Staffing & Human Resources

In an online forum for nonprofit professionals, a recent post struck a chord. A group member described sitting in her office over a long weekend, working on a grant proposal in her underwear. The air conditioning in her office was turned off until the next business day, and it was hot. Surprisingly, the post came…

As an attorney and advocate for people with disabilities, I often hear questions like these: “If I return to work, I could lose my Social Security Disability (SSD) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. So, what happens if I find out that working is more than I bargained for? Can I return to my benefits? If so, how difficult is that?”...

The post was a little tough for me to write. Because I love the people in our sector, 93 percent of whom are amazing, dedicated, wonderful individuals. Getting a chance to work with them every day is one of the biggest reasons I love doing what I do. Knowing they are out there makes it…

I believe there is a crisis amongst major gift officers (MGOs) all over the world. It’s a crisis that is causing good people, like you, to struggle and lose faith in their skills, and causing donors to question the mission of organizations they either support or want to support. This crisis is about a lack of confidence MGOs exhibit in their work...

Earlier this year, my daughter and her classmates raised money for pediatric cancer (as they do every year) in a friendly game of teacher volleyball. Each teacher wore a T-shirt with a nickname on the back. My favorite was the principal’s, which said, “Mike Romanager.” The principal’s first name isn’t Mike, nor is his last…

Earlier this year, at the encouragement of President Barack Obama, the Department of Labor finalized the most significant update to the federal rules on overtime in decades. The new rules will more than double the salary threshold for guaranteed overtime pay, from about $23,000 to $47,476. Once the rules go into effect this December, millions…

Sen. Bernie Sanders wants to assure his supporters that his bid for president—and the ensuing shake up and movement within the Democratic party—was not for naught. On Wednesday, the Vermont senator announced the creation of Our Revolution, a 501(c)(4) political organization, The New York Times reported. But things haven’t exactly gotten off to a smooth start...

You will meet many colleagues in the nonprofit business. If you are extremely fortunate, you will maintain relationships with valued colleagues for a number of years. Besides just going to and from work each day, I encourage you to meet and engage with colleagues. When you do, your knowledge expands greatly...

What is your biggest fundraising challenge? For many fundraisers, the answer is “fundraising by committee.” In fact, when I asked my readers to share their greatest challenges in creating their organizations’ fundraising appeals, their answers were telling...

She was the director of the annual fund at a small Midwestern college. He was director of planned gifts. What should have have been a productive professional relationship soured into a bitter, on-the-job rivalry that eventually prompted the annual fund director to resign. The annual fund director—who asked that her name be withheld in order…