Staffing & Human Resources

Today’s most forward-thinking nonprofits understand that the ability to tap into the enthusiasm and energies of a committed pool of executives can mean the difference between success and failure. Properly applied, the leadership provided by such executives can pay dividends in a number of different ways, from facilitating development opportunities to formulating strategy, and from refining objectivities to clarifying goals...

On my high school baseball team, I typically played third base and caught. In an important sectional tournament, I was assigned to play first base. It was the only time I played that position all year. I was excited to play the position and knew I would play it well because I could adapt quickly to changes in scenarios. I apply that same confidence to my nonprofit work...

There are just three components to hiring a great development director: Get a good candidate pool. Ask the right questions. Recognize the right answers. For the moment, I’m going to assume you know how to get a good candidate pool. I addressed the second item, asking the right questions, in my earlier post, "Great Interview…

The Department of Labor overtime rules have changed, making millions of American salaried workers now eligible for overtime, Vice President Joe Biden announced Tuesday. Starting Dec. 1, the salary threshold for overtime eligibility will double from $23,660 to $47,476 annually (or $455 to $913 weekly). Bonuses and incentive payments may count toward up to 10 percent of the salary threshold...

A woman filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Getty Foundation alleging she was denied an undergraduate internship with the institution because she is white. In the lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Samantha Niemann accused Getty of violating her civil rights, racial discrimination and harassment, as well as retaliation. She seeks unspecified compensatory and…

"Act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you'd like to act," Bob Dylan said. Frequently I hear mentors providing valuable coaching, challenging their mentees to dress, perform and behave like they had the job they aspire to have...

Matching gifts, foundation grants, volunteer programs—there are plenty of ways for corporations to give. But a handful of companies are pushing the bounds of corporate giving, experimenting with new initiatives and pushing philanthropy as an organizational philosophy...

Is there some deep, dark secret lurking in the trenches of nonprofit fundraising, one that is nearly as bleak as the abysmal donor retention rates, one that holds organizations back from realizing their true potential? Yes. The bizarre lengths nonprofit organizations will go to in their endless pursuits of “free” is a bone-deep problem that afflicts organizations of all sizes...

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” When you were in first grade, I bet you didn’t say, “I want to be a fundraiser!” Me? I wanted to be Matlock. For so many of us, a fundraising career is something we fell into, or, perhaps, is a “second act” after our first career…

I’m celebrating my 15-year anniversary as a fundraiser! In a blog post five years ago, I wrote about the best strategic ingredients for a successful fundraising program. Let’s try that again and see if I want to change my perspective now I’ve grown older. Fundraisers are gold. Quality fundraising staff makes all the difference. Without…