Executive Issues

Last week the New York Times published an article titled, “How to Get the Wealthy to Donate.” The piece began with the statement, “Wealthy people are selfish jerks. So are their children.” The article chronicled research that looked at the differences in charitable giving based on net worth. The conclusion of the research studies was clear, “Across a wide range of ages, wealthy adults tended to share less of what they had with others...

These days, it’s simply not enough to want to make a difference. More recently, donors are more and more interested in finding out how their contribution to a charity influences its overall success. And who could blame them? The nonprofit sector is growing at a rapid pace, with over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations to-date...

We are officially one day away from our beloved NonProfit PRO Leadership Conference! We are ecstatic to meet everyone and throw on a great show. With that said, today is the last day to register for the conference. We still have a few spots available, so please take advantage of this and secure your spot before it disappears...

As an agency that specializes in helping nonprofit organizations develop their brands, we often get calls from marketing managers or development directors who want to improve how their organizations communicate. It’s natural that they are the ones who reach out to us or are the ones we are put in touch with by a referral source. However, in our initial conversations with them, I ask who will be making the decision about the organization’s brand elements—such as the logo or website—and often I hear, “I will...

Ever notice how sometimes when we put on our work hats we cease to be human? How we somehow morph into little robotic “professionals” and become enamored of jargon? “Lybnts.” “Sybnts.” “Recaptures.” Not that those things aren’t important. You need goals and objectives...

It’s just about that time of the year. We are officially two days away from the annual NonProfit PRO Leadership Conference, and honestly, we could not be more excited. We not only have an impressive line-up of speakers—who just happen to be some of the most prominent thought leaders in our industry—but we also have some great activities throughout the day!...

The CEO sought advice from her board members and business advisors on a critical organizational decision she needed to make, got the advice then promptly ignored it and did what she wanted. This always amazes me...

Do you want to learn more about engagement and revenue? I think it’s something we’d all like to learn about. I don’t know if there is such a thing as too much engagement or too much revenue. In the nonprofit sector, it’s never enough—especially when you’re going all-in for a cause you care...

At some point, you need to engage a development committee, key administration and community volunteers to review prospect research data and apply this data to develop a strategy for each prospect. The public information gleaned from wealth tools is a starting point...

Have you ever heard that quote in the title? If not, you might want to brush up on your sales skills. It could be the difference between getting a donation or not. Let’s set the record straight, I’m not diminishing fundraising as just “sales.” I’m elevating sales as a process and technique to help us be more successful in our fundraising...