Mission Meets Metrics: Unlocking Nonprofit Potential with KPIs
If you ever want to start an unsolvable argument, ask a group of people about their favorite pizza chain. Some say Pizza Hut. Others love Papa John’s. Mine is Domino’s – but it did not start out that way. Back in 2008, the most common complaint Domino’s received was...
How to Write Nonprofit Job Descriptions That (Actually) Attract Top Talent
One of the best questions I’ve been asked recently is: “Once we have a great strategic plan, how do we ensure it gets traction?” When we complete the strategic planning process, our clients walk away with a flashy strategic plan and a detailed dashboard, but we also...
Q&A on Nonprofit Mergers, Acquisitions and Exits
Everything changed five years ago – so much so, many futurists, including myself, shifted from long-range planning to week-to-week scenario planning. With government support like PPP loans, many nonprofits were able to stay afloat. Needless to say, the past few years...
Why Great Ideas Aren’t Enough: What It Really Takes to Start a Nonprofit
Remember those “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels where you could make decisions along the way and customize your own ending? They all started with the same warning label: “The adventures you take are a result of your choice. You are responsible because you choose! …...
Where Do We Go From Here? Using the Nonprofit Lifecycle to Plan Ahead
I always love thinking about the possibilities a new year brings for the future, but sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. I was recently asked by a client how to determine where to focus energies in their organization in the coming year. My go-to...
5 Types of Strategic Plans Every Nonprofit Should Know (And When to Use Them)
While there are numerous books and websites on strategic planning, the process of developing a plan often seems prescriptive – but it doesn’t have to be. Strategy for any organization can be tailored to set forth the ways an organization will negotiate its environment...
How Nonprofit Leaders Can Ensure Every Part of Their Organization Advances Social Change
Last week, on October 24, we celebrated United Nations Day, marking the historic moment when countries united after World War II to promote peace, security and cooperation. Since then, the UN has continued to bring nations together around many other key priorities,...
Decision-Making Traps and Triumphs for Nonprofit Leaders
Sometimes when you meet someone, you just click. A few years ago, while teaching for the Executive Nonprofit Leadership certificate program at Duke University, I met Amy Gearhart, a student in my class. She had recently made a career shift. After serving 30 years as a...
8 Things Every Social Impact Leader Needs to Know Before Their Next Hire
Let’s be honest. As employers, hiring is probably one of our least favorite activities. It’s time-consuming, challenging and takes us away from working toward our mission. But, to paraphrase Jim Collins in his modern-day business classic, Good to Great, what separates...
Hot Nonprofit Trends for Summer 2024
As we hit the midpoint of the year, a new trend for for-profit and nonprofit leaders is to review their strategic and operational goals and make New Half-Year’s resolutions, recommitting to old goals and resolving to achieve new ones. Summer is a great time for...
