Executive Issues

Several years ago, I was asked to be part of a meeting between a nonprofit and a significant business in the community. At first glance, one would expect that the nonprofit did not have the total resources it needed for success. The business the nonprofit was soliciting had tremendous resources, plus community clout. I was just asked to attend and observe...

Whether you’re a one-person charity or a multinational nonprofit, the question of whether to go “big” or stay “small” is always there. Make the smart choice, and you’ll soar. Guess wrong, and you’ll be stuck in the doldrums—or worse...

In my first executive director position, I forgot about the board. Chalk it up to inexperience, but I didn’t yet understand how the board could make me a more effective executive, or how they could boost our success. While I met all the technical requirements and complied with the usual responsibilities, in my heart I felt the board was mostly a nuisance...

Type 1 diabetes, a condition that affects 1.25 million Americans, has seen its fair share of scientific advancements in the past few decades as researchers learn more about the disease, which affects the body's ability to monitor blood sugar levels. But at the same time, those advancements haven't necessarily reached patients. So, JDRF the largest funder…

Yes, indeed, “on-boarding” has become the latest buzzword for what many of us older folks refer to as “board orientation.” Language aside, it is important to do something to orient new board members to their new positions...

I felt the potential donor’s pain. It was very clear, and their level of frustration high. A friend had long been involved with a college at a major university. Over nearly a decade, the college’s chief development officer had become a good friend to the prospective major donor and their family...

As a nonprofit organization, it is important to be engaged and relevant to the community that you are located in. By becoming an active member in the local area, not only can you increase the recognition of your organization, but you can also meet the people that make up the very community you operate in. These people…

Tell me what you think is wrong with this picture: There is a major gift officer (MGO) who has a caseload, and he is also charged with doing events for the organization. He has three staff members who work with him on this agenda...

No matter the organization, some amount of risk leadership needs to be assumed to move forward and take on new and exciting initiatives. For nonprofits, risk is more complex and takes on another dimension as there is more to lose in terms of social impact and social value. Risk leadership needs to be assumed but…