'Happily Ever After' Is Possible

Last week I received an e-mail from a person working for a small nonprofit. She expressed the organization's goals for growth and the steps it took to achieve them. But then, trouble erupted …

In this short e-mail, there were two statements that caused me to sit back and stew for a few days before I replied. First, despite a desire to grow and an understanding of a best practice, this organization wasn’t going to follow the advice because the executive director didn’t really like it. Secondly, the organization knows it needs to grow its donor base and is committed to doing that — but only if it breaks even from day one.