NonProfit Pro

Title: 2015 America's Checkout Champions

Organization: Cause Marketing Forum

Summary: The annual report found that 77 charity checkout campaigns at the nation's top retailers and restaurants raised more than $388 million in 2014.

The survey looks at only the partnerships that brought in $1 million or more by asking consumers to make a gift, donate their change, put their names on signs hung in the store, or round up the cost of their purchase.

The report stated that such cause-marketing programs have raised more than $3.88 billion in the last three decades.

The key to ultimate individual success in any endeavor—whether it is nonprofit in nature or not—is one's attitude. You can have the greatest talent and ability in the universe. If you have a poor outlook and attitude you will ultimately fail.

WealthEngine, the provider of predictive marketing analytics and audience development services, recently announced its new partnership with Attentive.ly, the customer behavior platform for marketers. The partnership will allow fundraisers to leverage rich social behavior and proprietary wealth insights to segment donors, personalize messaging and inform donation requests.

Last week's government action charging four cancer charities with $187 million in fraud was unprecedented: The Federal Trade Commission, 50 states and the District of Columbia for the first time ever made a concerted push to prosecute a web of groups.

When you have a cause that you're passionate about, successfully engaging another to support that effort requires that you understand his or her particular needs, visions and values. Since ours is an urgent and noble cause, we often make the assumption that the potential supporter will feel as passionate as we do. But often they don't.

Summer is a great time to roll up your sleeves and dig into the work of fundraising that will make the next several months even better. So, raise a glass of iced tea in gratitude for the sunshine—and make time for these important, but often overlooked, summer activities.

The Air Force Enlisted Village has announced the selection of Brooke McLean as its new president and CEO. McLean will fill the vacancy created after the passing of James Binnicker in March.

We have to be out there—identifying, cultivating, engaging and asking prospective donors. The best way to ensure that this is being done is to set goals and to measure activity and success.

Leadership transitions in the nonprofit sector occur regularly. For small and mid-sized nonprofit organizations, the average term for an executive director or CEO is about six years. With sufficient time and preparation, these transitions can be positive events that make an organization stronger, even when the transition involves replacing a successful executive director.

The Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vt., provides an excellent example of how this succession process can work. In early 2013, David Goudy, the highly regarded CEO of the Montshire Museum, informed the board of directors of his intent to retire in two years.

The primary reason a person does not perform in their job is that the job does not match the person's motivations and abilities. It's that simple. That's why, in my mind and management practice, I have changed the whole meaning of "firing" a person to "transitioning" a person to a place that really works for them.