ARTICLES LIBRARY

Our Other Libraries

BRAIN TEASER LIBRARY
Thought-provoking subjects to stretch your board’s thinking

TIPS LIBRARY
Useful tips to put into action immediately

7 Things Schools and Hospitals Can Do to Make Their Communities Amazing Places to Live

3 Statements That Can Change the World: Mission / Vision / Values

How can 3 simple statements empower your organization to create an amazing future for the community?

Creating and Measuring Real Outcomes
    JARGON FREE TITLE: Reaching for Your Organization’s Highest Potential

Creating outcomes is not about the jargon of measurement and grants. It is all about the enormous difference your organization can make in your community, now and into the future!

BOARDS

GOVERNANCE

BOARD MECHANICS

Governing for What Matters

Part 1: The Analysis

When a board is governing for what matters most - inspired passion for the cause - all the rest of their accountability falls right into place.

Part 2: The Structure

How a board defines what matters most, and how the board puts "what matters most" into action.

Part 3: The Plan

How a board plans to create a significant difference for the community it serves, while ensuring the organization has what it needs to get the job done.

Part 4: A Celebration of What is Possible

The inspiring results that are possible when a board is Governing for What Matters Most.

3 Statements That Can Change the World: Mission / Vision / Values

How can 3 simple statements empower your organization to create an amazing future for the community?

Creating and Measuring Real Outcomes
    JARGON FREE TITLE: Reaching for Your Organization’s Highest Potential

Creating outcomes is not about the jargon of measurement and grants. It is all about the enormous difference your organization can make in your community, now and into the future!

Board Diversity: A Bigger Issue Than You Think

Is your board's quest for diversity aiming at the wrong part of the problem?

Board Diversity: A Bigger Issue Than You Think

Is your board's quest for diversity aiming at the wrong part of the problem?

Board Education: Ensuring Board Members Have the Knowledge They Need

How can you encourage your board's ongoing education, especially if they don't think they need it?

Boards and Finance: The Dirty Little Secret of NonProfit Boards

If not all your board members understand the financials, how can they be accountable?

Executive Transition: Executive Transition as a Celebration of What is Possible

Why does Executive Transition so often end up badly? And what can you do to turn your Executive Transition into a celebration of what is possible?

Founder’s Syndrome: Who Me?

Words of wisdom (and warning), from one founder to another.

Boards and Fundraising: Why Board Members Don’t Want to Do It and What You Can Do About That

If your board members don’t want to fundraise, you are not alone. Learn how your organization can win the “boards and fundraising” battle once and for all. (Hint: It’s not what you think...)

Micromanagement: Why Boards Micro-Manage and How to Get Them to Stop

At its best, micromanagement can only make your organization real good at standing still. By working proactively to eliminate micromanagement, the board can spend its time on enhancing the results your organization provides to the community.

Recruitment: Recruiting for Board Members - Process? What Process?

If your organization is like most, you spend more time, money and energy recruiting for clerical and janitorial positions than for the position of board member.

Recruiting Your Organization’s First Board (or, if you’ve already started, how to move on to your 2nd or “real” board)

How to do it right from the start (and how to fix it if you’ve already started).

Succession Planning: The Elephant in the Room

If your board does not have a succession plan for your Executive Director, how can you ensure things will run smoothly if he or she suddenly leaves?

Team Building: Why Team Building Doesn't Work and How You CAN Build Your Team

Does your board bicker and nit-pick? If you’ve thought about team building, THINK AGAIN.

Troubleshooting: 10 “STOP” Signs on the Road to Board Recruitment

Are you considering board recruitment for all the wrong reasons? See how many of these warning signs apply to your board!

Building and Sustaining Strong, Engaged Programs

Part 1: A Better Way

Sustaining Community Benefit work doesn’t have to be such hard work. If we build programs strong from the start, and build an army of engaged support to keep those programs strong, there is no end to what we can accomplish.

Part 2: Practical Steps

The practical steps for simultaneously building organizational strength and community strength.

Part 3: The Analysis

Building and sustaining programs the Community-Driven way vs. traditional fundraising.

The Sound a “Thank You” Makes

Make your donor’s day AND put a smile on your own face.

