Executive Issues

Charitable giving topped $373 billion in 2015, a 4 percent increase over 2014, according to "Giving USA 2016," the annual report published by Giving USA Foundation and produced by Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The giving totals are the highest ever recorded for a single year. Don't have time to dig into the full report? No worries. We've compiled some of the highlights...

It’s all about your organization’s culture. And affecting your organization’s culture shift absolutely will not happen overnight. It takes patience, consistency and commitment. And, as the development director (or executive director), you primarily are responsible for building a culture of philanthropy. So how do you become a dedicated key player?...

A nice, fat paycheck is all well and good, but new research has revealed a surprising price tag on the job satisfaction that comes with working at a nonprofit organization: almost $40,000! The study, which was published in the Journal of Economic Psychology, compared the happiness levels of people who worked at nonprofit organizations with…

A CompassPoint study, “Underdeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising,” found that half of chief fundraisers planned to leave their jobs within two years. Tenures that are too short in a relationship-based field are not positive. But neither is stagnation. No matter how long you have been in your role, find ways to continually grow, be challenged and stay fresh...

In a recent, intentionally provocative opinion piece on the Plymouth University Critical Fundraising blog, Joe Jenkins shared the notion that the social benefit sector has “a big problem: the entrenched homogeneity of charity communications. To the rest of the world we mostly look, act and appear to be the same.” Does nonprofit fundraising have an innovation problem? In part one of of a four-part series, we look for answers...

Believe it or not, an understanding of what causes post-traumatic stress disorder tells us a lot about what motivates people. How? We in nonprofit can make people feel necessary. We can give them purpose. We can give them ways to show competence, and to be part of something bigger than themselves. We can make them happier than they were before while accomplishing important goals for humanity...

The best question I’ve been asked was from an executive director: “Can you help me figure out how to fire my board chair?” Unfortunately, there is little an executive director can do with an underperforming, ineffective, inappropriate or bullying board chair. I would suggest a policy that provides a grievance process for the executive director. The…

After Jonathan Dunning left as CEO of Central Alabama Comprehensive Health (CACH) in Tuskegee, Ala., in late 2008, he still called the shots at the agency for the poor and homeless for at least two more years, former CACH employees testified Wednesday. "He was the boss," former CACH executive secretary Claudia Johnson testified at Dunning's…

Mixing up fads and trends often leaves executives frustrated, confused, and—worst of all—fearful of innovation. Understanding the difference between fads and trends is critical for all organizations. However, many leaders seem to be unaware of their important differences. Both fads and trends can play important roles in an organization’s success—but they must be treated differently.…

The campaign was stalled, and a friend called for advice. A large national consulting firm had developed a campaign plan and early counsel. Soon after its engagement ended, the campaign seemed to stall...