How Do We Keep Helping the Kids?

Categories: Board Member Roles · Fundraising · Leadership · Nonprofit FundingLeave a comment

I spoke to the board chair of an organization that works in community mental health. Reflecting on the last year and a half, he described how the board focused on making sure their organization could continue providing vital services. He expressed their commitment to the core work which meant the board stepping up to raise sufficient funds. Kids’ Problems Don’t Go Away As told by a Board Chair somewhere in the U.S. My organization serves kids and families coping with mental illness, substance abuse, and violence. We work in schools as well as directly. When COVID hit, the board’s first… Read more

A Year of Pandemic, Protest, and Propaganda — What Now?

Categories: Advocacy · Board Diversity · Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Executive Session · Fundraising · Good Board Practices · Leadership · Nonprofit FundingLeave a comment

We made it to 2021 — happy to get beyond 2020 – the year of pandemic, protests, and propaganda. There is a light at the end of the tunnel as COVID vaccines are approved and distributed. We will have a new president who believes in science and real facts. Our journeys toward racial equity are accelerating. What now? Seize the opportunity. Now is the time to make changes – some long overdue, some bold. Center Equity The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many others plus the subsequent protests have – hopefully – catalyzed our country to… Read more

Nonprofits Must Advocate

Categories: Advocacy · Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Good Board Practices · Nonprofit FundingTags: · · Leave a comment

Advocacy Is Essential to Fulfill Your Mission and Serve Your Communities Today’s post is the third in a series about board members and nonprofits advocating for their missions and the people they serve. Board members must understand how public policy impacts their organizations, the importance of educating policy makers, and the need to include resources for advocacy in an organization’s budget. In this post, I interview Judy Reckelhoff, Chief of Staff for BoardSource. She describes why BoardSource has elevated advocacy and points to resources they provide to help nonprofits and board members. In my last post, I shared an Advocacy… Read more

Stand for Your Mission

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Black Lives Matter. The recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery have opened the door for real change. None of us can individually break down the structural and institutional barriers in our country. But we all can and must use the power and influence we do have to create change. As a board member, you can remove barriers in your organization and in your sector. One way to do this is to use your voice to influence public policy and funding. Recent events amplify the need for all of us to speak up now and… Read more

COVID Advice: Act Quickly and Plan for a Marathon

Categories: Board Member Roles · Good Board Practices · Leadership · Nonprofit FundingTags: · Leave a comment

I have been thinking about the last crisis in 2008, how it impacted nonprofit organizations, and what lessons could be learned. I reached out to several people who I thought would provide good perspective, people who have served on many boards and as funders. In this post, they offer their insights from the last crisis as well as thoughts about this one. I interviewed in alphabetical order: (See bios below.) Robbie Bach, former President of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft and currently a speaker, author, consultant, and nonprofit board member. Michael Brown, Chief Architect of Civic Commons at… Read more