Well, we are pretty much down to it. There are only a few weeks left in 2011…and during much of that time, most of us will be preoccupied with all things Christmas. But in all the hustle and bustle, there are a few things regarding your nonprofit that require your attention. The following is a [...]
Why People Hate Nonprofit Board Service
Tonight, the stakeholders (parents) of my daughter’s school will be voting to approve the list of new board members to replace those who are rolling off at the end of the school year. I am on the new member list, so I thought I would take this occasion to address board service and why it [...]
Thoughts On Nonprofit Leadership (Part I)
The word “leader” conjures up a variety of images: your old Little League coach, a military general, your boss…even the president of the United States. Regardless of who (or what) comes to mind, there is the common thread of someone who leads. But what does leadership really mean? Certainly it means more than just being [...]
Nonprofit Bylaws – The Dos and Don’ts
Bring up the subject of a nonprofit’s bylaws and you are sure to get an interesting response. For many nonprofit’s, their bylaws are just some forgotten document, full of legalese, gathering dust in a file cabinet somewhere. No one on the current board of directors knows who prepared them, nor what any of the provisions [...]
Questions Other Nonprofits Are Asking
If you are operating a nonprofit organization, chances are good that you have questions…lots of questions. And, it probably wouldn’t surprise you to know that your contemporaries in other nonprofits have lots of questions, too. Here at The Foundation Group, we get questions everyday. Many come from current or prospective clients who call or write. [...]
Is Your Nonprofit Repelling Donors?
Every nonprofit in existence needs money. Your ability to pay the bills depends upon it, not to speak of your ability to accomplish your mission. But do you really understand what it takes to be attractive to donors? Is your organization truly fundable? Or, have you inadvertently created an atmosphere that repels givers? In this [...]
Don’t Avoid Your Nonprofit’s Problems
Imagine this scenario: You are catching up on Facebook one night when you see a post from a friend. Someone you both know has been diagnosed with a horrible disease and given little hope for recovery. You find out later that this person had experienced all the warning signs…pain, fatigue, other clues…for months before they [...]
Difficult People on Your Nonprofit Board
Difficult people. Whether it be a co-worker, a neighbor, or even that very special “in-law”, we all have them in our lives. Chances are, you will have one serving on your nonprofit’s board of directors…if not now, eventually. Sort of like death and taxes, there is a certain inevitability to it. Given the volume of [...]
When The Going Gets Tough
We all have our moments of discouragement. There are times when we are getting beaten up so badly that we would rather throw in the towel than continue to get pummeled. This situation can occur in just about any area of our lives…personal and professional. But what do you do when it happens in your [...]
Thoughts on Nonprofit Leadership Part II
Posted on March 1, 2011 by Greg McRay in Commentary, Managing a Nonprofit
This is installment #2 in our ongoing series on leadership. Our first installment was more of an introduction. In this post, we are going to explore the concept of governance vs. management. Governance and management: For many, these are interchangeable terms. They shouldn’t be. And in far too many nonprofits, the leadership fails to understand [...]