Board

Human beings are, first and foremost, social creatures. We use the brains of others to think for us, and as storage space for our knowledge about the world. For folks considering whether and how to get involved with any nonprofit, what leadership is saying and doing will have a big impact. That's why you need to motivate nonprofit board members to be influencers...

Federal and state governments (and nonprofit watchdogs) don’t take ignorance of a regulation as an excuse for not following it. It is up to each nonprofit to stay informed. And the board of directors plays a major role in that. So, what red flags can board members look for to help spot areas in need of attention? There are many, but here are seven things that can have a big impact...

In my long career working with nonprofits, I have interfaced with many volunteer board members. These nonprofit board members have served on either advisory boards or governing boards. Many people continue to ask me is there a difference between the two...

Sometimes I feel like the host of "The Blame Game." OK, time to let you in on a secret. A lot of nonprofit leaders email me about what they’re struggling with. More often than not, it’s an executive director or board chair complaining about his or her board: Not being engaged Not raising enough money…

The next 60 days promise to be hectic. Holiday spirit, tax planning and general procrastination collide at this time of year to create a perfect storm for nonprofit fundraisers. Charities need to embark on an all-out effort to ensure the maximum amount of dollars flow to their cause. Here are 20 things you can do right now to help ensure success next year and long into the future...

Yes, your board members can boost year-end fundraising way over your goal this fall. How? There are easy jobs they can do and roles they can play to help meet and even exceed your fundraising goal this year. The things that board members do can make all the difference to your fundraising—and to your donors.…

An engaged and passionate board of directors is essential for nonprofit success. A 2012 study found that 55 percent of nonprofits that engaged their boards in fundraising saw an increase in fundraising results over the prior year, while just 43 percent of nonprofits whose boards did not fundraise saw an increase. It's clear that getting your board involved can be huge. And that's especially true for peer-to-peer programs...

We’ve all heard stories of social media success. President Barack Obama was, perhaps, the first U.S. presidential candidate to raise a significant amount of money via social media. The Ice Bucket Challenge generated awareness and raised more than $100 million for The ALS Association, in addition to millions more for other ALS charities. Countless charities…

There are several schools of thought in fundraising. The first two are polar opposites and the rest are somewhere on the continuum in between. In fundraising, as in life, extremes are usually, well, too extreme...

I remember working for a social services agency where the social workers would often say to me, "I could never do what you do." I’d reply, "Back at you!" Each of us thought the other person’s talent was a mystery because we’d never learned it. And we’d never wanted to learn it. I also remember board members, sitting in a fundraising training I was facilitating and saying, "I could never ask for a major gift as well as you do."...