Note: This post is based on a webinar I co-facilitated with Erin De Vries and Kassia Randzio of Vermont River Conservancy. Thanks Erin and Kassia! A few months back, I was approached by the Nonprofit Association of Oregon to lead a session for their Co-Director Learning Cohort. The goal of the program is to gather organizations that are … [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...]
A capital campaign … for a for-profit business
Located in my small Vermont town, the Plainfield Cooperative grocery store is more than fifty years old. A visit to its current location – a small-ish room in the former grange hall – is like a visit to the 1970s. Uneven wooden floors, narrow aisles, aging equipment. An interesting assortment of products, ranging from uber-local produce … [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...]
How to be an elder
A friend of mine, who’s a generation younger, recently referred to me as an elder. When I reflected this back to her – “You might be the first person to call me an elder to my face” – she was horrified. To quote her text, “Wait, I didn’t mean elder as in old. I meant ‘movement elder,’ as in leader. I meant it as an honorific.” My … [Read more...]
Board meetings can be fabulous
Note: This guest post is from Heather Yandow and Meredith Emmett of Third Space Studio. Thank you! Picture this: It's 6:30pm on a Tuesday evening and time for your board meeting. Board members drift in late, two join via Zoom, while others are spread around a large conference table. Same old, same old Once a quorum is present, the … [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...]
Do we really need boards? Let’s debate (Part 2)
Note: This is the second of two posts adapted from an online conversation between Train Your Board partners Bob Osborne and Andy Robinson. You can find the first portion here. Join the debate! We welcome your comments. Bob Any alternative structure – different from the traditional 501(c)(3) – would need to address fundraising. If an … [Read more...]
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