to ...
	Redefining nonprofits: Ideas to ward off a leadership crisis Apr 14th, 2008 \| By: Sarah Fischler Whether you think the nonprofit sector is facing a leadership crisis or a leadership transition, the issue is difficult to ignore and is likely already affecting your organization in some way. It may look like generational differences that are causing ...
	Advocating for your nonprofit is easier than you think Apr 6th, 2008 \| By: Kathryn Hill For good and obvious reasons, communications with our constituents focus on the success of our programs and the “feel good” stories of the lives we’re affecting. Ensuring that your constituents also understand the public policy environment in ...
	Hail the fundraising faux pas Apr 2nd, 2008 \| By: Ken Burnett Some time ago, my friend Harvey McKinnon in Vancouver sent me a news clipping from the brilliant UK fundraising Web site, www.fundraising.co.uk. This relayed to its readers an item originally reported on the ultra-dependable BBC (news often ...
	Listen up: Good listening skills are essential to nonprofit success Mar 23rd, 2008 \| By: Rebecca Arno Why can listening to feedback prove so difficult for nonprofit professionals? One reason may be the passion with which we do our work. This passion increases the volume and intensity of the messages we send, and it can also prevent us from ...
	Advocacy is a ‘must-do’ for nonprofits Mar 17th, 2008 \| By: Lydia McCoy A frequent point of discussion in the nonprofit sector is whether foundations and funders should use their influence to set priorities for the nonprofit organizations they fund. When funders use their influence with vision, they can propel organizations to tackle issues that seem too comprehensive to address and too easy to postpone....
	Write your best proposal: Compelling evaluation statements, financials and follow-up Mar 11th, 2008 \| By: Richard Male Showing that your program will spark outcomes is perhaps the most powerful claim you can make in a grant proposal. Establish outcome baselines based on your best estimates, and try not to inflate your ...
	Fundraising in diverse populations Mar 4th, 2008 \| By: Naomi Harris Close your eyes and imagine a typical philanthropist. Chances are, if you are a North American of European descent, what comes to mind is an individual belonging to the white, affluent elite—perhaps a corporate mogul. Conversely, communities of color ...
	Why more questions and fewer reports can help your board Feb 26th, 2008 \| By: Raylene Decatur Boards must reframe their roles. The requirement today is to be leaders of two seemingly opposite agendas: How do I lead, as a board member, for discipline, consistency and dependable organizational results, while simultaneously challenging ...
	Seven ways to inspire innovation and sustain your competitive edge Feb 21st, 2008 \| By: Bernard Ross Almost every organization—charity, public body or private corporation—sees innovation as a key competency for the 21st century. Philip Kotler, marketing guru says, “The only sustainable competitive advantages are creativity and ...
	Calvary Women’s Services: Strong management helps build stronger programs Feb 21st, 2008 \| By: Gina Bernacchi Francine is one of Calvary Women’s Services success stories. Homeless but employed, Francine battled drug and alcohol addiction for years before she found Calvary. After six months of getting the support she needed—including medical care, ...
	Bell Policy Center pushing for payday lending reform Feb 15th, 2008 \| By: The Bell Policy Center The best way for states to protect their citizens from continual payday loan debt is to impose a 36 percent cap on interest rates, according to a recent report. Evaluating the policy approaches of various states to regulate payday lending, “Springing the Debt Trap,” a report from the Center for Responsible Lending ...
	Ending discrimination in the workplace: What nonprofit leaders need to know about laws to protect employees who don’t conform to gender stereotypes Feb 10th, 2008 \| By: Mary Lou Makepeace We are all familiar with civil rights statutes stating that an organization “… shall not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, or ancestry.” Now, employers in many states are seeing ...
	Vetting your “public face” Feb 5th, 2008 \| By: Michelle Dally Finding someone to speak for (or otherwise represent) your nonprofit can appear deceptively easy. If your nonprofit is an advocacy group, you might need someone to serve as a lead plaintiff in a civil suit or be the lead proponent of a ballot initiative. If your organization is more...
	Laying the groundwork for change: The power of organizational assessment Jan 28th, 2008 \| By: Patricia A. Sterner Over the past decade, a handful of foundations nationwide have put a microscope to the thorny issue of why nonprofits—especially smaller, service-oriented organizations—have difficulty growing beyond a certain size and competency.One example is ...
	Putting the proposal together: The nine key elements Jan 22nd, 2008 \| By: Richard Male In my years of reviewing grant applications, this section (also known as needs assessment, problem statement or issues statement) is frequently the weakest. Because agency directors are so invested in their programs, they sometimes tend to ...
