Staffing & Human Resources

We have limited resources in fundraising. A key to success it to have a staff culture of philanthropy where your colleagues across the organization understand the importance of philanthropy and the valuable role that they can play to further the success of your organization...

Whether you’re an executive director, board member, funder, staff member or even a volunteer in a nonprofit, chances are you feel frustrated with the inefficiency of your organization’s decision-making processes. It’s not surprising. With the veritable maze of interlocking decisions nonprofits face and the relative lack of clarity about who has power and who makes decisions, the mere act of making a decision can be time-consuming and inefficient...

If any one of these traits are yours, either you need to change something or decide that perhaps you are in the wrong position. Look, we are all on a journey. But why continue on the path that is making you miserable? Doing it just for the money is not fair to you or your organization’s donors.

As fundraisers, we’re always thinking about gifts. This one won’t impact your 990, but it could be huge for your fundraising.

Transitions—especially positive ones—can be very strong for you as a professional and for your organization.

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.

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.

Organizations are like cars. They need a manual. We give employees an employee manual—a guide to how the human should behave. But, we rarely create and maintain an operational manual—a guide to how the business works.

Corporate growth is almost always a good thing. It can augment the bottom line, create new jobs and open new business opportunities. Yet, expansion can sometimes create unforeseen human resource issues, especially in small organizations. In a rush to fill the personnel gap growth creates, companies often accelerate staffing actions without first assuring structures are in place to maintain organizational identity.

In the U.S., employment regulation and litigation have a significant impact on the way companies, including not-for-profit companies (NFPs) operate. Federal, state, and local laws govern just about every phase of employment, and NFPs must comply with these laws in the same way as for-profit companies.