Accountability
October 22, 2015 at 10:56 am
At last year’s annual gala, Brad had noted several potential improvements. Wanting to make the 20th anniversary event especially memorable, he decided to meet with Raquel, the event's chairman, as soon as possible. So what will happen? Raquel and Brad likely want to achieve the same ultimate goal—supporting the hospital. Their contrasting personality styles, however, could lead to a real disaster. Here’s why...
October 22, 2015 at 10:24 am
Ben Carson said, “nine out of 10 nonprofits fail.” Yet data on nonprofits show that half of the organizations that received their tax-exempt status 20 years ago were still considered active by the IRS in 2015. Carson, who currently ranks second in an average of national polls for the GOP presidential nomination, made the claim…
October 22, 2015 at 10:17 am
A good friend, Carol Weisman, recently shared a few key thoughts about how she learned to be a top-notch fundraiser and fundraising consultant. Her learning curve has spanned 43 years and counting, because you literally never stop. Here were eight pieces of advice: Be a good listener. Be a good storyteller. When telling a story,…
October 21, 2015 at 6:00 am
Citing unnamed "multiple sources," the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the top fiscal official at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco has filed a whistle-blower complaint alleging financial misconduct by the organization's board president, noted Bay Area philanthropist Diane B. "Dede" Wilsey. Michele Gutierrez, the museums' longtime chief financial officer, claims Wilsey got her…
October 21, 2015 at 6:00 am
The New York Times, in an in-depth story published Monday, provided a look into a conservative nonprofit group "putting money behind" presidential candidate and Sen. Marco Rubio. Some of the details surprised Republican media buyers. For one, all of the money that has gone into television advertisements supporting Rubio has come from the nonprofit group—and not…
October 21, 2015 at 6:00 am
The Pioneer Bar in Sitka, Alaska, has held its last "slave auction." For nearly three decades, the bar has commemorated the state's transfer from Russian control by hosting an event where locals can auction off two hours of their time for yard work or chores. The winning bids are donated to local charities. But on…
October 16, 2015 at 9:21 am
Nonprofit pros have complex jobs that require complex skills. Yet, at the end of the day, human communications need to be direct and simple. In honor of this time of year, I wanted to share some of my own fundraising horror stories that highlight the importance of proper communication...
October 15, 2015 at 10:13 am
The “Wheels for Wishes” advertisements seemed clear about who would get the money raised from donated vehicles, stating “Donate Your Car. Benefiting Make-A-Wish Minnesota.’’ But the wishes of kids with cancer weren’t driving the arrangement, says Minnesota’s attorney general. Instead, Make-A-Wish charities in Minnesota and nationally received about 20 percent of the revenue from donated cars,…
October 15, 2015 at 9:53 am
Every National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, countless companies put a coat of pink on their products and donate a portion of their proceeds to breast-cancer charities. But when companies fundraise with goods that are potentially linked to cancer itself, organizations like Breast Cancer Action take notice and dub the practice “pinkwashing”—a term that has been…
October 14, 2015 at 10:13 am
According to the The Arizona Republic, the Arizona Foundation for Charitable Support failed to distribute funds to the families of 19 firefighters killed in 2013's Yarnell Hill Wildfire. The funds were raised from a pair of charity golf tournaments that used the firefighting team's name and logo, at least once without permission...