	Beat the statistics: How to increase individual giving Jan 15th, 2008 \| By: Judith Nichols According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual Philanthropy 400 survey, donations to America’s largest charities grew by 4.3 percent in 2006 to $67.5 billion; however, the increase was much smaller than in the previous two years, when giving rose by double-digit percentages, thanks to the ...
	Refresh your 2008 fundraising with technology Jan 10th, 2008 \| By: Karen Meyer The Internet is here to stay, so if you’re not on board yet, the New Year is a great time to start. Without question, we’re living in a world that depends and thrives on the backbone of technology. The Internet has reached in and ...
	Diversity and donors: Understanding your minority prospects Jan 7th, 2008 \| By: Judith Nichols The world’s population is diversifying, racially and ethnically. Today, one in three people in the United States is black, Hispanic, Asian or Native American. Fueled by immigration and high birthrates, populations of ethnic and racial minorities in the ...
	How to be 15-minutes ahead Jan 1st, 2008 \| By: Ken Burnett What follows is a short selection of ideas you can use to enable your nonprofit organisation to be just far enough ahead of all the others to ensure you have all the success you need. This list is very far ...
	Lessons from the front: Two arts organizations merge and learn to let go Dec 27th, 2007 \| By: Kathryn Hill “Overfunded Public School Forced to Add Jazz Band.” That was the headline in a recent issue of The Onion, a satirical newspaper. My colleagues and I at Think 360 Arts, a statewide provider of arts education programs and services in Colorado, roared when we read ...
	Building nimble nonprofits: Part 3 Dec 18th, 2007 \| By: Michaela Hayes This article presents an unexpected project finding that emerged from our observation of the pilot sessions, discussions with the consultants who conducted post-session follow up with the participating nonprofits, and the post-session evaluation interviews with ...
	The endowment paradox Dec 10th, 2007 \| By: Rebecca Arno Endowment. For a nonprofit executive, this word brings with it all the joy of a bountiful holiday season. A healthy, well-managed endowment means financial stability, reduced fundraising pressures and a greater ...
	The nine elements of successful proposals Dec 4th, 2007 \| By: Richard Male Opening up a grant award letter is one of the most exciting responsibilities in the life of a nonprofit executive. It means that a foundation or corporation has recognized the strength of your ...
	From Baby Boomers to Gen Xers: How nonprofits can prepare for the coming leadership transition Nov 19th, 2007 \| By: Gina Bernacchi The “silver tsunami” has begun. The nation’s first Baby Boomer, Kathleen Casey-Kirschling, filed for her Social Security retirement benefits in October. This makes her eligible for ...
	Sleeping with the enemy: When do you take the money? Nov 13th, 2007 \| By: Bernard Ross This issue emerges at some point in every senior fundraiser’s career. Do you take the money from that individual? Will an investment from that company undermine your cause or support ...
	National studies show work supports critical for low-wage earners Nov 6th, 2007 \| By: The Bell Policy Center Two recent national studies show that work supports such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, child care assistance, food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Temporary Assistance to Needy ...
	Four generations create an unprecedented workplace dynamic Nov 6th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols Initial results from the implementation of the new United Nationals Handbook on Nonprofit Institutions (www.jhu.edu/ccss/unhandbook) reveal that the economic growth of the nonprofit sector is more rapid than the growth of the economies ...
	For all the right reasons: Media coverage and your organization Nov 1st, 2007 \| By: Michelle Dally I can’t tell you the number of calls I get from clients and people wanting to be clients that start with the question, “Can you get me into the newspaper?” or “Can you get me on the news?” For the most part, the answer is ...
	Shifting the tide: What it takes to make systemic changes Oct 30th, 2007 \| By: Lauren Casteel I’ve always been a “tide” person. You’ve heard the story—two people are walking along the beach; there are thousands of starfish stranded on the sand, far above where the next high tide will reach. One person starts heaving ...
	Increase your Web “findability” with these five simple steps Oct 25th, 2007 \| By: Dee Rambeau Search Engine Optimization (SEO)—or Search Engine Marketing (SEM)—is a concern for any organization in this Internet age. Simply put, SEO is how you can use your day-to-day efforts with your Web site and outbound ...
	Advancing equality: From the Lobby to the Legal Ease, Your Work Environment Says a Lot Oct 15th, 2007 \| By: Mary Lou Makepeace While most organizations would agree it’s important to promote diversity and create a work environment that is welcoming to all people, many may not realize that they may be doing very subtle things that in fact do not feel welcoming to ...
