Thoughts on Nonprofit Leadership

We’ve all heard it, “No mission, no money.” But what does that mean exactly? After all, sometimes you just need to make money to get through. It doesn’t always have to be related to your mission, right? Wrong. If you want to stay within the purposes of your Articles of...

“I want you to find us new donors.” It could be individual, foundation, corporate or governmental donors you seek, or all of them. And I can help you. But not in ways you might think.

Target Specific Donor Groups

Attracting donors takes time and effort. And in the nonprofit world,...

The questions I hear most often from the nonprofits I encounter are, “How do I increase community support for my cause?” and, “Where do I find people to support my nonprofit?”  The answers, strangely enough, are not based on fundraising theory. Rather, they are based...

What is your nonprofit’s reputation? Is it intact? What about your leadership? What is your executive director’s reputation? What about you as the grant liaison? What do others think about you personally? And what in the world does reputation have to do with grant funding?

Your...

Nonprofit organizations exist to meet community needs, are governed by community members, and funded through community contributions. Nonprofit agencies leverage their scarce resources by fostering community relationships. Nonprofits even receive special tax-exempt status based on their...

So, you’ve increased the number of people and organizations supporting you, either financially, by volunteering, through leadership service, by referring clients to you, advocating for your cause, or promoting your agenda. You’ve worked hard to achieve as much support as you have. You...

So, you’ve clearly defined your nonprofit’s identity. Your internal and external materials communicate a unified message. You’ve identified what groups and organizations you want to partner with. Now it’s time to approach them.

Do Your Research

To make the most of your...

What do potential supporters think of you? Do they even know you exist? How do you know? Have you asked them? The only way to confirm your perceptions of what the community thinks is to ask them. You may be surprised at what you find.

Defining Your Community

The first thing to do to find out what...

Does your nonprofit have an image you want to change?

To successfully affect a change in your image, you need to define who you are to the community. You need to tell your community precisely what you do and how you do it. You need to know the values that permeate your organization and its...