Executive Issues

A cursory search on the Internet for “volunteer handbooks” produces disappointing results. Most examples are no more than a couple of pages stapled together, highlighting dress codes, attendance policies and general volunteering expectations...

Over the past 20 years, I have had my share of jobs and have started some fundraising offices within nonprofits as part of my consulting practice. As a result, I have gotten pretty good at figuring out the first steps when setting up your development office...

I recently responded to my third recruiter’s plea (in a week) for interest in a chief development officer position. They wanted to know if I was interested in a great, next job opportunity. If not, could I recommend anyone to them...

I had a math teacher in high school who, when asked questions about the basic rules of algebra, would answer, “It’s algebra. You don’t question why, you just do it according to the rules laid out.” A similar process is used when assessing and reporting Fair-Market Value—if a donor receives something from a nonprofit in exchange for their charitable donation...

Every fundraising program has them: financial objectives, which are set and tracked internal to the organization. We also have fundraising goals, which we communicate to our constituents. I’ll call those “external” goals...

As a strategic planning practitioner, I love the process and the outcomes, but I am saddened when a well-conceived plan just sits on the shelf. From a fundraising perspective, a strategic planning process that engages key constituencies and great minds is a wonderful cultivation opportunity, and the resulting plan should give confidence to donors who might invest in making the plans a reality...

Storytelling has been "hot" for some time now and for good reason. Our human brains are wired for storytelling. We’re automatically open and receptive. So, you’d be foolish not to use this to your advantage when it comes to your nonprofit marketing and fundraising—especially if your goal is to raise money. Storytelling is not difficult once you get the knack of it...

The point is that in major gifts, the successful major gifts officer (MGO) needs to identify the interests and passions of the donor, then present a program to that donor that matches those interests and passions. Done correctly, these activities eventually cause an economic transaction...

Now more than ever, nonprofits and their boards must guard against unwanted, negative legal exposure. This article discusses some of the top legal risks facing nonprofit boards, as well as practical tips for addressing these risks...

Well, isn’t it obvious that the CEO is the nonprofit organization’s chief fundraiser? Not really. Not when you observe the behavior of nonprofit CEOs, as I have over the past four decades. I’ve observed that nonprofit CEOs often restrict their fundraising to the parts of the process they’re most familiar and comfortable with. If they know grants, they tend to focus on that. If they know individual donor solicitation, that’s what they focus on...