You should never assume that people understand exactly what your organization does – its mission, purpose, constituency, people, programs, performance, plans, etc. In our consulting work, we see time and again that the public’s perception of an organization can lag years behind the reality, even among well-informed community leaders. To most effectively present your organization […]

Branding seeks to identify and express the competency that distinguishes your organization. The brand evokes the essence of what your organization is, what it does, and what it stands for. The intent is to create or reinforce, in the minds of your constituents, a powerful bond with the organization and/or program. For a nonprofit organization, […]

To some of our colleagues, development professionals must seem like a very demanding bunch. We always want or need something: new software, more staff, more volunteers, or a more visible office space closer to the CEO.  And we’re always pushing our way onto the board agenda to present and discuss some urgent matter related to […]

Strengthening Your Governing Board Larger nonprofit organizations have now navigated the second year of preparing the expanded IRS Form 990. Next year will be the last of a three year phase-in of the new form, and will subject even more nonprofit organizations to the heightened reporting requirements. Organizations with just $200,000 of gross annual receipts […]

Strategic Advancement Through the process of strategic advancement, the development function can be empowered – helping to shape, guide, and drive the destiny of the organization, as it was meant to do and has the potential to do. At a recent Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) luncheon, the speaker from a respected Community Foundation offered […]

Federal Health Care Legislation (HR 3590 Sec. 9007) The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has far reaching implications for our nation’s broad network of nonprofit health care providers. Effectively section 501 of the internal revenue code has been re-written with regard to nonprofit hospitals: “A hospital organization shall no longer be treated as tax-exempt, unless […]

Strengths + Objectivity = Success The response to our SMART-Focus Fundraising Analysis service – a new service that carries a money back guarantee – has been both exciting and insightful into the state of the non-profit sector. We have recently worked with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations through this unique, effective and efficient consulting […]