A consulting colleague has a successful business facilitating workshops on a variety of topics, serving a variety of clients. She’s supremely well-organized. She designs meticulous agendas, prepares materials days in advance, and rehearses her presentation. As the day of the job approaches, you don't want to mess with her, because … [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...]
More money together: Shared fundraising strategies
In my work as a fundraising consultant and trainer, I'm faced with two persistent myths: Scarcity: There’s not enough resources to go around, which leads to... Competition among groups to gather those scarce resources. To address these myths, let’s begin with a few numbers. Nonprofits across the U.S. receive more than $1.5 … [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...]
How to create a strategic plan – a facilitator’s guide
Regardless of where you land on the preparation continuum – some of us prefer improvisation to planning – you’ll be more successful with a thoughtful, well-designed plan. You can create a strategic plan yourself or hire a consultant to help. Note to consultants: If you’re building a business, the world is filled with potential … [Read more...]
The unspoken truth about boards and fundraising
Does everyone on your board raise money? If the answer is “No!” – perhaps the question makes you laugh or groan or grind your teeth – you’re not alone. How do I know? By far, the most popular service I offer is board fundraising training. Because so many boards struggle to raise money, demand is endless. (Note to consultants: if you … [Read more...]
Dialing for dollars, reinvented
What do you get when you combine an old-school fundraising strategy – phone banking – with a new online platform like Zoom? People working together – while also working remotely! – to engage their donors and raise more money. Here’s a great example from Training for Change. Thanks to Zein Nakhoda (staff) and Sonia Silbert (board) … [Read more...]
PowerPoint For Good:
4 Tips For Trainers
Note: This guest post is from Laura Rhodes of Third Sector Consulting and author of the LetsTalkNonprofit.blog. Thanks, Laura! Ask nonprofit staff or board members why they attend conferences, and you’ll get a variety of responses. To be with like-minded people. To network with others in the field. And, invariably, to … [Read more...]
Why fundraising consultants will never replace development staff
Note: This guest post is from Alyson Molloy Hussey, a development consultant and former development director. Thanks, Alyson! A lot of organizations – maybe yours? – are perpetually looking for development staff. In Boston, where I work, there seems to be a shortage of professional fundraisers. While conducting their staff search, … [Read more...]
It’s all about implementation
How many times have you participated in a really productive learning experience – a class, workshop, or webinar – and thought to yourself, “This is terrific stuff. I’m going back to work and I’ll start using it immediately.” And then you didn’t. Why not? Let us count the ways: lack of buy-in from peers, unexpected deadlines, … [Read more...]
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