Since I started working in the nonprofit sector, the number of people killed by buses decreased by 90% (my stat). I don’t know anyone who has been hit by a bus in the recent past, and most of my clients don’t use public transportation, anyway. On a serious note, since entering the scene in 1990, … Continue reading Watch out for that bus! Succession Planning for your Nonprofit
Author: ttrevens
The new demand: Social media, marketing & web design
Sometimes we joke around the office that we are turning into a PR firm. Social media, nonprofit marketing materials, and web design have been high on the list of desired services for our clients as of late. And in taking a moment to think about the current trends (growth of social media, google’s new algorithm … Continue reading The new demand: Social media, marketing & web design
Happy New Year, Nonprofits!
By happenstance, I ended up standing next to a doctor while he was performing cataract surgery in rural Ethiopia. I made it ten minutes before I turned white, started sweating profusely and had to sit down for an hour until the blood returned to my face and my legs stopped wobbling enough so that I … Continue reading Happy New Year, Nonprofits!
The Challenges Board Members Face
We in the nonprofit field are beholden to Boards of Directors. Our boards are responsible for voting on major decisions that impact all of us; they are a key piece to the success of an organization. So why is it so hard to find board members who understand this? Good boards … Continue reading The Challenges Board Members Face
What it means when we lose staff- How to increase retention
When I first started working at nonprofits in the early 90’s one of the things that struck me as odd was that many of the organizations I worked for or interacted with had many of their staff positions turnover every year or two. While I worked at organizations with small numbers (6-10 staff members), it … Continue reading What it means when we lose staff- How to increase retention
Why Giving Tuesday may be no good
Giving Tuesday, “a day dedicated to giving back.” A theoretically beautiful thing, #GivingTuesday kicks off the holiday and giving season. In reality (despite good intentions), #GivingTuesday has the potential to be equally as harmful as it is helpful. Having worked for/with nonprofits for the better part of twenty-five years I have seen staff spend a … Continue reading Why Giving Tuesday may be no good
Annual Appeal: Embracing the Individual Donor
Holiday bells are ringing, the smell of grandma’s homemade fruitcake is in the air, eggnog is flowing, and the purse strings are being loosened. You know what that means- it’s annual appeal time. Annual appeals only come once a year, at a time when over a quarter of all giving occurs. So how do you … Continue reading Annual Appeal: Embracing the Individual Donor
Timing is everything: Making the most of your Annual Appeal
Once upon a time, I worked for an organization that exemplified why best practices are a necessity when timing an annual appeal. They were a great organization that helped many needy kids in Boston… Let’s call them the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can’t Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good … Continue reading Timing is everything: Making the most of your Annual Appeal
The Real Deal in Board Giving & Fundraising Best Practices
I recently attended the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) Conference and found myself adrift in a sea of directors and staff of small/medium sized nonprofits. I had chosen a workshop on “Lessons from Philanthropy” run by two individuals from Associated Grantmakers that focused on how to successfully apply for grants and receive funding from Donor Advised … Continue reading The Real Deal in Board Giving & Fundraising Best Practices