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Shape up your social media strategy with Kanter's "spreadsheet aerobics"
Sep 7th, 2010 | By: Denise McMahan
In light of our Page to Practice feature, "The Networked Nonprofit" by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine, we’re pleased to cross-post one of Beth Kanter’s recent blogs to give you a sample of what you can find in this terrific book. I had the pleasure of attending a conference where Beth was
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Thriving in the new economy: Getting your next job
Sep 1st, 2010 | By: Raylene Decatur
In June of 2008, I wrote an article on career planning and voiced concern that people were not investing enough thought, time and energy in their careers, given a rapidly changing environment. Little did I realize the extent to which dramatic ...
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Shatter business as usual with breakthrough thinking
Aug 16th, 2010 | By: Bernard Ross
The environment in which nonprofits operate is changing rapidly and – just like businesses have had to do with their environment – nonprofits need to “catch up” with it. This change process is continuous and accelerating. Nonprofits must ...
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Who do you really know?
Aug 3rd, 2010 | By: Tommy Spaulding
When CausePlanet asked me what single event most inspired me to focus my life on who I was rather than who I knew, I recall a job I had when I was in my late twenties. I worked for IBM (Lotus Development). It was at the time in my career where networking and building net worth was important ...
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2020 vision: What might be the future of fundraising?
Jul 26th, 2010 | By: Ken Burnett
The answer, of course, is ‘Well, it depends...’ It depends principally on whether fundraisers will get clever and start building more substantial, more meaningful relationships with their donors, offering them more tangible benefits and practical engagement. Or whether, instead, they will
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Surprising discoveries about change from "Switch"
Jul 19th, 2010 | By: Denise McMahan
In the last two weeks, we have explored highlights from our July Page to Practice feature: Switch:How to change things when change is hard. Join us for another excerpt from a conversation with authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath with ......
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Wanted: Risk takers who focus on the future - Part 2
Jul 12th, 2010 | By: Patricia A. Sterner
This rhetorical question brings to mind a colleague with whom I worked on the first ever association merger in the financial cooperative industry. The merger created a huge amount of controversy and tension with many of his colleagues ...
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New website? New world.
Jul 6th, 2010 | By: Rebecca Arno
I cut my teeth in the nonprofit sector back in the early days of desktop computing. (Yes, I’m that ancient.) Through the years, I’ve been excited when new technologies have come along and I’ve adopted them for the nonprofits with which I’ve worked. The first time I helped develop a nonprofit website was back in the 1990’s – about a
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Maximize your board’s effectiveness by building harmony
Jun 28th, 2010 | By: Alice Korngold
Four years ago, I met with the CEO, Senior Vice President and two board members of a nonprofit that were interested in recommendations for corporate executives for the organization’s board of directors. Since global companies engage me to prepare and...
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Wanted: Risk takers who focus on the future
Jun 21st, 2010 | By: Patricia A. Sterner
Being a leader in today’s changing and challenging world is a bit like parenting teenagers. As a parent of two teens, I have found it takes a multitude of leadership skills – courage, patience, integrity, vision, mentoring, perseverance – to help us ...
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Five tips to make time for social media
Jun 14th, 2010 | By: Holly Ross
You get to the office each morning and start your scan. Mail, email, voicemails. Then you have the meetings and the phone calls. Then back to email. You might get a little bit of project work completed before it’s time for ...
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Seven steps for building your best LinkedIn profile with the Brandraising approach
Jun 9th, 2010 | By: Denise McMahan
LinkedIn is all about connecting with others who share commonality. This, of course, can be said of all social networks, but if you want to maximize your professional network, building a personal brand is essential. Most nonprofit leaders make the mistake of
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Is your nonprofit Facebook page worth it? Measurements and analytics
May 24th, 2010 | By: Katya Andresen
When I’m speaking to nonprofit professionals about social media, the first question they want answered is this: “Do we really need a Facebook page?” (That is unless they already have a page for their organization. Then they want to know: “How do I ...
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Reality show takes a page out of "Brandraising"
May 18th, 2010 | By: Denise McMahan
It hit me last night when I saw a commercial for American Idol. The cast must have read Sarah Durham's new book called Brandraising. I knew Durham and her New York agency colleagues at Big Duck were hip, but her guidelines for success ...
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Being a good follower can be as important as leading
May 11th, 2010 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
The other day, my colleague of 21 years and I went to lunch. We started talking about what it was like to work so long for one organization. My colleague said that for many years she has set yearly goals about what she could do to be the best ...
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Raise more money and visibility with smart communications
May 3rd, 2010 | By: Denise McMahan
Despite the fact that a sound communications plan is the foundation of effective fundraising, advocacy and community relations, many nonprofits often leave little in their budget to pay for research, planning and execution, let alone a ...
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Ethical behavior critical for both organization and leader
Apr 12th, 2010 | By: Cindy Willard
When the economy is bad, everything tends to look worse. Snowy weather feels colder, your favorite team losing is more disappointing, and ethics scandals seem more egregious. The recent focus on corporate and nonprofit executive salaries, and ...
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Four considerations for organizational relevance, today and tomorrow: Part 2
Apr 5th, 2010 | By: Sarah Fischler
To really consider the question of relevance, for today and tomorrow, organizations will benefit from looking beyond their own walls. In doing so, an organization must consider the broader environment in which it operates and the changes that could rapidly threaten ...
