An exploration of the intersection of compliance and ethics programmes and behavioural science may not immediately strike you as a top candidate for your summer reading list - especially a fundraising reading list - but it would be a mistake to miss out on this review of a research paper by Meredith Niles. She considers … Continue reading Long Read: Head to Head – A Conversation on Behavioral Science and Ethics
How to Make Better Decisions with Less Data
Are you drowning in analysis paralysis? Having data to back up your decision making is good, but sometimes there is just too much! Sometimes people struggle to convert data into effective solutions to problems. The problem isn’t lack of data; the vast amount of data means managers struggle to prioritise what’s important. In the end, … Continue reading How to Make Better Decisions with Less Data
The BIG 5 in fundraising performance metrics
Reinier Spruit discusses how we're in the relationship building business and how we need to measure and register every response. Ironically, we must quantify the relations with our donors, so we can improve the quality of the contact we have with them. There are a ton of metrics we can track, and should track, like … Continue reading The BIG 5 in fundraising performance metrics
Charity governance, finance and resilience: 15 questions trustees should ask
To deliver against their duties, charity trustees need to be able to identify the critical issues - the charity’s purposes and plans, its solvency, its resilience and quality of governance - and to be able to review these at regular intervals. In this post, the Charity Commission has designed 15 questions to help charity trustees … Continue reading Charity governance, finance and resilience: 15 questions trustees should ask
Funders can unlock good charity governance
Boards play a crucial role in helping a charity achieve its mission and deliver the greatest impact possible. Sonali Patel discusses that when charities follow best practice in governance, they are more effective, forward looking and efficiently run. Funders of charities require good governance for a charity to be effective. While there are exceptions, it … Continue reading Funders can unlock good charity governance
What working on the easy-read Trustee Guide taught me about making trusteeship more accessible
Dan Francis from the NCVO shares key findings from the Good Trustee Guide. Amongst the recommendations, Dan discusses how to make boards more diverse, accessible and make inductions less complex. https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2016/12/09/what-working-on-the-easy-read-trustee-guide-taught-me-about-making-trusteeship-more-accessible/
Nonprofit Board Members Have The Potential To Become Great Ambassadors!
Nonprofit board members have the potential to be exceptional ambassadors for the charity. However, finding the time to coach board members in the art of putting the organization’s public face on view can be tricky. In some cases, the CEO simply doesn’t encourage contact between the board and staff. At other times, they fail to … Continue reading Nonprofit Board Members Have The Potential To Become Great Ambassadors!
How To Get Better At Saying “No”
Do you always find yourself saying "yes" to requests and then wondering what to do? While it is always worth being helpful, not delivering on promises made isn't being helpful either. In this blog, Mikaela Kiner provides helpful thoughts on how to say "no". Food for thought. https://www.fastcompany.com/40561649/how-to-get-better-at-saying-no
The change imperative
When deciding on what to focus your time on, it's also important to understand what makes you or your cause distinctive. The change imperative helps you to manage your competitive position. In this insight written while developing the book "The challenge of being distinctive", Susannah Baker explains her thinking. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/change-imperative-susannah-baker
Why You Should Try to Be a Little More Scarce
This is a valuable article on how being too busy or scarce makes you more valuable to your colleagues and clients. People want more of what they can't have, thanks to the psychology of "reactance". Cindy Lamothe explains in this article from the New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/18/smarter-living/benefits-of-being-scarce.html
Propper Fundraising 