Top Questions on Strategic Planning
With the new year in full swing, we are getting lots of calls on strategic planning and retreats. We often say that the point of a strategic plan isn’t to create a piece of paper; it is about creating clarity and momentum for your organization. So, we believe this...
Keys to Major Life Changes from Harvard & Ted Lasso
I don’t know about you, but I’m having a hard time getting back into the swing of things in 2022. Between the ups and downs of our weather and the alarming rate of COVID infections, it has been a challenge to stay focused. But I’m committed to ensuring that 2022 isn’t...
Holiday Hustle: Top 5 TrendSpotter Favorites of 2021
In August, I got the opportunity to visit Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, where Americans as part of the Allied Invasion landed on June 6, 1944, to liberate Europe. It was a sobering day. Three things struck me: 1) the courage of the men and women on the...
Refresh Your Nonprofit Skills with Six Free Webinars from Social Impact Architects
Leaves changing and falling. Exchanging t-shirts and flipflops for sweaters and boots. As we transition into fall, I hope you have time to think about your own evolution this year. There is probably a lot on your mind. Ours too. So, as Halloween approaches and we...
7 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...
Vision vs. Mission: How to Hit the Bullseye of a Perfect Combination
Since everyone is heading back to school, we thought we’d start this blog out with a POP QUIZ! The sentences below are a mix of vision statements and mission statements. Can you tell which is which? Smithville is a vibrant, thriving and self-sustaining community....
How to Manage Change in Your Nonprofit
Summer is filled with highly anticipated superhero movie releases. While superhero epics seem like the Greek mythology of our time, with towering men and women possessing deity-like capabilities to save the world, there is something human in their approach that we as...
Expert Advice on How to Reopen Your Nonprofit
How has nonprofit life changed since the COVID-19 pandemic started? What should change forever? What should be reconsidered? Now that we are close to herd immunity, many nonprofits are tackling big and small questions across all aspects of their organizations about...
Is Your Nonprofit on Life Support? A Financial Check-up for the Social Sector
After our recent national survey and webinar, which we discussed in a recent post, I wanted to dig deeper into the financial results. First, the bad news from the survey – due to COVID-19, 17% of nonprofits reorganized, 13% reduced overhead and 10% postponed...
What You Should Do Instead of Working on a New Nonprofit Strategic Plan This Year
Last Sunday, we sprung forward with Daylight Saving Time. It was a perfect analogy for how many of us are feeling – we have been in a holding pattern for the past year and we are ready to spring forward into 2021. Right now, the No. 1 question I have been hearing is:...