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Four considerations for organizational relevance, today and tomorrow: Part 1
Mar 22nd, 2010 | By: Sarah Fischler
Relevance is a word that has been tossed around a lot lately, both for the nonprofit sector as a whole and within individual organizations. Many nonprofit leaders have been considering their organization’s place in a world that is being rapidly redefined ...
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Six strategies for aspiring social entrepreneurs
Mar 8th, 2010 | By: Paul C. Light
Some of the most interesting work in the study of business entrepreneurship focuses on the role of imagination in sparking initial action. Entrepreneurs must believe that change is both essential and possible ...
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Thriving on reinvention: Stimulating conversation about the business model
Mar 1st, 2010 | By: Raylene Decatur
Regardless of the timeline for the U.S. economic recovery, emerging trends in competition, technology, demographics and consumer behavior are the major drivers of future opportunities for nonprofit organizations. These trends will shape a ...
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Ready, set, influence: A nonprofit leader’s guide for influencing boards, prospects and peers
Feb 23rd, 2010 | By: Denise McMahan
No matter where you are in the organizational food chain, you probably have to exert influence to get your job done. In the book, Influencer, authors Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan and Switzler explore how to master six sources of influence. These sources of influence are based on the premise that almost ...
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Overcoming challenges with a social marketing approach
Feb 16th, 2010 | By: Philip Kotler and Nancy R. Lee
Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee’s Up and Out of Poverty is an extremely helpful social marketing guide about the essential principles, misconceptions, and challenges. Through the lens of the poverty issue, Kotler and Lee offer a concise 10-step model for developing a social marketing plan that reflects a systematic process and ...
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Rethinking the nonprofit business model in a time of crisis
Feb 8th, 2010 | By: Scott Schaffer
The economic meltdown that began in 2008 evoked a wide range of reactions in the nonprofit sector. “Deer in the headlights,” as one leader put it, was one common response, but nearly everyone now recognizes that the old status quo won’t be ...
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Social marketing strategies explored by those fighting poverty
Feb 1st, 2010 | By: Denise McMahan
The best way to describe Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee’s "Up and Out of Poverty" is that it’s a nonprofit lesson in how to use social marketing by illustrating the steps through the very real and pervasive issue of poverty. This terrific social marketing case study of ...
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High-impact nonprofits leverage power to create change
Jan 27th, 2010 | By: Gina Bernacchi
What makes great nonprofits great? In their book, Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits (Jossey-Bass, 2008), authors Leslie R. Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant studied 12 high-impact nonprofits to find out. What they discovered ...
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Add mid-range donors to your best practices benchmarks
Jan 18th, 2010 | By: Kim Klein
There are a number of “best practice” benchmarks that organizations can use to measure their health, as well as to set goals that are useful to improving their fundraising programs. Here are three fundraising benchmarks that are ...
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Will philanthrocapitalists realize their potential?
Jan 11th, 2010 | By: Gina Bernacchi
Our Page to Practice™ this month is Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save the World by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green. Philanthrocapitalists are philanthropists who are trying to apply the secrets behind their money-making ...
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Make 2010 the year to ask yourself the tough questions you’ve been avoiding
Jan 4th, 2010 | By: Holly Ross
In the final month of the first decade of the new millennium, there are lots of reasons for us to stop and think. Some of the greatest challenges of our time are bearing down on us, from the environment to the economy. The nonprofit sector is at the heart of it ...
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Leadership is everybody’s business
Dec 28th, 2009 | By: Gina Bernacchi
Angie Chaplin, M.A., C.P.B.A., is a certified facilitator for The Leadership Challenge, this month’s Page to Practice™. She conducts The Leadership Challenge Workshops for nonprofits across the country, and teaches the curriculum at Seton Hall University ...
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Maximize your organization’s potential by building a passionate and productive board
Dec 21st, 2009 | By: Alice Korngold
By building the right board of directors for your nonprofit organization, you will maximize your organization’s greatest potential – strategically and financially – in serving your community. Every board member at the table should matter. And together...
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Leadership is learned, not born
Dec 14th, 2009 | By: Gina Bernacchi
Leadership is not about personality; it’s about behavior. And, according to James M Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, authors of The Leadership Challenge, this month’s Page to Practice™, it is available to anyone who learns and follows The Five Practices of ...
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Ready or not, here comes everybody
Dec 7th, 2009 | By: Rebecca Arno
In 2007, the U.K. division of the bank HSBC promised students and recent college graduates bank accounts with no penalty for overdrafts … until August, when they revoked the policy with only a few weeks’ notice. They counted on two things when ...
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Best practices and the fallacy of “plug and play”
Nov 30th, 2009 | By: Mike Stone
The secret to a good golf game is simple: Watch Tiger Woods, learn what he does and simply apply those techniques to your own game. That will make you just as good as Tiger, right? Of course not. There are too
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Focus on what’s always true about fundraising to survive tough economic times
Nov 23rd, 2009 | By: Gina Bernacchi
There’s no end in sight to the current economic crisis. However, the fact is that our economy has always operated like a rollercoaster – so, nonprofits need to create a disciplined, systematic fundraising program that is both flexible and resilient and that ...
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Great employees exceed expectations
Nov 21st, 2009 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
Last week I had a moment of sheer bliss. A moment that elevated my spirits and made me believe that all things were possible. A moment where I forgot I was at work in the middle of a goal planning meeting with an employee. Here’s what ...
