As a facilitator, I am privileged to meet amazing leaders and families and learn about their story. The remarkable Plantz family chose to honor the legacy of their son and brother Zac by forming a foundation with a vision to build communities by shepherding the odd man out. The foundation invests in young people by providing them with opportunities to grow academically, socially, and spiritually as they set out to establish inspiring legacies of their own. It was my great honor to meet this special family and facilitate their Board retreat.
I recently appeared on the Grant Writing and Funding podcast with host Holly Rustick. We had a wonderful conversation around How Habits Impact an Executive Director’s Fundraising and Philanthropy. We touched on topics including setting expectations with Board members, providing meaningful support, and creating a culture of accountability. Give us a listen!
A web site is a window into the vision, mission, values, and impact of your nonprofit. It represents an opportunity for people to learn about your organization and explore the many ways in which they might engage with you in order to amplify your impact. However, many nonprofit leaders have experienced difficulty and frustration in securing funding to develop or reimagine their web site. Andrea Shirey of One Nine Design has written an outstanding article that shares 7 Best Practices to Successfully Write a Grant Proposal for a New Nonprofit Website. Click below to check it out!
Please join me at the Idaho Nonprofit Center virtual conference August 30 - September 1. I will be presenting a breakout session entitled Finding Your North Star Through Strategic Planning on Tuesday, August 30th. I would love to see you online!
Join me for a FREE upcoming event sponsored by Keela!
Nonprofits are always the first to step up when the need arises. Yet, for all the good that you do, there comes a time when you need to think beyond each campaign and giving season and work towards positioning your organization for continued, long-term success.
Join me on August 15th for Day 1 as me and my fellow panelists review tips on engaging your donor through the economic crisis, and how nonprofit leaders can mitigate the impact.
Leading a nonprofit is more enjoyable when you have a community of friends, colleagues, and fellow leaders around you to share the joys and challenges. Nonprofit Vision podcast is that community! With 2 new episodes published each month, join us as we discuss the issues that are most critical for nonprofit leaders today. Episodes are available on our web site at the link below or on your favorite podcast platform. Share the podcast with fellow leaders in your network as we continue to grow our community!
Nonprofit leadership is exhilarating, occasionally frustrating, and sometimes frighteningly lonely. The good news is you are not alone. The Nonprofit Vision podcast is your opportunity to hear from other nonprofit leaders, consultants, and others about topics that matter to you. Is there a topic you want to hear more about? Let us know! Join our online community, participate in the conversation, and subscribe to our Nonprofit Vision podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Wisdom. Experience. Meaningful connections. Advisory councils are typically groups of volunteers formed to provide advice or support to benefit a nonprofit’s governing board or staff. When created thoughtfully and nurtured appropriately, an advisory council can be an effective body that advances the mission of a nonprofit. If your nonprofit is considering the formation of an advisory council or you are seeking to re-energize a current advisory council, here are some questions you may want to consider.
How healthy is your governing board?
An advisory council can be a wonderful partner to an executive, but it is not a replacement for a healthy governing board. If your governing board is struggling or disengaged, avoid the temptation to create another team that will need to be nurtured and cultivated. Rather, invest your time and effort in re-energizing your governing board through renewal or replacement of members.
How clear are you on the mission of the advisory council?
While governing boards by their very nature have multiple responsibilities, advisory councils tend to function best when they are created for a specific purpose and given a clear mission. Examples include providing subject matter expertise on a specific topic, leveraging connections to aid in a defined fundraising campaign, or collectively launching or managing a program to benefit the nonprofit. In all cases, advisory councils should have a clear charter with defined expectations, accountabilities, and definitions of success for their activities. Be clear to prospective members why they were chosen and what will be expected of them.
Who will support the advisory council?
Advisory councils require cultivation, nurturing, and support in order to function effectively. Before forming one, nonprofit leaders must ask, “do we have the capacity to support this group, and if so, who will be the point person?” A liaison from the organization is critical in recruiting members to the council, orienting them, and supporting them in their service. Thoughtful agendas, supporting material, and effective facilitation of meetings goes a long way towards nurturing a healthy advisory council.
Can you create a meaningful link between your advisory council and governing board?
Advisory councils tend to function most effectively when they are appropriately connected to the mission of the organization and its governance. Governing board members should benefit from understanding the progress of the advisory council and the council will be more effective if it understands the larger ecosystem in which the organization operates. Consider thoughtful approaches to build relationships and connection between the important work of the advisory council and the governing board.
