Some time ago I spoke to a nonprofit executive who had great news. She had been talking to an influential person in the community who asked her a simple question."If you could do one thing to expand the work you're doing in the community, what would it be?"Her immediate response was "Invest in fundraising to make our revenue sustainable."The...
One of the most welcome developments in the evolution of philanthropy are the voices and leadership of women who continue to enter into the boardrooms of nonprofits and serve their communities as leading philanthropists in their own right. The reality is that in 2017, there have been a lot of discussions about women and their roles in our society...
"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him... We need not wait to see what others do." - Mahatma GandhiNot too long ago I posted the following message on Facebook:Seek respect, not attention; it lasts longer.There is real...
Like most people who start a non-profit organization, your focus and energy is probably directed towards serving the community rather than performing internal compliance checkups. However, you cannot serve your target community well if your nonprofit is not run in a manner that is compliant with the law.What happens when the IRS revokes your organization's nonprofit status? Here are...
In 1999, the CEO of Sun Microsystems said, "You have zero privacy... Get over it". In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg stated that privacy was dead. I think Zuckerberg must feel a sense of irony with what he's experienced this year over privacy and the transfer of Facebook users' information to Cambridge Analytica. I think it's fair to say that this...
Earlier today before anyone was awake, I scrolled through my social media as I like doing on a quiet Sunday morning. A post caught my eye because I could almost feel the frustration of the person who wrote it.This individual was someone who cared very much about the nonprofit sector. Although the writer of the post had worked for...
You might be thinking that you don't have to do anything to protect your online reputation. Perhaps you're thinking, who would want to do anything against a charitable organization? You would be mistaken. Criminals and trolls don't pick favorites, and unfortunately, any person or group can be fair game.Nonprofits Can Be a Prime TargetIn the "wild west" of the...
Successful non-profits are not an accident; they are the result of leadership that employs sound financial management practices. Developing the following seven financial habits will ensure your non-profit can successfully fulfill its mission and that it is being a good steward of donor funds. Equally important, developing these habits will enable you to lead with confidence and flexibility knowing...
Project sponsors are usually concerned about the value for the money provided to non-profit organizations because these organizations are established with the aim of addressing specific issues. Income classification for non-profits revenues becomes vital in eliminating financial "fuzziness" which is associated with abetting financial impropriety and mismanagement in organizations.Income classification is crucial in highlighting the source of funds and...
By now, you're steeped in social media, which is an essential ingredient of your digital marketing for your nonprofit. But as with everything in life, you have to get a little deeper into the details.The paramount rule for nonprofit fundraisers is to create and develop relationships with their donors and supporters. As the adage goes, people give to people.So,...