	The seven trends of 2007 in the United States Oct 11th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols Demographic trends usually move at a glacial pace. Several factors have quickened that pace lately. Globalization has boosted immigration and business competition, transforming our population and economy. The aging of the ...
	Redefining scale and sustainability Oct 5th, 2007 \| By: Patricia A. Sterner I find the phrase “scale and sustainability” one of those expressions that we tend to use in the development world without really thinking about what it means. Typical comments from clients and funders over the years have included “We need to bring ...
	Guard the mission during executive transitions Oct 3rd, 2007 \| By: Cindy Willard One of the hot topics in the third sector these days is the retirement of Baby Boomers and the transition of leadership this creates. While I suspect that leadership transition has always been a topic of interest in nonprofit organizations, this recent focus provides ...
	Federal investments in kids projected to drop in the future Sep 25th, 2007 \| By: The Bell Policy Center Federal spending in those areas generally considered as investments—such as education and research, work supports that expand the labor supply, and social programs that help people remain in the workforce or school—are projected to ...
	Building nimble nonprofits: Part 2 Sep 18th, 2007 \| By: Michaela Hayes The development of this capacity does not occur overnight. At a minimum, it requires commitment and continuous effort. Often a change in the organization’s culture must occur before these efforts ...
	OSPs help nonprofits obtain much-needed resources Sep 13th, 2007 \| By: Gina Bernacchi The Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships (DOSP) is one of many OSPs across the country that was created to connect cities and their nonprofits. The DOSP partners with individuals, foundations, corporations and nonprofits to raise funds for cooperative initiatives, foster ...
	The popularity contest: Why big-time conferences choose the wrong presenters Sep 10th, 2007 \| By: Ken Burnett Fundraising leaders should hold conference organizers more accountable for the fare they dish up to their staff on “company’” time and at company expense. Fundraising leaders (who often don’t attend these seminars themselves) should...
	The state of philanthropy Sep 6th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols About 65 percent of households with incomes lower than $100,000 give to charity—that’s higher than the percentage that vote or read a Sunday newspaper. So says the Giving Institute’s chair, George C. Ruotolo, Jr., CFRE, commenting on the 4.2 ...
	The “new” retirement Aug 28th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols Aging baby boomers constitute this decade’s fastest growing age group, expanding nearly 50 percent in size from 2000 to 2010. This group—more highly educated, with more professional women and more diverse than its predecessors—will add new ...
	Poverty rising to the top of state political agendas Aug 23rd, 2007 \| By: The Bell Policy Center Reducing poverty is a top concern for politicians across the country. A teleconference hosted by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), “Poverty and Opportunity: Development Around the Nation,” focused on the ...
	What leadership gap? One Gen Xer’s opinion Aug 21st, 2007 \| By: Lydia McCoy Articles about the transition of executive leadership from the Boomer generation to generations X and Y frequently pop into my inbox. Recently, a quote from an article in The Council on Foundations’ daily email compilation, titled “Will Grassroots Nonprofits Survive When Boomers Retire?”, elicited an abnormally strong response in me in the form of a rapidly increasing heart rate....
	The “symphony” of social media (a creative analogy) Aug 14th, 2007 \| By: Dee Rambeau Imagine the modern communications professional as the conductor of this orchestra. The goal? To present a complete experience to all relevant audiences using all of the tools at his or her disposal. What are those instruments or tools ...
	Strategic planning: A story from the middle of the journey Aug 7th, 2007 \| By: Rebecca Arno Many CausePlanet readers have participated in that long-standing tradition in nonprofit leadership: strategic planning. Most missives I’ve read on the subject are written from the vantage point of the glory days after the final document is written, approved and—hopefully...
	The 21 key aspects of good governance Aug 3rd, 2007 \| By: Ken Burnett Many nonprofit executives and board members know all too well that building an effective volunteer board can be difficult. CausePlanet wants to help. In this continuing series, we excerpt ...
	Media relations for the good guys: Part III Jul 31st, 2007 \| By: Michelle Dally Until now I’ve been writing about how nonprofits can garner wanted attention from the media—and how they can use that wanted attention to get the true spirit of their ...
	Results require action Jul 24th, 2007 \| By: Raylene Decatur Volumes are written extolling the virtues of creativity in the workplace. We all invest time in brainstorming and daydreaming about how to improve our programs, products and client services. New ways of looking at...