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Transparency is the new black for nonprofits
Nov 17th, 2009 | By: Katya Andresen
In the current environment of distrust, everyone in our sector needs to go out of their way to be highly transparent and accountable. You must show where the money goes, in all your outreach. But that’s not enough for
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Leverage skills, talents and potential by recognizing ‘ordinary greatness’
Nov 2nd, 2009 | By: Pamela Bilbrey
Today’s business environment compels us to think differently about what we do and how we do it. Simply put, we’re learning to do more with less: less money, fewer people, less guidance and less overall certainty. The answer to higher productivity, ...
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Use social networking to save money and build community
Nov 2nd, 2009 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
The British Broadcast Company (BBC) recently announced that the millionth English word is likely to be “Web 2.0.” Web 2.0 can be defined as two-way communications on the Internet. This two-way exchange is also known as Social Networking, and it is...
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Strategic process more effective than Magic 8-Ball for making decisions
Oct 12th, 2009 | By: Cindy Willard
Tough times call for tough decisions. The Third Sector is confronted with increasing needs and decreasing resources. This is not a new dilemma, just one that is more pronounced now than ever before. How will your board and staff handle making the ...
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Use online surveys to drive member loyalty and program success
Oct 5th, 2009 | By: Mary Crogan
Too often, marketing is a one-way street, an avenue for organizations to merely “talk at” their members and supporters. Smart marketers, heads of development and executive directors understand that it’s just as important to know what their ...
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Future challenges call for new leadership skills
Sep 28th, 2009 | By: Gina Bernacchi
Bob Johansen has been focused on the future since 1968, when he was a research assistant for a conference on religion and the future. “I was the young guy who went to the airport to pick up the speakers, who were the world’s leading futurists of the ...
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Using Real-Time Strategic Planning to evaluate nonprofit partnerships
Sep 24th, 2009 | By: Robert Harrington
Many nonprofits are considering the spectrum of strategic restructuring options, such as partnerships and mergers, as potential strategies to enhance financial viability and achieve greater sustainability. With more than a decade of experience in this area, I ...
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Learn the six “secrets” to accelerate large-scale change
Sep 14th, 2009 | By: Michael Fullan
In our work In Ontario, Canada and around the world, we have been trying to bring about significant improvements in schools and school systems. We have aligned this effort with the best of research and practices around the world, and tested our ...
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The 5Cs of change: Why don’t they all stand up and cheer?
Sep 9th, 2009 | By: Bernard Ross
As a senior manager, chances are at some point you’ve been involved in either instituting or supporting change in your organisation. The question is, if the need for change is so obvious to you, why isn’t the rest of the organisation jumping up and ...
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Use these “six secrets” to help your organization thrive
Sep 1st, 2009 | By: Gina Bernacchi
Although Fullan argues that the six secrets “travel best as a pack,” many organizations are already using some or all of them. According to Fullan, the reciprocal and synergistic relationships among them make it easy to take action. You ...
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The value of your brand: Are you making the most of it?
Aug 26th, 2009 | By: Michaela Hayes
To many, “brand” is a corporate sector concept. While you may not think of your nonprofit as having a brand or a “brand identity,” it does. Overlooking this is a huge mistake, not to mention a major missed opportunity. It’s not enough to have a ...
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Don’t go it alone: Making fund development partners of your board
Aug 18th, 2009 | By: Naomi Harris
I recently conducted a straw poll that confirmed my suspicions: Other consultants, executive directors and development directors get the same blank stare from board members that I do when I tell them their job includes an active partnership in raising ...
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Don’t neglect your message in tough times
Aug 13th, 2009 | By: Luis Vergara
“We need to get our message across.” This is a common refrain by many nonprofits leaders and never has it been more relevant, given the current economic situation. In any organization, marketing and communications resources are usually the first ...
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Structure national-chapter relationships to maximize organizational success
Aug 4th, 2009 | By: Alice Korngold
In consulting to nonprofits, I often observe tensions between the national and chapter offices. To some extent, these tensions are natural, since the national and regional chapters each want to control the destinies of the organizations for which ...
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Shift power from “do for” to “do with” to create real change
Jul 28th, 2009 | By: Rebecca Arno
This admirable sentiment lives and thrives everywhere in the nonprofit sector – from the volunteer who ladles soup into a dish for a hungry person to a fundraiser who submits a grant request to secure dollars for his or her program. One could say that ...
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Does your organization have a high impact board? Seven questions to ask
Jul 21st, 2009 | By: Vance Yoshida
Great boards have a significant impact by adding value not available to their organization’s current resources and means. High impact boards are the key difference between achieving good results and great results. They don’t spend their ...
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Evaluation frameworks offer starting point for grantmakers
Jul 16th, 2009 | By: Alex Mitchell
There is growing interest in both strategic grantmaking and evaluation, as foundations and nonprofits become progressively more aware of how focused attention in these areas can serve their mutual best interests. Organizations such as ...
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Closing a nonprofit organization – discussing the unthinkable
Jul 7th, 2009 | By: Cindy Willard
Civil society organizations are created to fill a community need, but community needs change over time as do community resources, both monetary and otherwise. Yet, we rarely hear of an organization closing its doors. One result of the tough economy ...
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Mergers: A cautionary note in difficult times
Jun 29th, 2009 | By: Jo DeBolt
The current economic climate has everyone scrambling – looking for ideas that will help them weather hard times. Many in the nonprofit sector are looking to mergers as one solution. Mergers are often a good strategic move for nonprofits. This is ...
