The finance committee is frequently the seat of power within a board. You know, they that control the gold, rule. And board members clamor for… Read More »To be a difference maker, volunteer for the board development committee.
When times are tough, as is the lot of many nonprofits, it’s tempting to chase the next best management theory, fundraising strategy, or planning model.… Read More »Winners don’t tell fad stories
I heard it again on my last trip out — a proposal to expand an organization’s mission packaged as a development strategy. “By launching X, we’ll open the organization to a whole new group of donors,” the executive director said with more conviction than evidence.
Never mind that the organization’s strategic plan included nary a hint of the proposed project. The siren song of potential new dollars (hinted at, but not confirmed by the ED) was too much for the cash-anxious board to resist. My bet? A year from now they’ll be singing a sadder (and more realistic) song.Read More »Avoid the trap of “maybe gifts” and mission drift