Which Strategic Plan is Right for You?
While there are numerous books and websites on strategic planning, the process of developing a plan can seem prescriptive. But, it shouldn’t be that way. Strategy for any organization can be tailored to set forth the ways in which an organization will negotiate its...
Fail Early, Fail Cheaply: 4 Steps to Vetting New Opportunities for Your Organization
Because the social sector is in the business of changing the world, we often have an inclination to see every need or idea as a call to jump into action. The result of taking on too many opportunities comes in the form of mission creep, donor confusion or staff...
Combating Leadership Fatigue in the Social Sector
I think I speak for all of us when I say that this year has presented some unexpected challenges. As the dedicated social sector leaders we are, we keep facing those challenges head-on, but some of us are beginning to experience something deeper than exhaustion.I come...
After COVID-19: Top 10 Aspirational Goals for Daring Greatly in the Social Sector
As a futurist for the social sector, I get asked a lot about what to expect from a post-COVID-19 world. While there are many things I don’t know, there are some that I do. For example, I know the social sector has risen to the challenge and opportunity of 2020 and...
Minding the Gap with Dashboards
We love sharing good deeds like a great one we saw from July 2019 when good Samaritans came to the aid of a little boy in Australia who fell in the gap when boarding a train. The boy ultimately was fine thanks to the dozen or so commuters on the platform rushing to...
Hoping for the Best While Preparing for the Worst: Nonprofit Risk Management Q&A with former Secret Service Agent James Savage
As businesses reopen around the country, the question on every social sector CEO’s mind right now is – when should we open? What is the right thing to do for our employees, customers and clients? I sat down with my good friend and colleague, James “Jim” Savage, to...
Q&A on COVID-19
I got the news late last week that my social entrepreneurship class was postponed due to COVID-19, so I decided to share my lesson in today’s special blog, which includes many questions I have been receiving from clients.Whether you are a young entrepreneur just...
If You Can Write a Grant, You CAN Write a Nonprofit Business Plan
Earlier this week, one of my favorite management gurus, former CEO of GE Jack Welch, passed away. On my bookshelf is my well-worn copy of “Winning.” I bought this book before business school, and it gave me many gems that I used there and during my time at the...
A Check-Up for Your Nonprofit: Avoiding Organizational Decline or Failure
We have all done it. We wait until we absolutely have to go to the doctor when we are feeling poorly. But, delaying medical care until you are in severe pain can lead to an urgent trip to the emergency room, large medical bills and, at best, a lengthy recovery. The...
Where is Your Organization in the Nonprofit Lifecycle? Why All Nonprofits Need This Crucial Piece of the Puzzle
As another year comes to a close and we explore possibilities for the next, I find that many executives and board members are reflecting on the “state of their organization.” I was recently asked by a client about the best way to determine where to focus energies in...
