Friday, May 23, 2014

R.I.P. Donor Pyramid? : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success

R.I.P. Donor Pyramid? : Page 1 of 2 : FundRaising Success: That’s why you don’t see many pyramids being built these days.

Except in nonprofits, where building the donor pyramid is still the holy grail. Get ’em in. Move ’em up. Acquire through direct mail. Convert to monthly donor or sustainer. Acquire through events. Convert to mail. Up, up, up … to the pinnacle of major and planned gifts!

Except for one tiny thing.

Combatting Burnout in Nonprofit Leaders | Stanford Social Innovation Review

Combatting Burnout in Nonprofit Leaders | Stanford Social Innovation Review: The survey also showed that most executive directors saw strong links between leadership development opportunities, organizational effectiveness (discussed earlier in this series), and personal well-being (physical and mental health, and work-life balance).

“These people are sacrificing so much to take on the executive roles of these groups,” Rogers said. “We are watching people not just burn out but make themselves sick in service of their communities. It’s our job to take care of them.”

The icing on your appeals program - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders

The icing on your appeals program - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders: I’m no Nostradamus, but I do know these two things happen every single year. Which is why the lack of planning some fundraisers undertake staggers me, furiously running around just weeks and even days before their biggest appeal should land in mailboxes.

Part of me thinks for many it’s a reflection of the boredom and staleness of their appeals/direct mail program. It’s like that old ornament sitting on your mantelpiece—it’s been there forever and does a job, but it doesn’t particularly excite you.

BBC shows to source costumes from charity shops to meet green targets

BBC shows to source costumes from charity shops to meet green targets: The first programme to meet a new BBC “green certificate” sourced costumes and props from local charity shops in order to meet the criteria.

And a BBC spokesman said that in documentation guiding organisations on how to meet the new environmental standards certification, albert , it will suggest other programmes could also use charity shops as a way of cutting environmental impact.

Fundcrushing vs. fundraising: see the difference at work - Future Fundraising Now

From Future Fundraising Now

Fundcrushing vs. fundraising: see the difference at work - Future Fundraising Now: Fundcrushing vs. fundraising: see the difference at work

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Is For-Profit the Future of Non-Profit? - Amy Schiller - The Atlantic

Is For-Profit the Future of Non-Profit? - Amy Schiller - The Atlantic: Is For-Profit the Future of Non-Profit?

Creating the Right Culture at your Nonprofit | npENGAGE

Creating the Right Culture at your Nonprofit | npENGAGE: Culture is mission. Culture is process. Culture is everything.

I really do believe this.

When I was a kid, culture had a very different meaning. It’s possible that I just didn’t get what it was all about. To me, culture was about “being cultured.” It was about art, and class and learning things that tended to be highbrow.

But today, culture is something much more mainstream. And because it’s this way (or at least to me), it’s much more central. It’s literally about everyone and for everyone. And that’s a good thing.

Make the most of a news interview � Philanthropy North Carolina

Make the most of a news interview � Philanthropy North Carolina: Make the most of a news interview
May 22, 2014 By toddcohen49 in Advertisement Leave a comment

Many charities rightly an complain that they get too little news coverage, yet when they do get a chance to talk to a reporter, they often waste it. So be prepared.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Will the Sharing Economy Catalyze New Forms of Philanthropy? | Beth’s Blog

From Beth Kanter's blog



Will the Sharing Economy Catalyze New Forms of Philanthropy? | Beth’s Blog: After I attended Catalyzing the Sharing Economy conference (the sharing economy is defined as the use of networked, mobile, information technology to share goods and services), I shared a post with some notes and ideas about why I think it is the next generation of networked social change. Lucy Bernholz, who has been thinking about the sharing economy and social change for longer than anyone, share her conference notes, asking “Where is the Public Good?” TechSoup’s Lewis Haidt shared a post that challenges to think about how we can all participate with a greater emphasis on the sharing and less on the IPO.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Puts 400,000 High-Res Images Online & Makes Them Free to Use - | Open Culture