Advisory councils can make meaningful contributions that help nonprofits translate their vision into reality. By asking yourself and your team these important questions, nonprofit leaders can ensure that their advisory council is thoughtfully conceived, well-supported, and positioned for success.
Do you have questions or wish to discuss your advisory council, board, or nonprofit? Let's connect!
Congratulations to the Board and staff of Walden School on the approval of their strategic plan. It has been an honor and a pleasure working with this amazing team over the past several months to facilitate their planning process. In partnership with families, Walden School provides an educational environment - both academic and social - that fosters a lifelong enthusiasm for learning and challenges individual students to reach their full potential so they may flourish in a diverse and changing world.
Proposed legislation working its way through Congress right now could dramatically alter the philanthropy landscape, and bring about significant changes that reverberate through the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Honored to present a webinar on the Latest in Donor Advised Fund (DAF) and Foundation Reform Proposals for LawPracticeCLE. You can access the webinar either live on April 6, 2022 from 2pm-3pm ET or on demand.
Excited to join a talented panel tomorrow for a free discussion-style event sponsored by Keela entitled “The Secret to Successful Nonprofit Leadership.” Fellow panelists Sabrina Walker Hernandez, Sean Kosofsky, and I will discuss how nonprofit leaders can improve their decision-making skills, navigate current challenges and set themselves up for long-term success. This session is an excellent opportunity to get answers to any questions you have about board fundraising, imposter syndrome, decision-making, compliance, or any specific nonprofit leadership issues. Click below to register for free and hope to see you tomorrow!
A Board retreat presents an opportunity for Board members to lift their gaze, reconnect to the mission of the organization, and focus on critical priorities and opportunities that lie ahead. It was a privilege to facilitate a Board retreat with the leaders of The Westhaven Foundation. The mission of The Westhaven Foundation is to serve the community through financial support and volunteerism and to be a catalyst to help others in the community conduct programs of their own.
From Board retreats to strategic planning and conference keynotes to coaching, we are grateful for the memories and relationships of 2021. NTC was privileged to work with organizations in more than 13 different States last year, and we continue to be awed by the leadership of nonprofits and honored by those who have chosen us as their partner. We are excited by the opportunities and challenges ahead in 2022 and ready to hit the ground running!
Asking for and accepting donations often raises unexpected ethical dilemmas. I invite you to join me this Wednesday, December 8 for a FREE webinar sponsored by DCM Associates to learn what some of those dilemmas might be, how to deal with them, and how to implement best practices to ensure that your organization maintains a stellar reputation for ethical fundraising.
Honored to be a guest on The Nonprofit Show. I invite you to check out the video for a fun and engaging discussion of the 5 habits of healthy Boards as well as tips and strategies for developing Board Champions.
Would your nonprofit ever decline a gift from a donor? Should you? Effective gift acceptance policies and practices provide vital guardrails for nonprofit Boards and staffs as they pursue gifts and other donations to advance their mission. Enjoyed leading this signature workshop yesterday for NonprofitWebAdvisor.
From Pocatello to Boise, Meridian to Coeur d'Alene, more than 400 #nonprofit leaders and Board members are attending this week's Idaho Nonprofit Center annual #conference. Honored to lead a session today entitled "Mission Ambassadors," where attendees developed their personal meaningful message and gained skills to serve as excited and effective ambassadors for their mission.
An engaged Board is essential to an effective fundraising program for nonprofits. Enjoyed leading a retreat this weekend with the Board of the Center for Positive Sexuality, an educational and research association with a mission to address social issues through sex positive research and education.
Excited to share that our podcast — Nonprofit Vision — has been named one of the Top 20 Nonprofit Leadership Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021 by Feedspot! We are #8 on the list!
With over 80 episodes available, Nonprofit Vision presents informative and entertaining conversations spotlighting critical issues in nonprofit leadership with the visionaries who are addressing them. You can find Nonprofit Vision on the NTC web site or on your favorite podcast platform such as Apple Podcasts, Google, Anchor, and more.
If you are already subscribed to the podcast, THANK YOU for helping us grow this special community of leaders! If you are not yet subscribed, check it out and let us know what you think. If you know of a nonprofit leader who might enjoy the podcast, please share it with them.
Calling all nonprofit leaders and Board members! I invite you to join me for 3 days of learning, relationship building, and thoughtful conversations at the upcoming Virtual Summit for Nonprofit Changemakers hosted by TopNonprofits. Just a few of the many highlights:
💥Dates: March 23-25
💥Approved by CFRE for up to 29 CE units
💥Keynote presentation from Vu Le
I will be leading a session on "Roads to Success for Nonprofit Mergers and Sustainable Collaborations." Join me there!