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Research pays off when pitching stories
Jun 22nd, 2009 | By: Michelle Dally
Getting your organization, your service or your product into the paper or on radio or television isn’t a matter of magic. It’s a matter of study. I recently had coffee with a Denver Post reporter who was bemoaning the inane emails she often receives pitching stories that are
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The value of evaluation: A grantmaker’s perspective
Jun 15th, 2009 | By: Jeff Pryor
As grantmakers grappled with the development of the Colorado Common Grant Report, there was considerable discussion about the purpose of the report. Would it simply be a summary of the nonprofit’s work in relation to the grant? Or should it ...
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Are you on the same mission? Eight steps to a successful consulting relationship
Jun 8th, 2009 | By: Russ Debenport
For many nonprofit executives, choosing consultants for high-profile projects is an anxiety-provoking experience. Nonprofit organizations are mission-driven, and finding consultants who share our values and fit our cultures is critical. With funding tight, ...
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Winning the governance game
Jun 3rd, 2009 | By: Ken Burnett
I took my broken sandals to the shoe-mender across the road from my London flat. “These are unusual,” he observed, when I gave them over. “They’re from Ghana,” I told him. “I bought them from a street vendor in Accra for less than two pounds, but ...
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Build on your organization’s strengths when developing strategy
May 22nd, 2009 | By: Lester Olmstead-Rose
Knowing Thyself is important for many reasons, but the most important benefit is to guide the organization in making major decisions by doing more of what it does best. Human nature is often to fret over our weaknesses. But individuals are more ...
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Look for challenges in different phases of your career to keep it fresh
May 18th, 2009 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
Like seasons, careers change. And even though a bad economy with massive job layoffs makes today’s job market seem like a job hunter’s winter of discontent, there are always approaches job seekers can use to plan and prepare for their career. There are phases and stages to our work
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The art of polarity management: Crafting compelling messages to folks who just don’t get it
May 9th, 2009 | By: Naomi Harris
If you’re like me, you have been astounded by the absolute polarity of Americans’ viewpoints during the last decade, particularly in evidence during the last election. It seems like a hopeless waste of time and resources to target your organizational ...
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Innovations in nonprofit collaborations: Powerful new momentum
May 4th, 2009 | By: Alice Korngold
The unreliability of nonprofit funding and alarm about scarce resources is driving nonprofits to form partnerships between each other and with for-profits. The benefits of growing collaborations include cost efficiencies, new revenue opportunities for ...
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Emerging managers: Giving and receiving feedback
Apr 27th, 2009 | By: Bernard Ross
Becoming a manager is often an exciting and nerve-wracking time in your career – exciting for the whole new vistas it opens up; nerve-wracking because suddenly you’re responsible not just for your own work, but for that of others as well. And if ...
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Three steps to becoming a trusted, membership-focused organization
Apr 20th, 2009 | By: Julie Niehoff
As the Texas Regional Development Director for Constant Contact, I have the benefit of connecting with nonprofits, organizations and entrepreneurs every day – either in person at a seminar, by phone, or via email. By listening carefully to what ...
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Get back to basics with first principle of strategy development
Apr 14th, 2009 | By: Lester Olmstead-Rose
We all carry unexamined – or unstated – assumptions with us. When organizations initiate strategy development processes, these unexamined assumptions can lead to unsatisfying results: mis-communication along the way, time wasted gathering ...
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Evaluate potential collaborations to avoid common pitfalls
Apr 1st, 2009 | By: Jane Hansberry
Collaboration has long been touted as a mandate for nonprofit organizations, and current economic challenges have increased the call to collaborate. However, too often collaboration is viewed as a panacea when, in fact, it is more helpful to view ...
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Involving businesses in the community is essential … and often untapped
Mar 25th, 2009 | By: Rebecca Arno
It’s easy to bash businesses for not being more involved in the community. We’re the nonprofit sector, and they’re the ones with the profits, right? And aren’t they always the ones whose percentage is lowest in the Giving USA (www.givingusa.org) report ...
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Teams can provide meaningful partnerships in nonprofit sector
Mar 18th, 2009 | By: Cindy Willard
In the midst of crisis situations, we often feel isolated, particularly in the nonprofit sector. The amount of work to be done increases, resources decrease, and the pressure to make positive change seems even more urgent. Responsibilities for ...
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Alter your PR message to reach your audience during hard economic times
Mar 11th, 2009 | By: Michelle Dally
Hard economic times rarely spell opportunity for nonprofits. Instead, they usually mean that demand for services is up, while funders and donors are strapped, and the general public, including lawmakers, are focused on saving themselves, not ...
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Smart nonprofit leaders are finding opportunity in scarcity
Mar 5th, 2009 | By: Jerr Boschee
Alarmists are in full cry as the recession widens, and the pillars supporting the nonprofit sector begin to crumble. Individual contributions, corporate philanthropy and government subsidies are all at risk. Newspaper columnists, television ...
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Developing a lifelong, sustainable approach to leadership development
Feb 27th, 2009 | By: Mary Stelletello
When I took my first job as an executive director at age 25, I didn’t really think about embarking on a career as a nonprofit leader. However, nearly 20 years later, I have led five different organizations with annual budgets ranging from $150,000 to $13 ...
