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Do you have a friend or a colleague who is GREAT at asking questions? You know, the person who always seems to just know more about the people and circumstances in their lives than others? They don't just draw you into conversation, they help you build a stronger connection through the interaction.

I had just started work as the new CFO of a major not for profit.  For me it was a dream come true - a job that I interviewed hard for and prayed it would be offered to me.

Guest post from Bruce Scott of Westfall Gold. 

All of us were new to fundraising at some point. Even if you have a long tenure as a development professional, on-boarding new staff and volunteers can be a good reminder to look with new eyes on your organization. Keep this list of nine ways to get started as a fundraiser close to hand as you build your (and your team’s) fundraising muscle.

"Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant"

I recently had an enlightening conversation with two smart, ambitious high school graduates. They were ready to take on the world. Both had a positive attitude towards planning and fulfilling future goals.  One of the things we discussed was the transition from high school to college. When I asked the about their pre-college summer plans, the graduates’ response was they were going to have a “chill summer”. 

In recent years, nonprofit leaders have shown an increasing interest in developing collaborative relationships with other organizations. Several factors motivate this interest, including: encouragement from major funders, a need to conserve resources, an opportunity to eliminate duplication of services and a strategy for increasing overall capacity.

Who doesn’t love budgeting?  Whether it’s getting your arms around spending at home, watching members of Congress debate on C-SPAN or sitting through meetings at the office, budgeting is one of the great joys of life…Right?

“Mind the gap” echoed through the colorfully tiled RATP Metro as I stepped from the platform to the train on a journey from Paris to Geneva.  My focus briefly diverted from the excitement and joy of the journey to the necessary caution ahead me.  Each time the train door opened,  the same voice reminded me to mind the gap in several languages.  I recall glancing at the gap at my first stop, being amused as passengers stepped over it at the second, and growing deaf to it by the third, as my focus shifted to the exciting journey ahead of me…