Once upon I time, when I worked as a development director, I would gather the program staff annually to ask the “what if” questions: What if we had all the money we needed? What if we could do the work we wanted to do without worrying about the budget – what would we do? What if we had the capacity to try new things and do our … [Read more...]
Design yourself a better board
Imagine the following exercise. Gather your board members around a flip chart. Ask the following question: "If we could design the perfect board for our group, what skills, qualities, and representation would we want in prospective board members?" Skills, qualities, representation Skills include specific expertise to help the … [Read more...]
New consultants and trainers: Five even-more tips for success
At least once a month, I’m asked the following question: How do I start my own business as a consultant, a facilitator, a trainer? As the gig economy expands, more of us are moving into self-employment. Perhaps you’re building your own full-time practice. Maybe you want to test the waters and generate a little extra income. These … [Read more...]
Training remotely – a facilitator’s guide
Once upon a time, we all gathered together – physically. Meetings, workshops, and classes required participants to be in the same room at the same time. Those days are over. In addition to the ubiquitous webinars, virtual meetings, Facebook Live events, and online classes, an interesting hybrid has emerged: the trainer or teacher in … [Read more...]
Donor personas – the key to powerful fundraising appeals
Note: This guest post is from April Weppler, an organizational development consultant based in Ontario, Canada – and a graduate of the Training, Facilitation, and Consulting Certificate Program. Thanks April! Are you working on your spring donor appeal? Are you writing your next member renewal letter or “e-blast ask?” Perhaps … [Read more...]
No new nonprofits! A manifesto
As a consultant, I handle a lot of inquiries – by phone, via email, and in person. For example, Can you train our board to raise money? Do you do strategic planning? We’re dealing with “founder’s syndrome” – can you advise us? Can you help with our fundraising plan? We’re considering a merger with another organization and … [Read more...]
Your group isn’t unique – and that’s a good thing
From time to time, my phone rings. A nonprofit staff or board member begins to talk. “We’re in a unique situation,” this person says. Silently, I roll my eyes. Or maybe, “We have a unique problem.” Actually, you don’t. Apologies for the snark. During these conversations, I do my best to listen deeply, respond … [Read more...]
Crying in class
I recently facilitated a board retreat for a nonprofit client. As a warm-up exercise, I asked the participants to pair up for two minutes and discuss the following questions. As a board member, what do you need to be successful? What does the organization need from you to be successful? When I reconvened the full group, people … [Read more...]
Asking Styles: Boost Your Board’s Fundraising
Note: The following guest post from Brian Saber is adapted from his new book, Asking Styles: Revolutionize Your Fundraising. Thanks, Brian! At Asking Matters, we developed Asking Styles to directly address the myth of the ideal, stereotypical fundraiser. Our model is based on the concept that authenticity is central to building … [Read more...]
Five big meeting mistakes – and how to avoid them
Note: This guest post is from Heather Yandow at Third Space Studio. She helps organizations with strategic planning, board development, business model design, implementing fundraising strategies, and going from good to great. Thanks, Heather! How much time do you spend in meetings? If you’re like me, the answer is simple: a … [Read more...]
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