While I am not much for making resolutions, this is a natural time to think about how I would like to be different one year from today. Whether you view New Year’s resolutions as necessary or overhyped, here are a few things you can pick and choose from as you think about the impact 2016 will have on your career as a fundraiser...
“Sometimes opportunity knocks, but most of the time it sneaks up and then quietly steals away,” wrote columnist Doug Larson. I’ve found this to be true in my life and in my career as a nonprofit leader. Thinking back on my mentors, I realize I have a confession: Each one quietly offered me more than I took advantage of...
After a decade of embracing new social networks as they rise in popularity, in recent weeks it became clear that it was time to reassess the value of being active on so many social networks and to prioritize the social networks that most benefit Nonprofit Tech for Good. Each social network has its own unique…
Beyond the Christmas decorations, gift-giving and parties, this is the time of year to sift through the mountain of requests for charitable donations, from groups that fight hunger and cancer to our alma mater and places of worship. So how can we gauge which groups are most deserving of our money? Princeton University philosophy professor…
It’s an overcast Sunday morning and most of Seattle is glued to the Seahawks game, but John Salvatier and Elizabeth Van Nostrand are waiting for members of the group they help run, Seattle Effective Altruists, to arrive at Salvatier’s house in the Central District. Van Nostrand explained that effective altruism “is extremely quantitative. ‘How much money…
“I don’t want to go to my board meeting.” Come on. You’ve said it, right? Oh please, be honest. You believe in your organization. You love the work. But preparing for a board meeting? Ugh. Board members–you hate them, too. Do you even bother to read the reports? You wanted to but (a) had no…
Branding is never easy, but nonprofit branding poses special challenges. Potential partners, team members, donors and advocates can have wildly varying expectations when it comes to defining a nonprofit organization's profile. On the one hand, thriftiness and efficiency are held in high-esteem; on the other, there is a natural hesitation for stakeholders to engage with…
What would you do if your organization received a sizable donation from an individual who, months later, was charged with a federal crime? Would you keep the donation or give it back? That’s the question facing Hunter College High School in the wake of Thursday’s arrest of Martin Shkreli, a 32-year-old multimillionaire pharmaceuticals executive who once attended the school...
People talk about being in the moment. It is a very important lesson for fundraising professionals. Be alert. Be where you are. Be engaged with the people around you. It is essential in our business to do the same with prospective donors...
Charity Navigator, one of the nation's two largest watchdog groups for charities, has removed the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation from its "watch list," lifting a cloud from the global philanthropy. The organization had placed the foundation on its watch list in April. The foundation contested the ranking at the time, and Charity Navigator…
