Recently I had an executive from a small nonprofit in Kansas ask me how to improve organizational sustainability in the New Year. There have been a lot of predictions regarding how the new tax legislation will impact nonprofit organizations. Some predict that it will be even more difficult to effectively raise money in the new financial … Read More →
As I spoke to colleagues in preparation for this article, similar versions of the same question came up a couple of times. “Why are you writing about cannabis, you don’t know anything about it?” It is true – I do not use cannabis and so my knowledge about the specific product is limited to what … Read More →
If you have been raising money for any length of time, surely by now you will have been told ‘no.’ Sometimes a ‘no’ can be a major setback, especially if there is no Plan B in place. Was it something I said? Was it something I didn’t say? What will happen to the project? How … Read More →
Have you ever been trying to reach a donor and left a LOT of messages? I don’t mean “all in the same day,” that could be construed as stalking and no one wants that. I am referring to calling the same donor/prospect over and over without getting a return call. Perhaps you might call twice … Read More →
As the number of nonprofit organizations in the US continues to rise, so does the need to raise money for those organizations. From large, multi-national organizations to small local organizations, money is a critical need to ensure that programs get delivered and all regulatory and reporting requirements are met. So, as a board member, committee … Read More →
Have you ever had a donor get mad at you and/or your organization? I have and I can tell you that it is not fun. I do not like conflict or “drama” and so I don’t like having to deal with these situations. I have learned throughout the years, however, that it is always better … Read More →
http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2015/02/19/how-elderly-heiress-lost-her-300-million-fortune/ I read this story about Huguette Clark, the copper heiress and philanthropist, last month on Fox Business and it really struck a chord with me. There are a variety of “issues” in the piece, but the part that I want to discuss today are the concepts of communication and donor intent. As small nonprofit … Read More →
Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are growing in popularity here in the United States and they are a great way to accomplish philanthropic goals. Many people are using DAFs for a few key reasons. One reason is that they are relatively simple to set up. Working with a community foundation, such as The Community Foundation Serving Greeley … Read More →
Unless you have been under a rock for the past several weeks you have undoubtedly heard about the Ice Bucket Challenge. According to Forbes, the ALS Association raised $100M from the successful online campaign. This is great for the ALS Association, but those of us who work for small organizations have few options to raise … Read More →
I was meeting with a colleague last week when the topic of that Comcast Retention Agent viral phone call came up. Surely you have heard it by now, if not you can go here: https://t.co/5TRpDmWQBU. After you listen to it you will assume that it was a hoax but I guarantee you it was real. … Read More →