Team-building: what managers need to know Can we talk about “team-building” and how it can so easily do just the opposite? It’s essential for nonprofit staff to work well together. And especially for teams within that structure. And I know (from long experience) that nonprofit work, in particular fundraising, is often not 9-5 work. Extra […]
Your work matters. So do you.
His face was bright red. He looked down at me, practically spitting his anger. Next to him stood the organization’s development director, silent but glowering. My sin? I ran the box office of a large regional theater, and it was opening night. My (somewhat impossible) task was to both ensure every seat in the house […]
We have a sickness. It’s called free or cheap.
Are you suffering from free or cheap? First, let me emphasize that I’ve spent far more years as a staffer than a consultant. So I’m not pointing fingers away from myself. But why is our immediate reaction to any problem asking if we can get it free or cheap? That way of thinking is hurting […]
If fundraising matters, you need to invest in it
If fundraising matters to your organization, then you must invest in it. Have you ever saved for something really important? A car, a house, an education? If you’re saving now, you’ve noticed how low interest rates are. It can be hard to see your savings grow so slowly. Your organization, if you have an endowment […]
How to challenge the White Walkers of nonprofit life
In times of disaster, you’ll find thousands of people wondering about nonprofit work. What is our role in society? What is good for me? As I write this, hurricane 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 […]