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Decisions made during recession shouldn’t be taken lightly
Feb 20th, 2009 | By: Sharon Knight
Nonprofits are feeling a variety of new challenges as a result of the nation’s economic recession. There is trepidation about fundraising and the soundness of other revenue streams. The ...
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Thinking outside the box can help nonprofits become powerful economic force
Feb 9th, 2009 | By: Robert Egger
Following a speech I made recently — at a statewide gathering of beleaguered, direct-service, nonprofit organizations — a participant stood up and suggested that, given the dire nature of our country’s economy, wasn’t it now time for nonprofits to ...
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Goals give meaning to our doing
Feb 5th, 2009 | By: Melissa Mendes Campos
Many of us are entering 2009 with equal parts optimism and reserve (if not outright anxiety). Excitement about the inauguration of President Obama and the prospect of meaningful social change is tempered by an economic crisis at home, lingering wars ...
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Balancing the urgent and important: How to be more effective with time management
Jan 26th, 2009 | By: Bernard Ross
Have you ever wondered why it is that, with all the advances in technology and communication in the workplace, we seem to get less done than before? And not only that, we seem to be more and more stressed about the things that we haven’t ...
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Corporate social responsibility: Leveraging business engagement to build better boards
Jan 16th, 2009 | By: Alice Korngold
Nonprofits are entering the toughest year ever for revenue development. Philanthropic dollars, government funding and fees for services are all in jeopardy. Boards and CEOs of organizations will be put to the test to re-think their ...
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Connect with donors—and save time, energy and money—with viral marketing
Jan 9th, 2009 | By: Naomi Harris
The Internet has provided charities and social causes a cost-effective, influential platform to reach supporters. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, traditional means of fundraising—direct mail and telemarketing—are growing less effective and ...
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New leadership series for executive directors
Jan 1st, 2009 | By: David La Piana
In fall, 2008 I wrote an article for CausePlanet on leadership development programs, which provide a structured group learning experience for practicing executive directors. These programs are more formal than “brown bag” learning circles, and ...
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Characteristics of an investment-worthy nonprofit
Jan 1st, 2009 | By: Alex Hildebrand
We are in the midst of an unprecedented time of economic turmoil and insecurity. Competition for resources of all types, from individual donations to government contracts, will rise to the highest levels in recent memory. Nonprofit organizations, ...
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Major gift ask amounts: Revising the strategy
Dec 21st, 2008 | By: Terry Burton
One of the areas that appears to be in need of thought and attention in 2009 is the strategy of what to ask for with a major gift. Typically, major gifts present naming opportunities. This may be a good time to revisit your organization’s current naming ...
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Connection and vision: Steering the way through troubled times
Dec 15th, 2008 | By: Rebecca Arno
Yes, we are facing one of the most challenging economic environments in our nation’s history. At the same time, our country has just witnessed a historic presidential campaign season, in more ways than one. Certainly, no matter what our ...
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Capacity building during challenging times: Start with financial management
Dec 8th, 2008 | By: Sarah Fischler
Along with the recent economic meltdown has come the question for nonprofits of how organizations can survive or continue to thrive during these challenging times. One answer is to invest in capacity-building activities that are proven to make ...
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Learn from history to weather economic storms
Dec 1st, 2008 | By: Jeff Pryor
The economy is on the mind of many. Trillions of dollars have evaporated and the implications on all forms of charitable contributions are undeniable. At every turn is evidence that the force of the impact will accelerate through declining state tax ...
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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...
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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 ...
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Trust is the key to retaining staff during financially difficult times
Nov 10th, 2008 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
recently read an article written by the head of a community foundation that encouraged readers to step up their giving during these financially difficult times. While this is a reasonable request, it made me think about the value of emotional ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Build your leadership capacity with development programs and learning communities
Oct 15th, 2008 | By: David La Piana
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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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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
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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 ...
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Learning to manage employee downsizing can ease transition
Aug 19th, 2008 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
You know the old joke: When somebody you know loses a job, it’s a recession; when you lose a job, it’s a depression. No matter what it’s called, when 51,000 jobs are lost in July only, all of us our touched by layoffs. While most of these job cuts are
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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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...
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Winning the “talent” competition: How to recruit the next generation of nonprofit leaders
Jul 25th, 2008 | By: Becky Andrews
By many accounts, young professionals are increasingly interested in working for social change through a nonprofit career. That’s good news for nonprofits that will need as many as 600,000 new staff over the coming ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Board committees: A closer look at a functional model
Jul 1st, 2008 | By: David La Piana
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 ...
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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 ...
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Changing nonprofit sector demands solid career plan
Jun 22nd, 2008 | By: Raylene Decatur
Dramatic change is occurring in the world of work. Are you ready? Rapidly changing demographics and the rising tide of expectations will shape revolutionary changes in job expectations in the coming years. Now is the time to revise or write your career ...
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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 ...
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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
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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 ...
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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” ...
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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
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Employees bear half the responsibility in employee/employer relationship
May 20th, 2008 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
Recently, I did some work for a fairly financially well-off nonprofit. While this may sound like an oxymoron, it isn’t. This nonprofit has had some luck, a good business model and longevity. With this success, the nonprofit provided very nice benefits to ...
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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 ...
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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,...
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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...
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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,...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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....
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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 ...
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Managing conflict with your boss
Feb 14th, 2008 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
In a perfect world, conflicts at work would improve productivity and even relationships. However, in the real world, conflicts can result in damaged relationships and a lack of trust. A recent study...
