File this one in the “this should be interesting” column. According to Bloomberg this morning, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R – Alaska) and Representative Walter Jones (R – North Carolina) are working with Democrats on possible legislation that would change disclosure rules from closed to open for large donations to 501(c)(4) social-welfare groups. Some politically-oriented 501(c)(4)s [...]
4 Simple Steps to Raising All the Money Your Nonprofit Needs
In the world of nonprofits, it’s all about fundraising. You can’t do much in the way of service delivery or mission fulfillment without money. For fundraising staff, it IS all about raising money and sometimes it can be a challenge. I’ve spent years raising money for all kinds of nonprofit organizations and I know what [...]
Six Ways to Really Scare Away Your Donors
Halloween is upon us…and there is no more appropriate topic that we could cover than how to effectively scare away donors. In the, um, spirit of the season, let’s look at six ways to guarantee donors will want nothing to do with you!
10 Business Essentials for Nonprofits
It often seems that when otherwise business-savvy individuals become involved in a nonprofit organization, they set aside all they ever learned in business and proceed to operate their nonprofit as if business rules do not matter. As most soon find out, they matter a lot. In this post, let’s take a look (in no particular [...]
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 [...]
Common Myths Concerning Nonprofits
Just yesterday, I was interviewing a new student intern candidate in my office. During the course of our wide ranging discussion, the conversation turned to some of the interesting misconceptions we encounter with clients. I made the comment that we often feel like the crew of the Discovery Channel show, Mythbusters. There is a never-ending [...]
Get More Out of Your Fundraising Efforts
Let’s face it. Times couldn’t be tougher for many nonprofits, especially when it comes to raising money. And in the nonprofit world, things often run in inverse proportion: The tougher the economy, the greater the need…and the scarcer the resources. So what can you do to beat the odds and secure the necessary funding to [...]
Questions You Must Answer Before Starting a Nonprofit
So…you want to start a nonprofit. Fantastic! That puts you in pretty good company. In any given year, as many as 75,000 applications for 501(c)(3) tax exemption are filed with the IRS. Less than half survive the process, but there is certainly no lack of interest in doing something charitable. But what does it really [...]
How Year-End Contribution Statements Can Raise Money
It’s one of those administrative tasks that must be done every year: mailing your donors a year-end statement of their contributions. Even if you are receipting on a per gift basis, a year-end itemized report is a best practice that should be adopted. If you are already doing that, good for you! But let me [...]
