Common sense fundraising and management for small non-profits.
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Want to set a development director’s teeth on edge? Insist that your $100 donation be used for “direct expenses” only.
Totally aside from the fact that not even Microsoft has software set up to specifically track any given hundred dollars that comes in, most donors have no idea what they mean by “direct expenses” or “program expenses” only. Mostly what they want is for not a single dime to go to fundraising.
At a recent event, a senior staff member was trying to introduce me to someone. “This is Xan, she’s our…. I’m not sure what it is Xan does, hahaha”
Have you ever been in one of those painful training or round table sessions where no one ever says anything?
You feel like you have to keep talking, just to fill the silence. After all, the moderator is dying up there, and you have lots of valuable insights to share! Read the rest of this entry »
One of the most daunting barriers when starting out writing grants is what all the different types of funders are. There are many, many sources of grants, but not all grant-making entities are created equally. Here’s a quick outline.
Well, Fundbusters, of course. But seriously, how do you get to the people with the money? Read the rest of this entry »
Everyone I know does step 1, kind of, and then step 5 and step 7. But there’s a lot more to successful grant writing. Do all the steps, and don’t skip any!
Or, What do you mean I can’t bill you for lunch? Read the rest of this entry »
There isn’t a nonprofit entrepreneur in America that doesn’t hate the idea of a board of directors, of required board resolutions, of relinquishing some control through the annoyance of having to ask the board. Paperwork seems fussy, and if you wanted to be a paper-pusher you’d work in a bank.
Get over it. First, your board is your best friend, and second, the law requires compliance. I’m not crazy about the model myself, but it’s what we’ve got, and you can make it work. Read the rest of this entry »
