Fundraiser Education

Some nonprofit executives fear that the nonprofit pie is a zero-sum game. They fear that there is a limited number of charitable dollars available and that they are in nonprofit competition with other organizations for their share of the pie. We tend not to ascribe to this philosophy; our view is that the dollars in…

Years ago, while growing up in West Virginia, I had a dream. My dream was to obtain a doctorate degree. I was focused on the quest to obtain the degree and not on how I would ultimately use the degree. While I was a graduate assistant at the Marshall University Graduate College, I befriended a professor who was completing his doctorate degree...

One of the great pleasures in working with nonprofit clients is getting up every day and knowing that you are helping them do good on behalf of their constituencies. They advocate on behalf of people living with autism, cancers, ALS and cystic fibrosis. Some support people dealing with the hardships surrounding immigration, homelessness, depression or drug addiction...

We are entering a new era—the impact era—where increasingly philanthropists are grounding their generosity in decisions focused on having real social impact. And, in response, nonprofit organizations are learning to refocus their strategies to maximize that impact. When Hurricane Harvey made landfall in August 2017, it dumped an estimated 27 trillion gallons of rain on…

I work for Indiana Division of The Salvation Army. The nonprofit mission is as follows: “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination...

As I heard a development officer giving his tips about major donors, I couldn’t help but think of Maurice Sendak’s classic, “Where the Wild things Are.” In Sendak’s tale, the little boy Max is sent to bed after wreaking havoc in his house...

The crypto industry is often criticized from the outline for creating wealth that exists only in digital form, is unstable and driven by greed. That’s why a new charity initiative from top figures inside the Ethereum community might make a few non-believers sit up for a moment. GiveDirectly, a charity that provides no-strings-attached grants to…

Feelings are important. Emotions drive many of our decisions—large and small. And yet, we’re not to be “emotional.” Nonprofits take this admonition very seriously as they make their rational—some might say over-rational—appeals for investments in their cause. Prove it with data. Show that we’re on top of this problem. Demonstrate we have the solution to a great social ill...

Recently, I was given a piece of business advice that has stuck in my head: “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” This statement sounds odd at first, as many of us think of perfection as the goal. After all, each of us wants to be the best, right? Yet, as I roll it over in…

How often do you think about your current job and look back on your nonprofit organizational stops? I suggest you do an analysis on this area, especially if you have many jobs ahead of you. If you spend at least a third of each day at work, I assume you would like to enjoy the daily experience...