If you ‘re the member of a ministry or other nonprofit board, chances are you know the frustration of a poorly run meeting. You’ve yawned through lengthy staff reports, incomprehensible financial updates, and endless rehashes of perennial crisis issues. But because you believe deeply in the mission of the organization you’ve been called to serve, [...]
Generosity in quotes
April 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
“The moral measure of this budget debate is not which party wins or which powerful interests prevail, but rather how those who are jobless, hungry, homeless or poor are treated. Their voices are too often missing in these debates, but they have the most compelling moral claim on our consciences and our common resources. ” [...]
Finger-pointing doesn’t raise a dime
April 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Rarely a week goes by that I don’t hear from an exasperated CEO seeking help in ratcheting up his or her board’s involvement in fundraising. If board members were only doing their part, all would be well for the nonprofit organization represented on the other end of the phone line. Or so the CEO’s comments [...]
Innovation without (much) change
April 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
When talking innovation, CEOs and board members usually have in mind outside-the-box, over-the-moon, home-run kinds of initiatives. And woe to anyone who suggests that enhancements to “is” might reap a better return than chasing “could be.” It’s off with their heads. But hold the guillotine. This just in from the Harvard Business Review: Most of the [...]
Generosity in quotes
April 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
“Grace is the presence of God in the life of the world — freely extended through the ministry of Christ to every living soul. So Christian charity becomes a ministry of sharing God’s gifts of grace. It is not a paternalistic act of giving from the abundance of those who have to those who don’t; [...]
When fundraisers do the darndest things
April 18, 2012 By 3 Comments
The last thing CEOs or board members of faith-based nonprofits want to see is their organization in a consumer advocate’s hot seat. But that’s exactly where World Vision Canada found itself recently. Donors, angry over being told their monthly gifts would be increased by $4 unless they said no, ratted World Vision out to The [...]
Pieced together generosity
April 16, 2012 By 1 Comment
The feathers in fundraisers’ caps are major gifts. Development officers dream of racking up a string of six or seven-figure donations. Never mind that most nonprofits get the job done with gifts in lesser denominations. Mega-donors (real or hoped for) get all the attention, while donors with lesser wealth get barely a nod. But not [...]
Spending boldly at the Pennsylvania Relief Sale
April 13, 2012 By 2 Comments
It’s party time for Brethren in Christ and Mennonite folk here in south central Pennsylvania. On Saturday, a couple thousand of us, along with sundry others, will head to the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg for the annual Pennsylvania Relief Sale. I go for the quilt auction. My husband looks forward to the great food. [...]
Seven steps to a well-crafted meeting agenda
April 11, 2012 By 6 Comments
To most board members, agenda building is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Until they sit through a poorly run board meeting or two, that is. Nothing brings out appreciation of a thoughtfully prepared agenda like bad experiences in the boardroom. In my work with boards of faith-based nonprofits, I describe great meetings — [...]
Tax season and the sacred
April 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Other than my accountant, I don’t know many folks who get their jollies from filling out tax forms. And treating our annual shout out to the IRS as an opportunity for stewardship reflection and tax forms as sacred texts? Well, those are new ideas for me. But think about it. Behind the numbers in those [...]
