| Overhead Ratios: How to answer your donors’ questions

| Overhead Ratios: How to answer your donors’ questions: Overhead Ratios: How to answer your donors’ questions

Episode #254

How do you respond when a donor asks about how much of their dollars go to funding your overhead?

For many folks, this can be a tricky question and one that brings some tension to the conversation.

Well, in this week’s episode, Peter Drury from Splash shares a terrific tip on answering the question about your overhead ratio. And perhaps after you watch the video, you will actually WANT donors to ask you that question.

DMANF Unveils Fundraising Principles | The NonProfit Times

DMANF Unveils Fundraising Principles | The NonProfit Times: DMANF Unveils Fundraising Principles
By Patrick Sullivan - July 11, 2013

The Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation (DMANF) has released its first set of fundraising principles. The principles are effective immediately and cover general principles, use of funds and costs of fundraising, as well as contracts with commercial partners. “The principles really pull together standards and best practices around several areas,” said Xenia “Senny” Boone, DMANF’s general counsel.

Charity overhead stats are useful, but not in the way you think | Humanosphere

Charity overhead stats are useful, but not in the way you think | Humanosphere: Overhead has become a totem in the humanitarian world as charities and aid organizations seek to spend the most on services and the least on administrative costs.

Nonprofit Inquiry Reignites Debate on Fundraising Costs - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Nonprofit Inquiry Reignites Debate on Fundraising Costs - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Despite their different missions, the Disabled Veterans National Foundation, a veterans charity, and SPCA International, an animal charity, have a lot in common.

They have both received F’s from CharityWatch, the charity-ratings group, because most of the money they raise from the public pays for direct-mail operations.

Fundraising Events: a losing proposition for your nonprofit organization? | Pamela Grow's Grantwriting Blog

Fundraising Events: a losing proposition for your nonprofit organization? | Pamela Grow's Grantwriting Blog: Oh sure, events can and do raise money. Yet it’s rare that event ROI analysis methods factor in the enormous – and I do mean enormous – amount of time devoted by staff to the planning of events.

You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Watchdog Group Adopts Change in Rating System - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Watchdog Group Adopts Change in Rating System - News - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Watchdog Group Adopts Change in Rating System

By Caroline Preston

The watchdog group Charity Navigator revamped its ratings system this week as part of a plan to move beyond evaluating charities based solely on their financial performance.

The Web site now places equal weight on a charity’s governance and openness about its operation sas it does on financial information.

Don’t Measure Fundraising Costs, But Cost-Effectiveness. | Sharpe Tips

AFP has a Hot Topic on Fundraising Costs which is available to Members
http://www.afpnet.org/HotTopic/FundraisingCosts

Some related links on Fundraising Costs

Don’t Measure Fundraising Costs, But Cost-Effectiveness. | Sharpe Tips: "Don’t Measure Fundraising Costs, But Cost-Effectiveness.
Posted on July 29, 2011 by Alan Sharpe

The only number in fundraising that matters is net revenue.

Net revenue is the money you have left over after you subtract your fundraising expenses from your fundraising income. Net revenue is the only money you can do mission with. The more net revenue you have, the more good you can do in the world."