Blog

Are you a to-do list person? Maybe you subscribe to the GTD method or prefer old-fashioned pen and paper lists. Whatever the case, you’ve probably come to realize that getting a group of people (fundraising volunteers, for example) rallied around a to-do list is a much trickier exercise than tackling your own list of projects.

Recently, I attended a board meeting for a great nonprofit organization. Afterward, the CEO confessed that he was “really troubled that we can’t create a culture of philanthropy here. It is just so frustrating.”

In their eagerness to get a building opened, or as a result of calamitous economic changes, too many nonprofit boards have found themselves with more debt than their organization can bear. When your “customer” becomes the bank rather than the community, it’s time get serious about reducing debt.

Many nonprofit leaders want to begin an endowment development program, but are unsure of where to start. They don’t know who might be a good prospect in their community or among their past donors. How can you tell if someone has the resources and the desire to leave a legacy gift to your organization?

I picked this book off the shelf only because the title resonated with me. The first few chapters are pure agony. It’s the fictional account of a staff meeting, which hits too close to home as the conversation drifts: “Where are we going to have the company picnic this year? At Lions Park again? Should we serve hamburgers or subs?” While company culture is important, I’m sure you’ve attended meetings that many people in the room – including you – had no interest in.

The La Crosse Area Family YMCA is in the midst of major expansion, recently breaking ground on three projects and adding more than 70,000 square feet to its facilities. With a focus on strengthening the community and strategic partnerships, they are closing in on their $11.3 million goal.

One of our core beliefs is that you’re only as strong as the team you surround yourself with. That’s true for the Donor By Design team, and we see it over and over again in the staff and volunteer teams we work with.

As I look at our feasibility study data over the last several years, I see a theme emerging. Many of the nonprofits we worked with used to be supported by “Class A,” powerful boards. These boards represented the best leadership their communities had to offer. But over time, the sands have shifted and their boards are no longer as effective as they used to be. Why is that?

A good friend called me the other day and asked if I could send him “a great case for support.” Sound strange? It’s actually a very common question.

I was watching The Voice not long ago, and Lionel Richie was coaching one of the contestants. He said, “If you’re coachable, you’re going a long way.”