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...
Social Alchemy: Transforming Problems into Social Change
My favorite graduation gift is the bestselling book, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. I share it with anyone I can, because it speaks to all of us who want to find our own destiny. As one of the mentors tells the protagonist, Santiago, “When you really want something...
Top Questions on Social Enterprise
Last week, I was thrilled to teach students seeking Duke’s Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership, offered each October, for the ninth time. (They may have been the best class so far!)It doesn’t feel like fall until I get to share my hard-won wisdom from being...
How to Review Executive Director/CEO Performance
Governance expert John Carver was famous for saying “organizational performance is synonymous with chief executive performance.” In other words, if an organization is performing well, the CEO must be good. And, if an organization is performing poorly, it is the CEO’s...
How Nonprofit Leaders Can Ensure Every Part of Their Organization Advances Social Change
We have achieved a landmark shift in our culture – corporations are joining nonprofits in the effort to create positive social change. What started with conscious capitalism and Benefit Corporations has now rippled into full-blown philanthropic efforts by Fortune 500...
Can Your Nonprofit Manage a Crisis? Follow These 5 Tips to Hold onto Your Halo in a Crisis
As professionals in the social sector committed to doing good, we’d like to think we’re immune to public relations crises. But, just like corporations, socially minded businesses and nonprofit organizations are susceptible to events, be they natural...
5 Easy Steps to Boost Your Organization’s Performance Through Core Values
We are always on the lookout for trends, especially positive trends from the for-profit space to incorporate into nonprofit settings. Recently, we have heard a lot about great corporate cultures like those of Zappos and technology companies. When we...
Holiday Hustle: Top 5 TrendSpotter Favorites of 2018
The end of the year is always a special time for rejuvenation and reflection. This past year my favorite word has been “reimagine.” The word itself lulls me into both a state of reflection as well as thoughtful action. It allows you to hold up a mirror to yourself as...
Not-So-Scary Social Media Steps
Social media is taking over! This can be scary, but it shouldn’t be. Done well, social media can be one of the most effective ways to reach and expand your audience. But, how do we do social media well? We have asked ourselves this question and attended...
