Executive Issues

The vast majority of nonprofits may be small, but even the big guys had to start somewhere. And it’s no accident they got so big. Growth is attainable—especially if you know where to start (and you’re willing to get your hands dirty). Here are five more ideas for growing your nonprofit...

Small shop fundraising is a tough job, and its difficulty is often underestimated or ignored entirely. Is it really any wonder that the turnover rate is highest among small shop fundraisers? Far too often, an organization’s board and executive director are focused on the right here and right now. But a smart development director is focused on the long-term sustainability of the organization...

Curiosity has arguably been the catalyst for virtually every significant discovery and innovation known to man. Curiosity led one man to a new world. It was the motivation behind another man’s decision to fly a kite during an electrical storm. And it was a curiosity for typefaces that resulted in one of the most innovative…

I’ve never been strong at prediction—I suppose just keeping up with what’s happening today consumes all my brain capacity. But recently, I’ve been thinking about five things that are impacting fundraising in specific and nonprofits in general. These aren’t going to go away no matter what happens in Washington, D.C., so I challenge you to think about them as you plan how you will make 2017 your best fundraising year possible...

New York ranked No. 1 in nonprofit jobs and organizations in 2012, and the sector withstood the recession in 2009, a report Wednesday said. In 2012, the most recent data reviewed, 18 percent of all private-sector employment in the state was from the nonprofit sector, the report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said. That year,…

With public distrust in the news media at an all-time high and a president-elect who heavily criticizes flagship media outlets as biased and corrupt, it may seem like dark days are ahead for American journalism. But even as journalism looks ahead to regain the public’s trust, there's some hope. Many outlets, including The Washington Post,…

Over the past year, I’ve coached several gifted individuals who interviewed for executive director positions, and I can tell you that many nonprofits handle these interviews poorly. They don’t ask the right questions or they don’t really know what they’re looking for. Frankly, it’s not surprising. Usually, board members conduct executive director interviews, but most…

The vast majority of nonprofits may be small, but even the big guys had to start somewhere. And it’s no accident they got so big. Growth is attainable—especially if you know where to start (and you’re willing to get your hands dirty). Here are five ideas for growing your nonprofit...

Thirty years is a long time to devote to any pursuit, and Karen Cragnolin, the oft-honored founding mother of RiverLink, can attest to that. During that time, she says she held every job in the organization, and was planning to finally move on this year when, during surgery, she suffered an aneurysm that robbed her…

Because many nonprofit leaders do not take the time to thoroughly examine their organizations' management, small mistakes happen often—and large disasters are just around the corner. Here are some skills and techniques to help us recognize problems before they occur, and build a culture to address them...