Note: This guest post is adapted from a new book, Inclusive Strategic Planning for Nonprofits, by Dr. Renee Rubin Ross. Thanks, Renee! When I’m asked why Inclusive Strategic Planning is valuable, I immediately go into the kitchen. Let me explain. SOS Meals on Wheels had a problem hiding in plain sight. Their industrial kitchen – the … [Read more...]
Steal these lines!
If you work with groups in any way – for example, if you train people to raise money, facilitate retreats, engage with nonprofit boards, etc. – this post is for you. After thirty years of consulting, facilitating, and training – and more than a decade of teaching others how to do these things – I’ve developed a library of insights, … [Read more...]
The facilitator’s secret superpower
Note: Thanks to Stephanie Lahar for helping to develop this post – and for modeling this skill so effectively. Imagine the following situation. You’re sitting through a long board meeting or planning retreat. Colleagues offer ideas and suggestions; others dispute those ideas and add more layers to the suggestions. Words are literally … [Read more...]
Beyond the 501(c)(3): Other models for social change
After 44 years of working with nonprofits, here’s my confession: I’m sort of done with the normal nonprofit structure. You know what I’m talking about, but just to be clear: These organizations … Are incorporated in their respective states and granted tax exempt status by the federal government. Are governed by a volunteer … [Read more...]
Core elements of fundraising success: Trust, engagement, impact (part 3)
Note: This post – the third in a three-part series – is by Train Your Board partner Laurel McCombs. Thanks, Laurel! I’m excited to share the latest installment on how you can engage your supporters in authentic and meaningful ways. Since my last post, the 2023 Giving USA results were released. The data demonstrates what we’ve been … [Read more...]
Core elements of fundraising success: Trust, engagement, impact (Part 2)
Note: This post – the second in a three-part series – is by Train Your Board partner Laurel McCombs. Thanks, Laurel! In part one of this series, we discussed the declining number of donors and contributed dollars across the nonprofit sector. Since then, the Fundraising Effectiveness Project released their Q4 report, confirming that these … [Read more...]
Are you prepared for planned gifts?
Note: This guest post from Christine Graham is adapted from her new book, Thinking About Planned Giving: Information for donors and their favorite causes. Thanks, Christine! Planned giving is increasingly popular and often sounds complicated. It need not be. When we talk about planned giving (or legacy giving), we mean a charitable … [Read more...]
Core elements of fundraising success: Trust, engagement, impact
Note: This post – the first in a three-part series – is by Train Your Board partner Laurel McCombs. Thanks, Laurel! In recent years, there’s been much discussion about the generosity crisis. I understand the data: the number of people giving to traditional 501(c)(3) nonprofits has been declining for more than a decade. In the last few … [Read more...]
Listening as leadership
Over the years, I’ve facilitated dozens of strategic planning retreats. Sometimes the executive director, CEO, or board president – somebody with a title and the power that comes with it – will pull me aside and ask a thoughtful question: “How much should I talk?” Here’s a variation: “Maybe I should just listen and not speak too much. … [Read more...]
Feed people!
Several decades ago, I worked at Native Seeds/SEARCH, a nonprofit based in Tucson, Arizona. Their mission: “Conserve and promote the arid-adapted crop diversity of the Southwest in support of sustainable farming and food security.” In addition to collecting, saving, and distributing seeds, the organization offers educational programs … [Read more...]