By Richard Perry

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“So, tell me what you did with my money,” the donor said. And the silence and lack of response drove her away. I hear stories like this every week. Every week! Sadly, this is one of the major causes of donor attrition – the donor gave a gift but did not receive information back on how that gift made a difference. So, she gave to another organization that is far more responsive.

One of the most difficult aspects of fundraising is getting enough program impact information to give to the donor. And the amazing thing is that most managers and leaders find more value in investing on the front end of fundraising than they do in putting resources into the back end.

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To read more on this subject.............. Click Here

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This 29-page workbook provides nonprofits with direction on how to practice intentional program development in the midst of writing a winning grant proposal. This guide is ideal for program directors, executive directors, board of directors, and grant seekers.

This workbook includes:

1. How to plan a new program or service

2. How to find a funder

3. How to write the narratives in a proposal

4. Templates to use as a foundation or reference when structuring your proposal

To Downloaded the Guide .................  Click Here

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Once upon a time there was a board member who was passionate and diligent but inexperienced and naïve who was asked to take on the role of Chair of the Board.  “I’m really flattered. I don’t really know what I have to do other than chair some meetings, so how hard can it be?” they thought to themselves.
 
A fairy tale it might appear to be, but this was me. Twenty years on, I reflect on my transition from well meaning board member with little experience to having held the role of chair on a few occasions in my career. At one level, the chair is no different to any other board member. We come to the table as individuals, with our own set of skills, knowledge, opinions and bias but we make decisions collectively and are equally accountable for the decisions made by the board.
 
In reality, the role of chair brings with it other responsibilities. Deciding who will chair your organization should be a considered process.  To read more in this topic............... Click Here

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by Suzanne Smith

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This time last year we all pivoted from in-person meetings to Zoom and Teams meetings to protect each other during the early days of the pandemic. Shortly after that, the Social Impact Architects’ team wrote a blog on best practices for online meetings to help nonprofit leaders make the most of this format, which was new to many of us. Now, with the world opening up again, in-person meetings are returning. As a refresher, we want to share our best practices for energizing your social sector meetings, whether in person or online. 

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The first step is to determine whether a meeting is the best way to handle your needs. Meetings are not just information exchanges – they are also “relationship-building” sessions. If one-way information dissemination is all you need, an e-mail or brief report asking for feedback may be more effective than a meeting. By definition, meetings are about two-way information sharing, which is then used to make decisions, build support and take action together.

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To read more on this subject..................  Click Here.

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By F. Duke Haddad

I have worked for many nonprofit executive directors in my long career. I either reported directly to the executive director, consulted in a variety of roles with them, or served in the executive director position. Every person in that leadership role showed different traits, management skills and ability to lead. With respect to fundraising, I would give these individuals a cumulative grade of C-, as those in leadership positions felt fundraising was somebody else’s sole responsibility.

I always wondered if these nonprofit organizational leaders received proper training, orientation and guidance or did they obtain these positions through politics and having the right connections? Let us look at the roles of a nonprofit executive director. To read more on this topic.................  Click Here.

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Every time you have to do it you’re reminded how inefficient and terrible it is. But even though you know it needs to change, you haven’t taken action yet. Why?

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It’s not about being busy. It’s about not having properly defined what comes next. You’ve spotted the problem—now what’s the very next thing you need to do to solve it?

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You’d be surprised how answering such a simple question can launch you from passive frustration into active problem solving. Download our free article on how to define your problem in ways that inspire action—and create the action-oriented plan to see your goal through with “6 Steps To Redesign A Broken Business Process.”  To Download……..  Click Here.

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Note: While this Guide is produced by Kintone, it’s information is for general use. FYI- Kintone sells application building software to accelerate innovation and problem solving at organizations.

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By Jeff Jowdy

Every time we finish a client engagement, we review the experience to see what we can learn from it. In every case, one major theme is clear: The quality and engagement of the board of directors is a critical factor in the nonprofit’s success.

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To read more on this vital subject..............  Click Here.