“Noses in, fingers out.” I’ve come to despise this time-tattered bit of advice to boards. The smug certainty with which the four-word adage is usually… Read More »All hands needed on the governance deck, and noses, too
I thought the title of this post would get your attention. Everywhere I turn, fundraisers, nonprofit execs, and board members are eager for THE secret… Read More »Fundraising success guaranteed, almost
“It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German… Read More »Generosity in quotes: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
We nonprofit types tend not to look in the direction of corporate governance for advice, which is terribly short-sighted on our part. As governance guru Richard Leblanc illustrates in a hot-off-the-printer white paper, despite obvious differences in the raison d’être of the sectors, there’s cross-over wisdom aplenty. Good board work is good board work – regardless the profit motivation.
Leblanc addresses wide-spread concern that company boards are too focused on compliance-related responsibilities and only inadequately addressing value creation and company performance, are thought to be not sufficiently independent from company management, and often lack industry knowledge and relevant experience.
Swap out “organization” for “company” and Leblanc’s summary of corporate governance woes mirrors short-comings I regularly encounter within the nonprofit sector.Read More »10 proposals for upping your board’s value-added quotient
Once upon a time, in an era not long past, YUPPIES (Young, Upwardly-mobile (sometimes Urban) Professionals) were the sought-after target of fundraising teams in nonprofits… Read More »Meet HENRY, the fundraiser’s dream catch
“Many books have been written and seminars developed around tithing. There are formulas and strategies. I suggest a simple plan. Write down your income for… Read More »Generosity in quotes: Sarah Kehrberg
Over the years, I’ve sat through hundreds of prospect review sessions where the giving records of faithful supporters are analyzed down to the dollar. Bumps in giving are cheered, declines worried over, and the next ask planned with care. No one frets that donor files are regularly reviewed by the “right” people. Information is, after all, a fundraiser’s most valuable tool.
It’s the rare ministry CEO who worries that knowing who gives what will prejudice his or her relationship with friends of the organization. In fact, organizational heads usually want more information, not less.
Except, that is, when the CEO is a pastor. Read More »A challenge to pastors: embrace the ministry of fundraising
If the idea of a capital or major gifts campaign hasn’t popped up in a boardroom or staff conversation, wait a day or two and you’re likely to hear it mentioned. Wherever money is tight (and that’s just about everywhere these days), someone is likely to propose a campaign as the financial cure-all. And well it could be. But then again, maybe not. Or at least not at the level proposed.
Before launching head-long into a campaign, it’s a good idea to test your organization’s giving waters with a feasibility study. Okay, I hear you. The idea of spending money to decide if you can raise money can seem a silly idea for a cash-strapped organization. Isn’t it better simply to get out there and ask?
Again, it could be, but more likely the answer is “no.” At least if you’re concerned about embarrassing yourself and your organization.Read More »A two-part apologetic for the campaign feasibility study
“Technology is just a tool. It’s a powerful tool, but it’s just a tool. Deep human connection is very different. It’s not a tool. It’s… Read More »Generosity in quotes: Melinda Gates
I find it fascinating how the questions that come my way run in cycles. In May the phone calls and emails were all about board… Read More »7 requisites for doing fundraising well