Are all your fundraising systems in line?
Interestingly enough, I met with a wonderful and highly intelligent gentleman this past week. As we were eating lunch, we started talking about systems thinking. It reminded me of a mentor who once said that we needed to be reading people like…
The importance of the agenda to good governance
Good governance doesn't end at creating a Governance Committee of the board or even of establishing processes for governance such as policies and procedures, or even developing new committee structures. Governance has only begun. It continues…
Governance, follow the leader?
So, who leads the governance process? Is it the Board? Is it the staff? I wondered to what role does the staff or Board play in shifting a culture that is not longer useful? In fact, sometimes a management culture can be downright disruptive…
Love me or lose me - How donor communications can do both.
We often talk about banning jargon when we speak to others about our organization. And, that is so needed. But, I would like to take it one step further, and say that we are not here to "educate" our donors about what we do. They don't…
Governance and the Founder - a Crossroads at Your Nonprofit
The founder. What does that mean to be a founder of an organization? And, how does that impact the relationship with your Board of Directors?
Organizations have natural life cycles and founders play a unique role in the organization that…
How well are you meeting your nonprofit's mission?
How big is your need? Interestingly enough, a group that I am currently working with is in the process of conducting an outside needs assessment. I think this is such a wise move. Over the years, I have led strategic planning and board…
Is Your Board Looking Through the Lens of Mission?
The lens of mission must guide everything that a Board of Directors decides in an organization. Everything. Board members are the vanguard of the mission. They develop it; they refine it, and they ensure it. They ensure that the organization…
From here to minutia...Board of Directors and their committees
Ah, Board committees. Now, we get knee deeper into confusion. So, keeping the Board focused on governance is challenging work. Keeping the committees focused on governance seems at times almost impossible. A few observations from the field. Just…
Great expectations for Board Members
Last week, I noted how all-volunteer and small staffed organizations must engage in governance at the Board level. I pointed out that one of the first steps is to secure commitment to change. Some groups may not want to change and need to…
Corporate Governance is a Must Even in Your Small Nonprofit
Board governance is challenging work. It is especially difficult for smaller organizations. Even more so in all volunteer organizations. When organizations lack staff including an Executive Director, it is the Board of Directors who often…
What running Mt. Washington taught me about fundraising
This past weekend, I embarked on an event that frightened me. Literally and figuratively. You see, several months ago, I entered a lottery. And, the drawing was for a chance to run up Mt. Washington in the Mt. Washington Auto Road Race.…
Reflecting on a career in fundraising; simpler times
Twenty-two years is an awfully long time. I can't believe it has gone by that quickly. And, it all happened by pure chance or maybe little small choices all along the way. Now, I find myself a CFRE and have my Masters in Fund Development…
