Executive Issues

I’ve always found it curious that while many organizations diligently develop a strategic plan, few take the time to craft a sustainability plan. By “sustainability” I don’t mean the environmental kind, but rather a plan for sustaining your programs and services over the long-term...

There is no substitute for effective and focused cultivation. It brings new donors into the fold, and it strengthens the bonds with existing donors. It also helps nurture staff and volunteers—coaching and training them for a campaign...

Social media can be a great tool to promote social change. Nonprofits are taking advantage of such tools to advance their mission. However, social media can pose some risks if not used properly. You should develop a policy that employees can use when making decisions about posting on social media...

What percentage of your campaign goal should your board members give to your capital campaign? Twenty-five percent? Forty percent? Ten percent? Again and again, I’ve seen board members stumble over this question. They want to do what’s right; but really, they have no idea what’s appropriate or more importantly, what’s possible...

My question for you is this: What is the size of your caseload? If it’s above 150, it’s way to high. So, take steps to trim it down. It may feel counterintuitive, but if you focus on fewer good donors and go deep with them your result will be much better on several levels—relationally for the donor and for you and economically for the organization...

Start today to position yourself for future positions by acquiring proper and needed attributes. Prepare yourself properly for the complex nonprofit future and never stop running down a dream! Do not wait for the dream that “might” come to you. Be proactive and go for it!...

Great fundraising is focused on the long-term—taking that donor from first-time gift… to lifetime. And it’s built around the science of human behavior and what actually works. We see it time and time again: the very practice of donor-centricity leads to community...

Your nonprofit has served its mission statement well. So well in fact, that the directory of volunteers has grown from a half-page to just over three pages. Since those first meetings in a living room more than a decade ago, the nonprofit now has a conference room in a rented office. No more garage storage…

Have you had a day when you just felt like there had to be a better career to pursue than fundraising? I know I have. Fortunately, those days have been far outnumbered by those days when I feel honored to do the work I do...

Every morning at 7:00 a.m., I (Otis) get a very interesting email. It tells me everyone who has visited the Turnkey website in the past 24 hours. The names are ordered from top to bottom depending on how many times they have interacted with our website or opened our emails in the past...