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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 ...
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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...
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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
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Communications planning for executive transitions
Jan 8th, 2008 | By: Cindy Willard
So, you’ve just been through the transition process of hiring a new executive director for your organization. You’re excited, enthusiastic and exhausted. Now that the decision is made, it’s tempting to think you’re finished, but your job isn’t ...
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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 ...
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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
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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
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Background checks can help hire the best employees
Sep 19th, 2007 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
A few years ago, I interviewed a prospective employee who was just right for the job. His resume demonstrated the kinds of skills needed, his communication was easy but focused, and he clearly wanted to do the job that was open. In the end, I ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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....
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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 ...
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Emerging managers: Giving and receiving feedback
Aug 9th, 2007 | By: Bernard Ross
Becoming a manager is often an exciting and nerve-wracking time in your career—exciting for the whole new vistas it opens up; nerve-wracking because suddenly you’re responsible not just for your own work, but for that of others as well. And if you’re responsible for ...
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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...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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...
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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 ...
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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...
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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” ...
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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...
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Good EDs can become great with development
Jun 30th, 2007 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
Often faced with more needs than resources, Executive Directors must do their work by navigating complex power, funding and organizational structures. Being the leader of a nonprofit organization requires a vast set of skills that include leadership, ...
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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 ...
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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
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Levels of authority: The art of effective delegation in projects
May 24th, 2007 | 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 get things done? How good are you at delegating?...
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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 ...
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Why employees leave: Retention strategies for nonprofits
May 18th, 2007 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
I recently heard a story about an employee who received a very enthusiastic call from a headhunter trying to recruit him for a job. The employee said he wasn’t looking to leave the organization, to which the headhunter replied, “You are on my list of employees
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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...
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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 ...
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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
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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...
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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, ...
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Engaged employees means better donor relationships
Apr 19th, 2007 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
You’ve seen it and felt it: There is no mistaking an organization where employees are engaged. In those organizations, employees are friendly and helpful, and work seems to hum along. If you are a customer or client, you may leave feeling better than when ...
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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, ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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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
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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, ...
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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 ...
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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
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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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 ...
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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,...
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Three strategies to overcome burnout
Feb 12th, 2007 | By: Rebecca Arno
In the nonprofit sector, we work hard to achieve missions that often will never be realized, at least during our careers. Sure, we can measure progress using all kinds of evaluation methods. But will we stop hunger, end poverty, and create opportunities for all children to achieve their dreams? Probably not in our lifetimes. Over a 20 or ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Media relations for the good guys
Feb 6th, 2007 | By: Michelle Dally
If you don’t have anything to hide, why should you worry about media relations? I get asked this question on at least a weekly basis. People figure that if they’re not breaking the law or having ...
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Three strategies to overcome burnout
Jan 26th, 2007 | By: Rebecca Arno
In the nonprofit sector, we work hard to achieve missions that often will never be realized, at least during our careers. Sure, we can measure progress using all kinds of evaluation methods. But will we stop ...
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“Triple bottom line” approach growing in nonprofit sector
Jan 21st, 2007 | By: Nancy Fell
The combined power of Hollywood movie making, star power advocacy, a value-seeking stock market and a Nobel Peace Prize winner may be the catalyst that links social mission, environmental sensitivity and economic return. Consider the recent film
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Defining leadership in staff and volunteers
Jan 16th, 2007 | By: Judith Nichols
One of the greatest lessons of leadership is accepting the need to contemplate paradox, says Karlin Sloan in Smarter, Faster, Better: Strategies for Effective, Enduring and Fulfilled Leadership (Jossey-Bass 2006). Things are not always what they seem, and when we look at becoming smarter, faster and better, there are three paradoxical truths to explore...
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Does the future of the nonprofit sector lie in social entrepreneurialism?
Jan 12th, 2007 | By: David Henninger
In 1983, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund published a small book titled, Enterprise in the Nonprofit Sector. What struck me when I first read this book over 20 years ago—and what continues to resonate today—is that “nonprofit enterprise/social entrepreneurialism” is not ...
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What makes a leader? Three examples from the “real world”
Jan 2nd, 2007 | By: Mary Lou Makepeace
When people think of the word “leader,” what often comes to mind is an elected official, a politician. People may get put off by this term, and even feel intimidated by it. I have a different perspective. I think everyone can be a leader. As a nonprofit executive or board member,...
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Faith-based communities offer fund- and friend-raising
Dec 20th, 2006 | By: Richard Male
The faith-based community is an area where activists and grassroots organizations can tap into an organized structure to help with recruiting volunteers, using facilities for meetings, raising money and expanding a base of support that brings a "moral authority" to your issues. I am not suggesting all grassroots organizations become ...
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Manage your organization’s cash position with cash flow statements
Dec 18th, 2006 | By: Patricia A. Sterner
One of the first questions I ask clients is how they manage and track the cash position of their nonprofit. Their response? Sometimes blank stares; more often, they point out the bottom line of the latest financial statement, which typically includes pledges and promises to
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Managing a nonprofit in the 21st century
Dec 7th, 2006 | By: Judith Nichols
What does it take to manage nonprofit organizations today and tomorrow? In Managing at The Leading Edge: New Challenges in Managing Nonprofit Organizations (Jossey-Bass 2005), Mike Hudson makes six key points. He says nonprofit organizations need...
