At the risk of beginning this post with a completely unoriginal and obvious point, the country is currently experiencing a level of cultural, political, and economic turmoil not seen in many decades. In fact, I would argue that today’s combination of a worldwide pandemic, political unrest, and...

For those of us who help nonprofit boards raise funds for their organization, we know how hard it can be to get board members to fundraise during normal times. And these are certainly not normal times; I have taken to using the phrase the new abnormal as a more accurate description.

However, for...

Whether you’re a new board member or a seasoned officer, part of your board’s collective duty is to ensure your nonprofit’s legal compliance. If you are reading this, you’re probably far enough in your nonprofit journey to understand your board’s obligation to ensure your organization completes...

To shine a spotlight on emerging issues and help boards facing the challenge of responding to them, BoardSource is developing a series of resources titled“It’s Time to Talk About…”   They include reflection questions and background articles for your board’s consideration.

The question of whether to...

Helping create and sustain healthy donor relationships is one of the most important things your board team can do to support your organization. If you have strong donor relationships, you can better plan your fundraising goals and efforts and count on your donors’ continued contribution to your...

As your organization works to plan your next fundraising campaign, one of the first and most important steps you’ll take is to set your goals. Your organization will want to set realistic goals that are based on — but not limited by — your past efforts.

In my previous posts on this blog, I have laid out the critical success factors for board members wishing to lead nonprofits that go big and truly deliver substantial social impact. It takes a high-performing team; a culture of courage, risk tolerance, and grit; and a world-class business plan...

Earlier today, Anne Wallestad shared her thoughts on four assumptions made in a recent fundraising report entitled “Pennies for Charity” in an opinion piece published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. We summarize her viewpoint here but encourage you to read “Deeply Flawed ‘Pennies for Charity’...

As New York’s leading personalized nonprofit board matching service, BoardAssist spends a lot of time working with nonprofit boards to help them craft their nonprofit’s give/get policy — or how much board members should be asked to annually generate for the boards on which they serve. One creative...

This post is one in a series written by nonprofit leaders who are presenting sessions at the 2017 BoardSource Leadership Forum taking place next week, October 18-20, in Seattle. We hope you will be joining us there.

What is the role of a community-based nonprofit in the fabric of a community? And...