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Puts 400,000 High-Res Images Online & Makes Them Free to Use - | Open Culture: On Friday, The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that “more than 400,000 high-resolution digital images of public domain works in the Museum’s world-renowned collection may be downloaded directly from the Museum’s website for non-commercial use

Not Just Lip Service: Employees Demand Workplace Volunteering

Not Just Lip Service: Employees Demand Workplace Volunteering: Across the world, employee expectations of the companies they work for are dramatically expanding when it comes to corporate philanthropy. As such, companies are being forced to respond to this groundswell of interest in charitable activities, as they must do if they hope to attract and retain top talent.

Government-funded nonprofits slammed; fixes seen � Philanthropy North Carolina

Government-funded nonprofits slammed; fixes seen � Philanthropy North Carolina: Government contracts and grants can create big problems for nonprofits, but proven solutions are readily available, two new reports say.

Among nearly 56,000 nonprofits with government contracts or grants, or both, in 2012, nearly three-fourths reported problems with the complexity of — or time required for — applications and reporting, according to the “National Study of Nonprofit-Government Contracts and Grants 2013: State Rankings” from the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

The most charitable states in America | Deseret News

The most charitable states in America | Deseret News: A recent Gallup poll has ranked each U.S. state by its charitable giving, listing Utah, Minnesota, and Hawaii as the most generous states.

A minimum of 600 citizens per state were asked whether they had personally donated money to charity, spent time volunteering with an organization, or both over the past month. All 50 states were polled between June and December of 2013.

Five Questions With: John Hailer - Providence Business News

Five Questions With: John Hailer - Providence Business News: HAILER: As a global asset-management firm, the goal of the Jazz Diplomacy Project directly aligns with our corporate mission of taking a unique, collaborative approach to achieving comprehensive solutions. We focus our sponsorship efforts on music because it has historically been a force that brings people together, connects cultures, unites communities and enhances the lives of individuals around the world.

What Financial Conversations Could Be…It’s About More Than Money

What Financial Conversations Could Be…It’s About More Than Money: As a demonstration project exploring what could be possible for all boards, we spend a fair amount of time engaged in a process talking about process. I personally think this is at the heart of leadership and creating space for process is essential to organizational success, but I found it particularly relevant here.

Many of us come to financial issues, be they our own personal ones or those of an organization with which we are involved, from a place of reactivity. We get a report or a statement showing us what has transpired and are asked to react. Let’s look at how different people react:

Monday, May 19, 2014

Philanthropy Tips From a Google Billionaire

Philanthropy Tips From a Google Billionaire: Signers of The Giving Pledge provide a statement about their philanthropy, which appears on the website. Among recent signatories, the most illuminating statement by far comes from Craig Silverstein and Mary Obelnicki.

Willis Turner - What If Mark Twain Was Your Major-Gifts Officer? : FundRaising Success

Willis Turner - What If Mark Twain Was Your Major-Gifts Officer? : FundRaising Success: For example, if Mark TwainOpens in a new window was your major-gifts officer (MGO), he might amble into your office, lean his surprisingly slight frame against the doorway (he was just 5 feet 8 inches), brush a fleck of cigar ash from the collar of his rumpled white suit and drawl:

"A round man cannot be expected to fit into a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape."

What he'd mean, of course, is that those who contribute to your regular appeals are far and away your best source for major donors

More fundraisers see higher pay; average salaries drop � Philanthropy North Carolina

More fundraisers see higher pay; average salaries drop � Philanthropy North Carolina: More fundraising professionals in the U.S. and Canada got a boost in their average income in 2013, compared to 2012, but average salaries fell nearly eight percent, a new survey says.

And a longstanding and large gap persisted between pay for men and women in fundraising jobs, while the average turnover rate among fundraisers grew slightly, says the 2014 Compensation and Benefits Study from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.