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Chinese checkers: International charities can play a vital role in helping extend the benefits of China’s rapid development
Dec 4th, 2006 | By: Ken Burnett
We've arrived in Leishan district, Guizhou province, southern China, a town so new no one around seems to know its name. The people we are with are amazed at the streets, squares and offices that have sprung up in the few weeks since their last visit....
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The 21 key aspects of good governance
Nov 28th, 2006 | 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 Governance” from nonprofit consultant Ken Burnett’s book, Tiny Essentials of an ...
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A ten-year program cycle: Building a planned-giving strategy
Nov 20th, 2006 | By: Peter Ticconi
Recently, a friend from another charitable organization asked me, “Are you having fun yet?” Those of us in the development business know that this question was more than just a casual inquiry. What he really wanted to know was whether or not I had ...
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Arts and culture mergers: Trends, challenges and benefits
Nov 13th, 2006 | By: Robert Harrington
Mergers and other forms of partnerships between nonprofits have been on the rise for the past decade, particularly in the last five years. The reasons for this trend are numerous and include cuts in foundation and corporate funding, as well as in individual donations; a desire on the part of nonprofits to have a greater impact, ...
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Employment services: Which type is best for your organization?
Nov 7th, 2006 | By: Rick Mack
One of the most confusing aspects of the human resources field is the different types of services offered. Should you use an executive search firm or an employment agency? What’s the difference between an executive search firm and an executive placement firm? Exactly what services does a temp agency offer, and when is it ...
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Proving our public value
Nov 7th, 2006 | By: Elaine Mariner
You might be thinking that because your organization is not a government agency, this article doesn’t apply to you. But take a minute to reflect on your organization’s sources of funding. If you receive grants from state or federal agencies, you are receiving public funds.
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Employment services: Which type is best for your organization?
Nov 3rd, 2006 | By: Rick Mack
One of the most confusing aspects of the human resources field is the different types of services offered. Should you use an executive search firm or an employment agency? What’s the difference between an executive search firm and an executive placement firm? Exactly what services does a temp agency offer, and when is it ...
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Audiences of color: Who has the dollars?
Nov 2nd, 2006 | By: Judith Nichols
Affluence is found in all demographic groupings, including audiences of color. Understanding who has the dollars in those audiences is the first step in forming an inclusive fundraising...
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Social entrepreneurs: Motivated by mission
Nov 2nd, 2006 | By: Jerr Boschee
Many NGO board members and executives are daunted by the prospect of social entrepreneurship, because they think it means starting a business venture, something few know how to do. But creating a social sector business is just one of the earned income ...
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Direct mail: The dinosaur still has teeth
Oct 30th, 2006 | By: Janalee Card Chmel
In our technological age, direct mail (a.k.a. “snail mail”) seems to have taken a back seat to email, blogs, and other viral marketing strategies. But studies show that direct mail is still a viable source for getting your organization’s message out—especially when used in tandem ...
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Boards are only as effective as their EDs
Oct 20th, 2006 | By: Jackie Norris
A commonly held belief in the nonprofit sector is that high-performance boards are critical to the success of nonprofit organizations. And rightly so. If board members truly fulfill their responsibilities—both collectively and individually—they will bring new resources to the ...
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Diversity and inclusiveness: A white woman’s perspective
Oct 10th, 2006 | By: Rebecca Arno
This is a message to all of my white sisters out there. You and I, we’re the ones who came into the nonprofit sector a year or two or 20 ago. Once here, we looked around and saw women like us answering phones and managing databases and doing fundraising. We saw women who were a little older, but with similar backgrounds, serving in leadership roles. Most days, the nonprofit
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Diverse strategies create financial security for nonprofits
Oct 2nd, 2006 | By: Mary Lou Makepeace
Foundations have the power to be of enormous help to nonprofits by providing financial grants and other resources, but the size and regularity of foundation support can lull nonprofits into developing a dependency relationship. When long-term relationships between foundations and grantees ...
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Four simple rules for successful strategic planning
Sep 26th, 2006 | By: Patricia A. Sterner
Last week, a colleague called me about facilitating strategic planning for a new group he is managing through his association management firm. He warned me that the executive committee didn’t hold much value in strategic planning, but they had agreed to an initial conference call to, as he put it, “hear me out.” ...
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The CEO Search – A critical task for any nonprofit
Sep 22nd, 2006 | By: Rick Mack
As many American nonprofit organizations struggle to remain relevant and viable in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive environment, the role of the board of directors is receiving ever-increasing attention. The work of John Carver, generally considered the Guru of nonprofit governance, is being studied far and wide in the nonprofit world.
There are many issues boards need to address to ensure that they are effective and acting in the best interests of their organizations. A short-list includes governance structure/board roles and responsibilities, identification and recruitment of new board members, strategic direction and objectives, budget approval, and last but not least, hiring and overseeing the CEO...
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Ethical guidelines are a must in post-Enron world
Sep 22nd, 2006 | By: Rick Mack
The unprecedented failures in American corporate governance over the last few years have changed the business culture of our country. We now live in an age of heightened consciousness about ethical dealings in business. The culprits are household names: Enron, Arthur Andersen, Tyco and WorldCom, among others. ...
