We've all been there. You open your inbox to find a message from an organization or business you haven't heard from in months—or even years. And surprise, surprise: they want something from you.

Recently, I received an email from a business owner I genuinely like and admire. The problem? According to my never-purged inbox, their last communication to me was in 2022. Before that, they reached out to me once in 2021, and a handful of times in 2020. What did every one of those few and far-between ...

Five Years of Consulting: Top Lessons from Nonprofits of All Sizes

After five years of consulting with small to medium nonprofits from many different industries, I’ve seen some interesting patterns emerge. There are common challenges that pop up across the board, regardless of the size, mission, or funding of the organization. These issues come up so consistently that they almost feel universal - but they shouldn't be.

If you’re leading or working in a nonprofit, these insights could be the ke...

One of my clients is an historic nonprofit theater. It opened nearly 100 years ago, went through decades of ups and downs, suffered tragedy and change, and reopened 10 years ago - ostensibly better than ever. As with every nonprofit I serve, they were interested in raising more money. Especially after being shuttered by COVID, they needed to find new donors and re-engage existing ones. So, we joined forces and began working on a revolutionary new project: creating a good old fashioned, printe...

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I'll bet you have a lot of personal integrity. You try to follow through on your commitments, you basically always tell the truth, and you keep your daily doings on the up and up.

No shady business for you. No, ma'am.

And I'll bet you notice that all your good behavior pays off over time. People trust you and they're not afraid to get close to you because they know what to expect and can depend on your since...

Last week, I attended NextAfter’s NIO (Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization) Summit for the first time. And as it turns out, all the hype leading up to the conference was justified - it was well run, informative, and FUN. 

NIO isn’t like most conferences. For one, there are no breakouts. So, no hustling from room to room hoping you chose the best topic. Everyone gets the chance to hear every talk - and learn about topics they may never have chosen for themselves. Second, there’s a heavy emphasis...

This post was taken from the weekly B-mail message sent March 1, 2022 to subscribers. 

If you missed last week’s blog post about common personality types that get in the way of nonprofit progress, you can check it out here. In a slightly tongue-in-cheek way, I described eight seriously disruptive players...so that you might pinpoint sources of friction within your board.

Here’s the good news: many of you probably read the list, had a chuckle, recognized a person or two, and decided those folks weren’t so bad after all.

Here’s the not-so-good news: a fair amount of you read...

Running a nonprofit organization - and working effectively with a board of directors - requires a high degree of "people skills." Your ability to organize, galvanize, and mobilize a wide variety of people (and their personalities) will determine how successful you can ultimately be in advancing your mission. Disruptive behaviors lead to conflict and, as Dale Carnegie Associates says, "conflict in the workplace weakens morale, strains productivity, and burdens overall progress." 

The first step ...