Asset-Based Resource Development: How to Build and Sustain Strong, Resilient Programs

Sustainability is about more than a new tool or strategy.  It's all about building upon what you already have.  And you have more than you think you do!

Boards and Fundraising: Why Board Members Don’t Want to Do It and What You Can Do About That

If your board members don’t want to fundraise, you are not alone. Learn how your organization can win the “boards and fundraising” battle once and for all. (Hint: It’s not what you think...)

Learning Communities / Communities of Practice / Learning Circles

How can you build capacity in these tough times? By linking arms and building collective capacity!

Introduction to Community Engagement

Business tools like "Marketing" are less effective than tools intended specifically for the work your organization does.

Fear of Public Speaking

Public speaking is one of the most effective tools for marketing your organization. But some studies have shown that fear of public speaking ranks up there alongside the fear of death! Heres one way to conquer that fear.

The 3 Most Effective Tools for Community Engagement:

These 3 tools will engage individuals in your mission - guaranteed!

The Media is Going to Do a Story on Us! (What Do We Do Now?)

Relax. An interview with a reporter is just a conversation about your organization. The following tips should help that conversation go smoothly and make your news story terrific.

Boards and Fundraising: Why Board Members Don’t Want to Do It and What You Can Do About That

If your board members don’t want to fundraise, you are not alone. Learn how your organization can win the “boards and fundraising” battle once and for all. (Hint: It’s not what you think...)

Executive Transition: Executive Transition as a Celebration of What is Possible

Why does Executive Transition so often end up badly? And what can you do to turn your Executive Transition into a celebration of what is possible?

Succession Planning: The Elephant in the Room

If your board does not have a succession plan for your Executive Director, how can you ensure things will run smoothly if he or she suddenly leaves?.

Founder’s Syndrome? Who Me?

Words of wisdom (and warning), from one founder to another.

Why Team Building Doesn't Work and How You CAN Build Your Team

Do your staff teams spend more time figuring out how to avoid talking to each other than actually doing their job? If you’ve thought about team building, THINK AGAIN.

Searching for a Key Employee - The 7 No-No's of Hiring

The search for a key employee is the single most critical decision your organization can make. And if you are like most NonProfit organizations, your board and/or Executive Director will probably decide to take on this task themselves.

Board Diversity: It's a Bigger Issue Than You Think

How you create your programs has everything to do with how diverse your board is. We're not kidding.

Recruiting Your Organization’s First Board (or, if you’ve already started, how to move on to your 2nd or “real” board)

How to do it right from the start (and how to fix it if you’ve already started).

Starting a New Program: Is it Really Feasible and How Will We Fund It and Where Do We Go From Here?

Starting a new program is exciting. Although many programs develop based on gut hunches, many of those programs struggle to find funding year after year. By doing your homework first, your program is much less likely to have problems down the line.

Protect Your Phone System from Fraud!

We've all heard of computer hackers. But phone hackers? Learn to protect yourself against a type of fraud nobody is talking about.

The Last Week of Our Lives

An ancient meditation practice has been my saving grace this week. It is simple, but powerful. It puts life into perspective, and urges us to do what is most important.

Learnings from the Road -  Danville, VA  &  Chicago, IL

We are fortunate to learn as much as we teach. On one trip this spring, we learned about governance, about consent agendas, about collaboration and shared learning, and about the human spirit that drives nonprofit work.

Why I Do What I Do - by Sheelin Prinzinger

A special feature. Sheelin’s story focuses so eloquently and succinctly on the reason we all work in this sector, that we feel blessed to be able to share it with you.

Fear of Public Speaking

Public speaking is one of the most effective tools for marketing your organization. But some studies have shown that fear of public speaking ranks up there alongside the fear of death! Heres one way to conquer that fear.

Wisdom from Unexpected Places

Life hands us all the wisdom we need to be better at our work and better at our lives. All we need to do is look for those endless possibilities to learn.

The Sound a “Thank You” Makes

Make your donor’s day AND put a smile on your own face.

Founder’s Syndrome? Who Me?

Words of wisdom (and warning), from one founder to another.

Biting the Hand that Feeds (Or At Least Talking Behind Their Backs)

"Without a healthy business environment, there is no money for charity. Period. Even those of us who proudly wear the moniker of "liberal" have to concede that point."

NonProfit in New Orleans