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Ethical guidelines are a must in post-Enron world
Sep 22nd, 2006 | By: Rick Mack
The unprecedented failures in American corporate governance over the last few years have changed the business culture of our country. We now live in an age of heightened consciousness about ethical dealings in business. The culprits are household names: Enron, Arthur Andersen, Tyco and WorldCom, among others. ...
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Changing the face of philanthropy
Sep 12th, 2006 | By: Jerr Boschee
Social innovators around the world have begun to reach a disquieting conclusion: Inspired vision, impassioned leadership, enthusiastic volunteers, government subsidies and a phalanx of donors are not always enough. They serve admirably while innovators transform their dreams
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Six myths of corporate sponsorships debunked
Sep 5th, 2006 | By: Bruce Erley
More and more nonprofit organizations are using corporate sponsorships to bring in additional income. And for good reason: According to IEG SR’s 21st annual industry forecast, spending on sponsorship by North American companies will grow by double digits ...
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Will Buffet’s mega-gift bolster philanthropic giving?
Aug 25th, 2006 | By: Gina Bernacchi
Billionaire investor Warren Buffet’s $31 billion gift to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has triggered a flood of questions about the effect such a large donation will have on the nonprofit sector and the causes it seeks to help.
And understandably so. Buffet’s gift is the largest in philanthropic history and...
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Is pay for performance right for your organization?
Aug 25th, 2006 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
Today’s nonprofits face several challenges that are forcing them to operate more and more like their business counterparts. Competition for dollars in a skeptical post-9/11 world, coupled with demands for accountability, has caused nonprofits to reevaluate the way they ...
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Annual reports: How to avoid “Frankenstein”
Aug 21st, 2006 | By: Janalee Card Chmel
Let me have a big shout from everyone who loves doing their organization’s annual report?! Did I just hear a pin drop? Let’s be honest. Annual reports are tough! They require tremendous human and financial
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Is your leadership ready for inclusiveness?
Aug 21st, 2006 | By: Gina Bernacchi
Nonprofits in cities like Denver—whose population is now more than 50 percent people of color—have become increasingly ill-equipped for dealing with the diverse populations they serve. Most nonprofits would agree that they would like a more diverse board and ...
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Prepare to lead a new generation
Aug 18th, 2006 | By: Robert McMahan
Call it a quirk in scheduling, simple twist of fate, or serendipity. I called it a miracle. For one six-week period in my third-grade year, I had three whole periods of recess. Today, administrators would scream, teachers would picket and parents would panic if any child had more than one gym class per day, much less three. Many middle and high schools ...
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Stretch your marketing dollars
Aug 16th, 2006 | By: Mark Howard
More and more nonprofit leaders are drawing on innovative, cost-saving measures to promote their organization, from participating in co-op marketing to soliciting pro bono services from a professional agency. Here are three strategies for stretching ...
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Focus on inclusivity helps nonprofits become more effective
Aug 12th, 2006 | By: Gina Bernacchi
Like many nonprofits, the majority of cityWILD’s clients are minorities (in this case, African-American and Latino). The Denver-based leadership development program uses the outdoors to teach at-risk middle- and high-school students how to be more effective leaders ...
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Room at the top
Aug 1st, 2006 | By: Deborah Dale Brackney
Who’s left? That is the question that starts the coffee conversation with my non-profit friends. The “who” refers to executive directors in our community who are leaving their nonprofit organizations. For the last three years, the number of long-term experienced...
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Why leaders fail
Aug 1st, 2006 | By: Mark Sanborn
Donald Trump, paragon of the real estate world, files for bankruptcy. Richard Nixon, 37th U.S. President, resigns the presidency over the Watergate scandal. Jennifer Capriati, rising tennis star, enters a rehabilitation center for drug addicts. Jim Bakker, renowned televangelist, is convicted of fraud. In the recent past, we've witnessed the public downfall of leaders
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Leverage the “power of three” for effective communications
Jul 28th, 2006 | By: Marie Revenew
The nonprofit market has become increasingly tight, making it more important than ever to shine when communicating with donors and prospects. Your mailings or Web site are very often the first impression an individual or corporation receives of your ...
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Boomers control three-quarters of U.S. financial wealth
Jul 28th, 2006 | By: Judith Nichols
According to Mature Marketing & Research, boomers control more than one-half of the nation’s discretionary income and three-quarters of the country’s financial wealth. Baby boomers account for 42% of all U.S. households and control 50% of all
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Do your marketing and communication efforts pass the ‘blink’ test?
Jul 28th, 2006 | By: Jackie Howard
Two seconds. That’s how much time the average visitor to your Web site or reader of your brochure will spend looking for something of interest. If you can’t pique interest in two seconds, your time is up. Ironically, it takes
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Put donors and prospects at ease by honing the fine art of small talk
Jul 28th, 2006 | By: Debra Fine
Working in the nonprofit sector means attending many business-related social events, especially fundraisers. And a big part of a nonprofit executive’s job is talking to others about the organization’s mission and programs. However, despite the fact that ...
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Get the most from board members with these ‘tiny’ essentials
Jul 28th, 2006 | By: Ken Burnett
As many nonprofit executives are aware, effective volunteer boards are, unfortunately, the exception. All too often, board members sign on to serve a nonprofit with no clear understanding...
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Safeguarding organizational capacity
Jul 28th, 2006 | By: Molly Stevenson
Our sector regularly sees information from studies and surveys about an anticipated shortage of qualified leaders for nonprofit organizations. Research provides compelling evidence that nonprofit organizations should continue to focus on ...
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