As I write this, Harvey is finally lumbering his way across the country. Behind the storm is an area of devastation from floods that’s hard to comprehend – at least not in the U.S. And right behind the concern is the usual conversation about what role charities play in disasters. Which organization is doing too […]
Do you want to know why you can’t find a great development director?
Good development directors are precious. It seems there is a great demand for good development directors. Turnover is a tremendous problem. In their study, Underdeveloped, CompassPoint and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund found “high levels of turnover and lengthy vacancies in development director positions throughout the sector”. I know in my community it seems like […]
How to grow a culture of philanthropy
Definitions of culture: (Miriam Webster) 5 a: the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends on upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations 5 c: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an institution or organization What’s your experience? I’ve worked in organizations where […]
Are you worried about new overtime rules?
Be the change that you wish to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi Let’s be the change Last week, the Obama administration issued new labor rules about overtime. Salaried employees who earn less than $47,476 now must be paid overtime for hours in excess of 40 hours in a week. This is great news, right? […]
Serendipity: another word for smart fundraising?
Do we make our own luck? Many years ago, I was doing one of my favorite tasks – opening the mail. I bet you know what I mean. It’s a whole lot of fun to see a stack of appeal returns waiting for you. One day, I opened an envelope to find an unexpected large […]