Executive Issues

How Not to Lose a Critical Asset: Retaining Your Staff
August 9, 2011

Following are reasons (beyond money) why people leave one nonprofit for another or leave the nonprofit space altogether for work in the for-profit sector. Evaluating your organization by these measures may help you make small changes that can increase tenures of valuable team members.

Philanthropists Start Requiring Management Courses to Keep Nonprofits Productive
August 1, 2011

Many philanthropists are handing out human resources advice along with the money they give to nonprofit groups, a strategy that underscores concerns by donors and even some organizations’ leaders about the management of nonprofits. “Pretty early on, I realized that when I asked these organizations about management, the response I usually got was, ‘That’s business and we’re not a business,’ ” Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive Insurance, said. “I told them baseball teams have managers, too, but that seemed to have little impact on their opinion.”

Hey You! Get Off Facebook!
July 1, 2011

Successful fundraisers know how to manage their priorities and protect their time so they can focus on the things that need to get done.

Donors Are Settling for a 'Bronze Standard' for Measuring Charities
June 15, 2011

Sometimes even the best donors give money to bad organizations, Jacob Harold, a program officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, told a meeting Monday of nonprofit officials held at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. In some cases, Harold says, these donors focus on the wrong type of information when making decisions about their giving, often looking only at organizations’ overhead and not at whether they are effective in fulfilling their missions.

Hot Off the Presses: Nonprofit Management 101 Book
May 4, 2011

VolunteerMatch President Greg Baldwin has joined with 50 of the nonprofit sector’s leading experts to add his organization's ideas to “Nonprofit Management 101,” a new guide for those new to the nonprofit sector or those looking to expand their expertise.

Darian Rodriguez Heyman, former executive director of Craigslist Foundation, aggregated this comprehensive how-to manual and resource guide featuring practical insights and tips. It also provides easy-to-implement solutions for organizations seeking to meet mission and maximize impact.

The Big Spill Over 'Three Cups of Tea'
May 2, 2011

Grassroots nonprofits now find themselves under intense scrutiny because of the Mortenson scandal. Many are considering going to new lengths to demonstrate to potential donors that they're on the up-and-up. All are bracing for an impact on giving. Many foundations and wealthy donors now are cautious because of "reputational risk" if they give to organizations that falter.

The scandal is the talk of the nonprofit community. More extensive auditing is likely to result, according to Jim Zoiklowski, founder/president of nonprofit BuildOn, which runs afterschool programs in America and builds schools abroad.