Articles & Commentaries
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Are You Guilty of By-Law Negligence?
Read more“Do we have to do what the By-Laws say?” asked the board chair while discussing one of his nonprofit’s governance issues. I should have been more surprised, but this was the same chair who – along with the ED – said at an earlier meeting they had never seen their By-Laws and weren’t certain if they could find a copy. While an extreme
Revealing The Good News About Fundraising
Read more“Fundraising? YUCK!” If you feel that way about fundraising you are far from alone. Without doubt it is the most unwelcome aspect of nonprofits, and barely tolerated as a necessity evil best left to others. There are more fears and fantasies about it that anything else. To most folks, fundraising means having to make a donation and asking your friends
What Makes for a Good Trustee?
Read more“Why is that a relevant question?” The answer is another question, “How satisfied are you with the board’s overall performance and with the level of productive engagement of its members? If history is any guide, many if not most boards and management would rely, “Not much.” Ineffective boards and unengaged trustees are symptoms which have plagued nonprofits for as long
When Nonprofits Can Be Like Politicians
Read more“Whatever do you mean by that?” You wouldn’t think that nonprofits and politicians would have, or would want to have anything in common. While both may be devoted to serving their respective constituencies, typically that’s the only thing they have – or want to have – in common. But that’s not always the case anymore. Owing to changes in their
Overhead – It’s More Important Than You Think
Read more“What exactly is ‘overhead’?” Generally, nonprofits have two types of costs: those that are directly related to its programs (what the nonprofit does in fulfilling its mission) and those which provide leadership to and support for those programs. Examples of the former, aka ‘direct costs’, are the staff who provide the programs along with any other costs directly attributable to
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