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Those of you who love high-brow films most certainly didn’t miss the 2006 Adam Sandler classic, “Click.” In it, a workaholic husband and father finds a universal TV remote that allows him to fast forward and rewind parts of his life. Complications ensue.

While I admit I enjoyed the movie, it was the premise that captured my interest. What if we could reset our lives with the click of a button (complications not included)?

As a nonprofit leader, it is likely that building and maintaining donor trust is one of your highest priorities. Have you ever thought about embracing radical transparency as a practice to foster long-lasting relationships and build trust? An upcoming meeting or retreat could provide a perfect forum for your team’s reflection on this topic.

Paint the Full Picture

What is radical transparency? It goes far beyond reporting on finances and operations. It's about sharing your vision, challenges, successes, processes and even shortcomings. It means being upfront about where you and your organization are excelling and where you are working to improve.

After a year of constraints, there are new opportunities awaiting non-profits. Before you decide to start - or delay - your next fundraising campaign, listen in as Bruce Berglund and Laura De Vries from DBD Group answer such questions as:

• What's next for the US economy?
• How will these economic indicators impact philanthropy?
• When is the right time to re-engage with a strategic initiative? 
• How should you participate in stimulus efforts in your community?
• How will you thank those who showed up for you in the past year? 

By Bruce Berglund and Jan Brogdon

Too often, major gift efforts are confined to the framework of a campaign. We ask for these gifts when we have a goal, but we really don’t work to cultivate those major gift donors between and before campaigns. In a time where capital campaigns were slowed or even stopped, some organizations used 2020 to grow a deeper connection with major gift donors. How can the learnings from their experiences, and yours, shape the way you move forward from here?

Any of you that have worked with us know that we believe Case, Leadership, Prospects and a Plan are the key elements of successful fundraising. Consider how you can use this structure as you analyze your own situation.

In this month's episode of the DBD Podcast, Bruce Berglund and Jon Simons discuss three leadership axioms that guide our work:

• Vision Leaks
• Program vs Purpose
• Numbers and Names

If you or someone on your team need some encouragement in their leadership or resource development efforts, this 21-minute podcast offers wisdom for nonprofit, education and faith-based leaders of all kinds. 

By Peggy Vinson and Bruce Berglund

Sometimes in the course of working with non-profits, we’ll hear a question like this from a key volunteer:

“Why do we need to raise more money? We do pretty well now.”

When we hear this question, it’s immediately clear that the organization, not just the volunteer, does not have a vision or clear path forward. They have a “foggy” case for support.  

Since its founding in 1878 and the subsequent opening of the landmark building in 1933, the Jerusalem International YMCA (JIY) has been unrelenting in its mission to bring peace to the land and glory to God.

In our work with non-profits, faith-based and youth-serving organizations and other charities, we often have conversations about urgency, be it in a case for support or a project timeline. For a lot of nonprofit volunteers, the difference between “urgency” and “emergency” is a bit unclear. When it comes to fundraising, this is a very important distinction.

There are some words that can bring fear in the most seasoned nonprofit leader. “Don’t forget your interview is this morning!” may be some of those words, bringing back memories of our first “show and tell” in kindergarten.