	Collaborate and improvise for organizational change Jul 17th, 2007 \| By: Mary Lou Makepeace I recently read an article that struck a chord with me. It was a piece in which the author likened the process of organizational change to the way a jazz band makes music, comparing the improvisational nature of jazz to the need for groups to ...
	Urban and rural nonprofits can learn from each other Jul 12th, 2007 \| By: Cindy Willard Fundamentally, nonprofit organizations exist to meet a community need, but how they meet those needs varies widely. Urban and rural environments present different obstacles and opportunities that must be overcome and met. Neither locale...
	Are we investing enough in nonprofits? Jul 1st, 2007 \| By: Patricia A. Sterner Nonprofit executives often lament the struggle they face to adequately fund their organizations. However, one of the contributing factors to this lack of funds is the fact that nonprofits typically downplay their true costs in order to look “efficient” ...
	Marketing and communicating with our youngest generations Jun 30th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols Accounting for 25 percent of the population in the United States, Generation Y—aka the Millennials and Gen Net—not only provides a huge current market, it also offers savvy marketers the possibility of gaining...
	Ten essential elements of a great fundraising plan Jun 12th, 2007 \| By: Richard Male Every organization, no matter its size, needs a fundraising plan to guide and support its efforts. The purpose of the fundraising plan is to have a planning document that clearly spells out the overall fundraising picture of the organization. In most plans, the agency takes a ...
	Chicago photographer becomes benefactor to Cambodia’s garbage dump children Jun 11th, 2007 \| By: Gina Bernacchi Bill Smith is saving lives, one child at a time. What began as a photography tour of Southeast Asia has slowly but persistently turned into a nonprofit that helps provide shelter, food and education for the impoverished children of ...
	Strategy formation: Building nimble nonprofits Jun 7th, 2007 \| By: Michaela Hayes Strategic planning, as it is often practiced in the sector, is a long, involved process resulting in a three-year plan that is often outdated by the time the ink is dry. While we believe that planning is useful, we have found that it does not address ...
	Online Media Room essential for small organizations Jun 1st, 2007 \| By: Dee Rambeau Since the advent of the Internet, the way in which journalists do their jobs has been forever changed. It is because of the fact that the working press (like consumers and donors) use the ...
	TABOR proposals emerge in Florida and South Carolina May 23rd, 2007 \| By: The Bell Policy Center Legislators in South Carolina and Florida are proposing strict revenue and spending limits for state government similar to Colorado’s TABOR amendment. The proposals come after voters soundly rejected ...
	Back to basics: Understanding demographics and psychographics May 17th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols To effectively build and upgrade donor bases, fundraisers need to use targeted marketing that combines geographic, demographic and psychographic information. Let's start here with some basic...
	Educational foundations can play key role in helping school districts meet their goals May 10th, 2007 \| By: Barbara Berv Public education has undergone a dramatic change in recent years. Study after study keeps showing that America is failing to prepare its students to compete in a global economy. As a result, society is demanding higher accountability from educators and ...
	Our grass is greener: Advice for nonprofit board members considering careers in the nonprofit sector May 7th, 2007 \| By: Rebecca Arno You’ve been serving on the board of your favorite nonprofit for years, and you’re thinking about the next step in your career. You look across the table at the organization’s executive director and think, “Maybe I should do what she’s doing.” The truth is ...
	Media relations for the good guys: Part two May 3rd, 2007 \| By: Michelle Dally Honest, hardworking people tend to twitch a little when you use the word “messaging.” They’ve seen the movies where the spin doctors (always with a little too much grease in their hair) sit around with the politicians and decide how to...
	Will this be the year we make a difference? Apr 27th, 2007 \| By: Ken Burnett Each morning 11-year-old Winfred Akera, an orphan, gets up at 6:00 a.m., sweeps and cleans her compound, then prepares whatever breakfast she can find for her younger brother and sister and their sick grandmother. She then goes to school, ...
	Planning a facility project? These tips can help Apr 19th, 2007 \| By: Lara Jakubowski Many nonprofits encounter serious challenges when faced with a change in their facility or physical space. Organizations don’t want their physical environments to undermine their mission, but sometimes a leaky roof, cramped quarters, ...
	Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y: Understanding varying attitudes toward nonprofit work Apr 17th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols A vast majority of nonprofit organizations are not taking full advantage of the professional skills and knowledge possessed by their volunteers. According to the 2006 Deloitte/Points of Light Volunteers IMPACT Study, 77 percent of nonprofit leaders believe that skilled volunteers could improve their ...
