Don’t get trapped by the buzzword “engagement.” It can be a powerful metric for understanding your relationship to your constituents, or it can mean nothing at all.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice." --Steve Jobs
Simply getting emails out the door can be a challenge for nonprofits. Crafting relevant, interesting email on a regular basis? A nice idea, but near impossible for some nonprofits.
As irritating as this will be to learn for the logical among us, studies are consistently showing that when it comes to fundraising, statistics kill donations.
Pioneering groups of foundations and philanthropists have pooled their talent and resources to help solve social sector problems too big for any one to tackle alone. What can donors learn from these efforts?
With the ever-growing popularity of e-mail and the Internet, it begs the question: Is direct mail dying? Based on information from Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the answer to that question is a resounding “no.”
Yes, but the good news is online revenue is up and monthly giving programs have grown significantly. This means nonprofits should be focused on engagement with people not response rates.
A rising generation of younger donors and philanthropic leaders could bring new money and fresh energy to your boardroom—is your board ready to engage them?
TED TALK: Everything the donating public has been taught about giving is dysfunctional, says AIDS Ride founder Dan Pallotta. He aims to transform the way society thinks about charity and giving and change.
Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are changing the face of supporter engagement and the road that leads to the most desirable form of participation—donations.
A logo doesn’t equal a brand, and nonprofits would be much better served trying to formulate a real strategy than trying to use graphics to hide a lack of true mission.
A newly released study that reveals many nonprofits are stuck in a vicious cycle that threatens their ability to raise the resources they need to succeed. The report goes on to suggest initial steps to address the challenges.
A new website has launched that offers nonprofits in-depth information and guides on budgeting, financial analysis, monitoring, and the role of boards in financial management.
You may be a born introvert, utterly lacking in the desire to listen to the sound of your own voice, but that doesn't mean you can't become an excellent public speaker.
Organizational social-media literacy is fast becoming a source of competitive advantage. Learn, through the lens of executives at General Electric, how you and your leaders can keep up.
Sharing nonprofits’ Form 990 tax data in a comprehensive and easy-to-access manner may open the door to more collaboration and innovation within the sector.
An important report depicting the continual growth and importance of social media. Read a summary of the findings with three key takeways that are sure to influence your 2013 social media strategies.
Small nonprofits often struggle with financial challenges that are unique to their size and structure. Read about ways this group can improve their financial condition and become less vulnerable.
Success or failure of a development professional usually comes down to decisions that are made by leadership. Is your organization making decisions that set your organization up to succeed?
WIth the rapid growth of collective impact, we are seeing promising approaches to tackling the nation's mounting problems. Read about 5 lessons for driving large-scale social change through collaboration from a CEO of 20 years working with the world's largest foundations.
Is your board reluctant to engage in fundraising? That can change if you learn how to create a culture of philanthropy and create a board and environment that is committed to fundraising.
An aggregation of the best and most interesting techniques to motivate employees. Learn how to build morale, encourage brainstorming, nurture strength, keep employees focused, how to create an environment your workers won't want to leave and more.
How will our jobs be different in 2013 and what trends will we need to know about? Read this quick list of 5 and make sure they are on your radar so you don't miss out on the potential they can offer your organization.
What are the hallmarks of effective and ineffective board chairs, and how can they inform your organization's board decisions? This article will tell you.
This article will show you how to develop new models for donor engagement, ensuring you keep pace with evolving communication preferences and donor behavior.
As it promises, this article will show you how to take the board you have and turn it into the board you need, guiding you to other helpful resources along the way.
This article highlights several stress management techniques to help you stay happy, healthy, and successful. Remember, good leaders bounce back, even when times are tough.
As the end of the year approaches, it's time to think about your annual appeal. Read this compilation of 6 blog posts to help you with all that you have to do in the final stretch of 2012.
The long awaited update to idealware's "A Consumer's Guide to Low Cost Content Management Systems" is now available. If you are shopping for a low cost CMS, this will give you what you need to be a smart consumer. If you're not shopping, this report can help you better understand content managerment systems and their functionality.
Learn how moving away from a board matrix might help strengthen your board. This article will show how you don't need to treat people like interchangable parts for your organization to run like a well oiled machine.
Learn how the way you craft your budget can craft and steer your organization's strategy and culture. Read this article series to learn how your budget should be much more than just a balance sheet.
Be sure you're getting the most out of your skilled volunteers. This article will help you find, recruit, nurture, and retain pro bono help for your organization.
Here's a lesson from which we all could learn. When trying to create change, they key to success frequently lies in strategic collaboration. This article will show you how that collaboration, though sometimes challenging, can also be both exciting and rewarding.
When board members oversteps their authority, tactfully reining them back isn't always easy. This article contains great advice on how to do just that, giving you information you'll need to be a great leader.
Having trouble getting the results you want from your volunteers? This article will teach you how to communicate expectations more clearly in five simple steps.
A recent study from the Nonprofit Research Collaborative shows more successfull fundraising among organizations with boards that help in a wide range of solicitations. This article provides key take-aways from the study and a link to the full report.
Selecting a membership database can often be overwhelming with so many different choices available in today's market. This article and tutorial will walk you step-by-step through the process of assessing your needs, exploring your options, and implementing a database system that works for you.
While there is great pressure for nonprofits to merge, especially from funders in a tight economy, mergers often require new money, as well as significant time for board members and staff to conduct due diligence. This article examines several other models of partnership that can be more efficient and less stressful.
Ready to show off how much good you do? Looking for a new way to engage donors? This article stresses the importance of performance information and will show you how to track and report it in a way that will show the true size of your organization's impact.
When nonprofits scrape by, devoting almost all resources to programs and services, we often label them as "efficient." But are they as efficient as they could be if they spent more on overhead? This article argues that NPOs could maximize the good they do by changing the way they do business.
Do you segment your constituent base? The simple strategies laid out in this article can help you tailor your messaging to specific groups which will help your organization develop a more meaningful connection with supporters.
"Collective Impact" has become a popular buzzword in nonprofit circles, but what exactly is it, how is it created, and why are people latching onto the idea? Recently the White House Council for Community Solutions organized a discussion to delve into these questions. Here is the transcript.
Finding and hiring new staffmembers doesn't have to be a stress-inducing endeavor. By following the simple steps in this article, you can bring on board high quality employees in a way that minimizes anxiety for both you and them.
How do you know a new hire is the right fit? Eliminate the doubt and uncertainty of hiring a new employee and learn the essential processes that many nonprofits overlook or underplay.
Network weavers, often the unsung heroes of the nonprofit sector, forge the connections that allow our organizations to thrive. Whether online or offline, these individuals are our best ambassadors, fundraisers, and recruiters. Be sure to listen to this podcast for great advice on cultivating a culture of networking in your own office.
