No one likes an unproductive meeting. They are a waste of time and energy. But let’s face it. They happen.

Unproductive board meetings for your nonprofit can be detrimental. Your board has a lot of important decisions to make so that your nonprofit can make a greater impact in your community.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to publish a blog collaboratively with BoardSource discussing what the boards I work with might look like to my children – at the time ages 1 and 3. Here we are in 2019 and my babies just turned 6 and 8.

Since that time we’ve become a family of three, then a blended family of six, said goodbye to beloved pets and close family members; they’ve started elementary school, various sports, piano and dance lessons, and we’ve moved into our forever home. To be sure, our life has been full, busy, organized chaos.

Read More “Lessons in Board Culture: A Child’s View 2.0”

Let me begin by saying I am honored to be known as a consultant serving nonprofits.

I’ve had the great pleasure to work with and learn from some phenomenal colleagues who have made an incredible impact in the nonprofit sector. Prior to becoming a consultant myself, I worked with many consultants and even helped co-found a group that promotes ethical consulting. But, as in every industry, there are always a few “bad eggs” — or at least examples where my peers (or I) have gone awry in our service to others.  Read More “Consultants Behaving Badly? How to Ensure a Successful Client-Consultant Engagement”

The nonprofit sector runs on the power of volunteerism. The power of volunteerism depends on the level of volunteer engagement. And the power of volunteer engagement is driven by personal motivation.

Do you know what motivates your volunteers? When was the last time you asked them?

Give Day Tampa Bay is coming…. And it’s the perfect opportunity to revisit (or start!) this conversation with your volunteers.

Here are three reasons you should consider participating in Give Day Tampa Bay (GDTB) as part of your year-round volunteer engagement strategy: Read More “Jump Start Your Volunteer Engagement Efforts with Give Day Tampa Bay”

As both a mom and a consultant in the nonprofit sector, I often wonder what my world looks like to my two young children, who currently understand very little about what “mommy does.” What, for example, might they conclude about board culture if they were to venture with me into a nonprofit boardroom, where much of my work in board engagement and develop takes place?

So, I mentally stepped into their tiny shoes to think about it — the boardroom experience from a child’s eye — and identify some of the parental lessons I try to impart that might relate. Below are some of those lessons, intertwined with thoughtful questions, that you can use with your board to start the conversation about your own board culture and how it affects your ability to achieve your mission: Read More “A Child’s View of Nonprofit Board Culture”

So there’s this new craze called Pokemon Go….

Perhaps you’ve heard of it.

Perhaps you’ve played it.

Perhaps you’re tired of hearing about of it.

Perhaps you have no idea what the big deal (or game) even is.

Any of those responses validates that you’re part of our over-saturated American popular culture… one where we hear about the latest trends almost as much as we hear about the Presidential election or the multiple tragedies throughout the world. But your reaction may also reveal more about you and your generational affiliation than you think. Read More “What Pokemon GO Can Teach Nonprofits About Board Recruitment”

With the release of new episodes in the Star Wars saga there have been countless parodies, an overabundance of internet memes, and yes, even the excited fan or two (hundred million).

Maybe it’s because our popular culture has been fully saturated with Star Wars mania, but I can’t help but think of the similarities between the movie and our strategies for integrating future generations into the nonprofit sector, specifically at the board level.

Along those lines, here are a few board culture true-isms I’ve found in 20 years of nonprofit service—along with some questions you may want to consider as you build a board of generational diversity. (For our purposes here, “next gen” refers to GenX, Millennials, GenZ, and beyond.) Read More “The Next Generation of Nonprofit Leadership: The Force Awakens”

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”