	Is your organization using “Best Web Practices?” Apr 10th, 2007 \| By: Dee Rambeau Back in 2005, the Council of Public Relations Firms commissioned IMT Strategies to research how the Internet had changed business communications. Although a nonprofit is not technically a PR firm, we are all in the business of effectively ...
	March Madness: Basketball and the boardroom Apr 3rd, 2007 \| By: Cindy Willard March Madness may be over, but for many college basketball fans, the excitement, outstanding performances and team spirit of the games linger. For many nonprofits, this is also a time of anticipation, uncertainty and challenge as new board leadership ...
	Looking at diversity in a new way Apr 2nd, 2007 \| By: Mary Lou Makepeace Many organizations today place an emphasis on fostering diversity, through either task forces or entire departments devoted to addressing diversity in the workplace. This trend is a wonderful development that has blossomed over the past two ...
	Achieving organizational excellence through an effective executive-board relationship Apr 1st, 2007 \| By: Patricia A. Sterner A common characteristic I’ve found among high-performing organizations is a dynamic and balanced partnership between the executive and his or her board. This is often the critical difference between a “good” organization and one that is exceptional. How can an effective ...
	World’s poor receive boost from Denver nonprofit Mar 23rd, 2007 \| By: Gina Bernacchi After 25 years of helping the world’s poorest farmers improve their livelihoods, International Development Enterprises (IDE) has finally attracted the attention of one of the biggest philanthropists in the world: Bill Gates. The Lakewood, Colo.-based nonprofit was recently ...
	How to work with corporations: Marketing vs. philanthropic dollars Mar 19th, 2007 \| By: Richard Male The nonprofit sector is the second largest sector in the private economy, exceeded only by the manufacturing industry. In 2002, more than $750 million dollars flowed into and out of the nonprofit sector throughout the United States. Of these dollars, ...
	Organizational transparency and the nonprofit board Mar 15th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols If the nonprofit sector wishes to retain its current level of relative self-regulation, nonprofit leaders need to make a visible effort to improve organizational governance and accountability. If this does not occur, nonprofits may come under additional ...
	Leading from within: Are you ready for transformational leadership? Mar 13th, 2007 \| By: Paul Alexander and Karen Gizzi A new trend in the field of Organizational Development is emerging that asks nonprofit leaders to embark on an internal journey and become more spiritual adults. If this sounds too “touchy-feely” for your leadership style, consider this growing body ...
	Transition planning and management capacity Mar 12th, 2007 \| By: Molly Stevenson Our organizations regularly experience various executive transitions or shifts in the staff leadership of operations. Across the country, more than 10 percent of executive directors depart their positions every year, and that number is expected to climb for ...
	The 21 key aspects of good governance Mar 9th, 2007 \| By: Ken Burnett Many nonprofit executives and board members know all too well that building an effective volunteer board can be difficult. CausePlanet wants to help. In this continuing series, we excerpt five more of “The 21 Key Aspects of Good ...
	Boomers leading change in metro Denver Mar 6th, 2007 \| By: Gina Bernacchi Today’s 60 has been touted as the “new 40”—in general, people reaching 60 today benefit from better health, more education, greater diversity and more financial security than in the past. These baby boomers—born between 1946 and 1964—have much to contribute to society ...
	Stakeholders and change processes: The Wild West of change Mar 1st, 2007 \| By: Bernard Ross Many organisations in the public and voluntary sector work hard to set up a high performing culture. They devise programmes and processes, build teams, engineer reward systems and so on. They draft vision statements, embed core values, set ...
	Strategic planning: Is your board focusing on the five external forces? Feb 13th, 2007 \| By: Raylene Decatur Strategic planning often gets a bad rap. And it’s easy to see why. Usually, we have a board retreat or take the staff off site and hold a big meeting. Much is said and brainstorming is vigorous,...
	The world of philanthropy: A reality check Feb 13th, 2007 \| By: Judith Nichols As we begin a New Year, it seems fitting to take stock of the state of the world of philanthropy, in order to make some realistic predictions of where it is going. There are more nonprofits ...
	Parking meters become change agents Feb 9th, 2007 \| By: Denise McMahan If someone asked me to think of an everyday item that conjures up goodwill, it wouldn’t be a parking meter. In fact, a meter would probably fall close to the bottom of the list, since most memories entail a parking ticket or me rushing to the car when ...
	Arts agencies play important role in education reform Feb 8th, 2007 \| By: Elaine Mariner Anyone whose work is connected to K-12 education is surely aware of the recent report from The National Center on Education and the Economy titled, "Tough Choices, Tough Times.” This controversial report, issued after a two-year study ...