When consulting nonprofit administrators, I have found that many individuals involved in nonprofit operations, especially those in small grassroots organizations, carry the belief that their organization is not a business. I suppose the term “business” lends a for-profit connotation, and makes many nonprofit leaders feel that it violates their charitable mission. It has been my …
Monthly Archive: August 2008
Aug
25
Choosing a Board for Your Nonprofit
You have a mission that you are passionate about fulfilling, and you have decided to start a nonprofit organization to do just that. One of the first measures to undertake toward achieving that goal is the selection of the initial Board of Directors for the organization. While this may be only the first of many …
Aug
20
Nonprofit Does Not Mean Tax Exempt
A common misconception in my field of work is the notion that an organization is exempt from paying taxes simply due to the fact that it has been organized as a nonprofit. Unfortunately, this particular misunderstanding could leave an organization facing tax debt with both the IRS and their state franchise tax board. Nonprofit status …
Aug
15
To Reward or Not to Reward…the Debate Continues
Once again last evening while perusing the web I stumbled upon arguments for and against percentage based fundraising. With as many times as professional groups such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the American Grant Writers Association have denounced the practice I would think it would be a dead issue, however the debate continues. …
Aug
13
Where’s All the Free Money???
How often do you worry about funding your organization? Do you lose sleep at night wondering how you’ll find the revenue necessary to fund all the activities your organization was created to produce? What steps have you taken to get to where you need to be? I’ve worked with dozens of grassroots nonprofits who have …
Aug
08
Good Intentions Aren’t Enough
Most of us know that planning is a way of looking forward and deciding what we will do in the future. We plan our personal lives in detail from our youth- what we will be when we grow up, what to study in college, who and when to marry, how many children we desire, and …
Aug
06
Nonprofit Websites: Avenue to Potential Donors
Today’s nonprofits are realizing that the presence of increased competition in the sector is necessitating exceptional promotion of their organizations. Nonprofit administrators are continually developing new marketing and fundraising strategies to help them become better communicators of their missions, to foster growth, and to increase the impact of their causes; thus making the world a …
