Have you ever wondered what the novel Fifty Shades of Grey has to do with the board’s role in fundraising? Me. Neither. But after spending a morning with Board Governance and Fundraising Consultant, Carol Weisman, I now see the connection between this notorious recent work of popular fiction and the infamously (and perhaps most) difficult part of nonprofit fundraising — engaging the board in the dreaded Ask. And to be sure, I and a room full of development professionals, consultants, and board members are likely not to forget it.

The highlights below will hardly replicate Carol’s sense of humor or her years of fundraising and board engagement experience. Hopefully, the content and the questions that follow will help spark some creativity, offer some validation and/or inspire your own efforts as you work to engage with your board in fundraising. We all could use a little more fun and fundamentals (and funny!) in our own fundraising efforts. Enjoy it… seriously. Read More “Putting the Funny in Fundraising”

I was chatting with a fellow consultant recently and the topic of responsiveness from our nonprofit clients came up. Specifically, we talked about how many nonprofits seem to be bad at keeping in touch and following through.

Now if you receive direct mail solicitations from any agency, or are on any nonprofit e-newsletter list, maybe you’ll disagree. Maybe you’ll say that we as a sector over-communicate in many ways.

But for sake of argument, I’m talking meaningful communications and connections here–with donors, clients, and volunteers…. You know, our nonprofit’s “customers.”

So, the question that I’ve been battling with is this: are nonprofits providing poor customer service? And does it really matter? Read More “Customer Service IS Mission Work”

We find ourselves in a unique time—as a society, a workforce, and a sector—when three generations are interacting and leading our professional world in distinct ways. Most of the popular research on generational diversity addresses the two largest generations: Baby Boomers and Millennials. This is true in discussions of nonprofit careers, board service, and, yes, even philanthropy.

As a member of GenX, I often find myself in conversation with colleagues about the role my generation has (and wants) to play in connecting our community around the social sector, particularly in engaged philanthropy. Read More “Philanthropy Doesn’t Skip a Generation: How to Mobilize Generation X in Your Giving Efforts”

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I ask a LOT of questions related to whatever I commit to. Serving on a nonprofit board was no different. Throughout the lifetime of my nonprofit career, I have served as board chair/officer/member, founder, staff, volunteer, and consultant. With this 360-degree view of nonprofits, I developed the list of questions below to help myself and others thoughtfully consider board service. Read More “11 Questions You Should Be Asking About Your Board Service”

Membership and Partnership Programs

We offer membership and partnership programs for those working in or with nonprofits. Read More “A Board Chair Survival Checklist”