Occasionally I like to share different perspectives on my blog. For this post, I connected with Canadian colleague Larissa Stoddart, Founder and CEO of Growth & Co., for her insights on effective nonprofit leadership. Executive Director and Development Director: A Critical Relationship AE: Larissa, let’s start with a relatively easy topic. … [Read more...]
3 Reasons to Start a Capital Campaign Now and How to Get Started
Nearly every nonprofit should embark on a capital campaign at least once every ten years. If your organization hasn’t had a campaign in the last decade, it’s time to start planning one today. You know the expression: If you’re not growing, you’re dying. It's a cliché, but it's also true. If you haven’t accomplished your mission, it’s … [Read more...]
How to Hire a Fantastic Development Director for Your Nonprofit
Frequently, my clients ask for help in hiring new or first time development staff. Hiring an exceptional development director takes real skill. There are a few things I look for: a specific fundraising skill-set; a willingness to learn and grow; a good work ethic, and; a good personality match for the organization. Hiring a … [Read more...]
How to Fire Utterly Toxic Nonprofit Board Members
Board members can be wonderful assets for your team and your organization, or they can be burdenous anchors, pulling you (and the rest of your team) down. If your nonprofit becomes poisoned by a truly toxic board member -- and you’ve tried using carrots to no avail (see the end of this post) -- it’s probably time to cut ties. Why Board … [Read more...]
Difficult Nonprofit Board? 5 Ways to Evoke Full Cooperation
There’s a popular sentiment shared by many fundraisers: Managing a nonprofit board is a lot like herding cats. In other words, it can feel like a completely frustrating and unmanageable task. If you're frustrated with your board as a whole, with individual board members, or their inability to fundraise, you're not alone. Many … [Read more...]
To Nonprofit Leaders and Donors: Focus on Impact, Not Fees
As fundraisers, we wish donors would focus on the IMPACT of our work -- not the operating costs. And yet, sometimes, as nonprofit leaders, we’re focused on the wrong things too. Focus on Impact, Not Fees: A Personal Example Recently, I was contacted about consulting by a development director named Sam. Sam had already interviewed several … [Read more...]
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Nonprofit Leadership
If you’ve ever heard me speak before, you know how passionate I am about fundraising and nonprofit leadership. My “no-nonsense” attitude comes across loud and clear about board members’ roles and responsibilities with regard to giving, as well as the Executive Director’s important role in fundraising. The following might seem more like a … [Read more...]
7 Capital Campaign Basics to Consider as a Nonprofit Leader
Leading a capital campaign can be overwhelming -- even for the most experienced nonprofit CEO or Development Director. After all, it’s not as if you sit around twiddling your thumbs on a regular basis. How can you possibly find the time for a capital campaign on top of your already-hectic schedule and massive responsibilities? How Do … [Read more...]
Managing Up, Down, and Sideways: 3 Ways to Lead a Fundraising Team
As a development director, you may be in the uncomfortable position of managing up, down, and sideways. It takes a lot of effort to get everyone rowing in the same direction when it comes to fundraising. After all, fundraising is a team sport -- or, at least, it should be. Unfortunately, many people on nonprofit leadership teams try to … [Read more...]
A Letter to Your Boss: 7 Ways to Thank Your Development Director
All years are stressful when working at a nonprofit, but I think we can all agree, 2020 takes the cake. With that in mind, I've composed a letter for nonprofit Executive Directors to remind them how crucial it is to recognize the tireless work of their Development Directors and fundraising staff. As a Development Director, you've had to … [Read more...]
