Maybe I am dating myself. And yes, I admit to overuse of an oft-quoted Bob Dylan song lyric as an entry to a blog/article. But as a near life-long resident of northeast Ohio (minus six years during college and in my early 20s) I have noticed more change in the last five years than I […]
For those who know me, they would probably immediately guess soccer and baseball games, family functions or catching up on client projects. Most weekends, this would be true. But as I have done every year since 2010, I spent my weekend on the shores of Lake Erie helping Northeast Ohio nonprofits in need. I am […]
I recently had a chance to speak to a group of high school students at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Stem School in Akron, Ohio. They were pitching their entrepreneurial ideas as well as learning more about how to think like an entrepreneur. I was asked to lead a session on networking and wanted […]
In full disclosure, I am not a fashionista. In fact, I hate shopping for clothes. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have some knowledge of what is going on in fashion. I have a teenage daughter – need I say more? However, I pay close attention to what is happening in marketing communications and fundraising. […]
In the spirit of yesterday’s “big football game,” I thought it could be fun to think about donor communications in the context of the pregame and four-quarters. Pregame:For nonprofits, the pregame is typically the year-end appeal. A strong year-and campaign often dictates what an organization will be able to do in the next year. If […]
I hear countless stories from small nonprofits who are frustrated with their boards. Surprise, nonprofits! The boards get frustrated with you too. I tend to see the biggest frustration with smaller nonprofits for several reasons: They don’t have internal resources to manage a board effectively. They are often run by individuals who are passionate and […]
As a fundraiser, you are likely confused by what the Fiscal Cliff means for your organization. Imagine what your donors think. I have been asked by several of my nonprofit clients what the legislation means to them and those who support them. Many of the early explanations have been highly technical and geared toward professionals […]
I am a planner. I don’t do well operating in chaos or uncertainty. But in my line of work, my days are never the same and I constantly need to be flexible and creative. Therefore, I had to find the middle ground in order to keep myself on task AND leave time for unexpected things! […]
For the record, I live in Ohio. If you have followed the presidential race, you probably noticed our Midwestern state was a pretty popular place leading up to the election. Daily visits from candidates, a barrage of unsolicited phone calls, mail – LOTS of mail, and more mudslinging television commercials than you can imagine. But […]
I just finished presenting this topic to a group of smart, savvy business women who wanted to know more about giving to charity. With the giving season coming soon, I thought it would be good to share some of these tips with my readers. Think about the what: What to give There are more ways […]