NonProfit Pro

The U.S. Postal Service may raise postage rates by as much as 2 percent on May 31. First, though, the Postal Regulatory Commission needs to approve the request USPS submitted at 4:20 p.m. on Thursday.

I don't know how many times I've sat across the table of a development director and asked, "How have you delighted your donors this week?" And all I get is a look of embarrassment on their face.

Fashion Project recently announced the launch of My Fashion Project, a social fundraising platform that allows individuals, nonprofits, designers and retail organizations to raise money for causes they love.

Recent tweets from folks you should follow.

When fundraising for charity, picking a cause close to people's hearts and subjecting yourself to a sufficiently grueling physical ordeal might help, but scientists suggest there could be an even easier way to swell the coffers. Picking a flattering photo and persuading a male friend or relative to make a hefty donation to your fundraising page early was found to significantly boost donations—for women at least.

A study of fundraising pages from the 2014 London Marathon showed that men become competitively generous when they see another man has already given a large sum of money.

Aided by the convenience and constant access provided by mobile devices, especially smartphones, 92 percent of teens report going online daily—including 24 percent who say they go online "almost constantly," according to a new study from Pew Research Center. More than half (56 percent) of teens—defined in this report as those ages 13 to 17—go online several times a day, and 12 percent report once-a-day use. Just 6 percent of teens report going online weekly, and 2 percent go online less often.

Much of this frenzy of access is facilitated by mobile devices.

The California Association of Nonprofits, taking advantage of a change of leadership at Charity Navigator, has sent a letter urging the prominent watchdog to make two changes to the way it evaluates charity finances and to spread the message that charities can suffer if they don't spend enough on overhead costs.

It also asked the group to select a new head who has experience with "the wide range of nonprofit work."

Ken Berger, Charity Navigator's chief executive for almost seven years, departed abruptly this month after the board decided it wanted a more tech-savvy leader.

For those who have donated via crowdfunding sites, 45 percent have given to an individual person in need, compared to only 22 percent who have given to a charity like the Red Cross, or 20 percent who have given to social causes like homelessness.

By contrast, Americans who donate via any channel say the single channel they are most likely to donate to is a charitable organization (25 percent) compared to 17 percent who prefer to give to individuals.

GoFundMe now dominates the crowdfunding space, with 41 percent of Americans aware of the site.

Sen. Charles Schumer, who will become the Senate's top Democrat in 2017, could become one of the greatest fundraisers of all time.

The New York Democrat has developed a reputation as a tenacious money magnet who doesn't take no for an answer. When handed a $25,000 check, he's been known to respond, "You can do a little better than that."

He's asked donors to send him contributions by courier to quash any possible excuses about a "check in the mail."

"I would use the word 'relentless.' He knows every year what money is out there and how to..."

If you ask consultants how they became one, their answers cover a spectrum. I find it interesting that many practitioners believe they can easily step from an institutional role to consultant role. What do you think the requirements are to be a good consultant?