Decisions, decisions! Our lives are full of them, from the small and mundane, such as what to wear or eat, to the life-changing, such as whether to get married and to whom, what job to take and how to bring up our children. We jealously guard our right to choose. It is central to our … Continue reading Top 10 ways to make better decisions
How Nonprofits Can Build a Return-to-Workplace Plan
Even if your nonprofit doesn’t intend to reopen its physical offices and facilities right away, it’s important to start developing a plan to help mitigate risk and keep your people informed when you do. This is a situation nobody was prepared for, so it will require thoughtful consideration and careful strategizing to create a plan … Continue reading How Nonprofits Can Build a Return-to-Workplace Plan
The Janitor Who Helped Put a Man on the Moon
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy visited NASA for the first time. During his tour of the facility, he met a janitor who was carrying a broom down the hallway. The President then casually asked the janitor what he did for NASA, and the janitor replied, “I’m helping put a man on the moon.” Take … Continue reading The Janitor Who Helped Put a Man on the Moon
Interview with Professor Michael Arthur, President and Provost, UCL and Lori Houlihan, Former Vice-Provost (Advancement)
The pioneering work of Michael Arthur, President & Provost of UCL and Lori Houlihan, former Vice-Provost (Advancement) have given HE Advancement a seat at the top table. Their campaigns raise unprecedented funds, while challenging and changing the culture of institutions along the way. Here, Sir Eric Thomas, Karen Cairney and Colin McCallum had the enormous … Continue reading Interview with Professor Michael Arthur, President and Provost, UCL and Lori Houlihan, Former Vice-Provost (Advancement)
Companies House: a treasure trove of info on UK companies
In the UK, for all the challenges we face, including (and because of) a culture where it’s still seen by many as crass or taboo to discuss money even in the context of giving it away to a worthy cause, the prospect research community has one resource that our counterparts elsewhere can only dream of: … Continue reading Companies House: a treasure trove of info on UK companies
Rethinking the Future of Donor Visits
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a “new normal” throughout the nonprofit sector, as it has for many other sectors. Frontline fundraisers in particular spend many hours traveling and meeting face-to-face with donors. The recent transition to remote learning and working has prompted many fundraising offices to pivot and learn how to conduct business by way … Continue reading Rethinking the Future of Donor Visits
5 Building Blocks of Great Advancement Talent Management
James Murphy shares: "One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is why our profession has such a high rate of turnover of professional fundraisers. I often hear that the average tenure in a job for a major gift officer is 18 months. A partial answer might be that as demand for good fundraisers has … Continue reading 5 Building Blocks of Great Advancement Talent Management
The default nonprofit board model is archaic and toxic; let’s try some new models
Board members are volunteers who contribute time, money, talents, connections, and even the occasional shoulder to cry on during challenging moments. We owe a lot to the brilliant board members out there who are helping us make the world better every day. However, we need to admit that boards in general are seriously problematic. For … Continue reading The default nonprofit board model is archaic and toxic; let’s try some new models
Meet the people – a lesson in asking the public the right question…
Understanding public opinion is always worthwhile but can be fraught with danger. David Kernohan examines the unexpected policy impact of a recent poll and discusses why a huge part of the art and science of survey design is choosing the right questions to ask. https://wonkhe.com/meet-the-people-a-lesson-in-asking-the-public-the-right-question/
How philanthropy benefits the super-rich
"Philanthropy, it is popularly supposed, transfers money from the rich to the poor. This is not the case." In the US, which statistics show to be the most philanthropic of nations, barely a fifth of the money donated by big givers goes to the poor. A lot goes to the arts, sports teams and other … Continue reading How philanthropy benefits the super-rich
Propper Fundraising 