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What Happened to My Annual Appeal? The Effect of the 2018 Tax Overall on Nonprofit Donations and the Rise of DAFs
With the holidays behind us and budget planning around the corner, it’s a good time to reexamine the effectiveness of the organization’s revenue sources, including the end of year appeal. Traditionally, the holidays at end-of-year is the time many dono …
Are We Heading Towards Another Nonprofit Insurance Crisis?
Our story begins in middle of the nation, across the Mississippi River from the famous deserted city of Cahokia, an indigenous civilization. This is a tale of two cities, and of the venerable endeavor of rebuilding cities in the face of hardship. Our p …
#RiskyBusiness: Why Earned Income Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be
“When will your organization be sustainable?” This question is asked of nonprofits at an increasingly alarming rate in recent years. Where did this come from and who decided it is such a critical metric of success? More importantly, how can you determi …
Your IRS Form 990 Questions Answered
Do you ever have a question about your IRS Form 990 and can’t seem to find the answer? Today we’ll give you some valuable information concerning your filings, written in plain English with links to forms, websites, and information that will hopefully k …
Want Equity? Then It’s Time to Break the Rules!
Back in June, we wrote about the need for nonprofits to better understand what it really costs them to deliver services, and on a related note, how funders can adapt their grantmaking practices to better support work around equity, inclusion, and oppor …
Social Enterprise & Earned Income: A Key To Revenue or a Distraction?
Have you been in a board meeting discussing funding and the challenges of growing revenue and heard someone say, “I know, we should open a for profit venture!” In an era of continuous government funding cuts and foundations seeking “innovation,” many o …
The New Fundraising Frontier: Impact Investing
Capital campaigns can be a slog! Most organizations face similar challenges: donor fatigue, the time it takes to raise funds, rising development costs, and concerns about falling short of your fundraising goals. But what if there were another way to ra …
In-Kind Fundraising: A Great Way to Expand Your Budget
You’re desperate. You’re planning a fundraising event but don’t have the funds to book a venue or a caterer. So what do you do? First, breathe! Then, start thinking about options for support in a new way. The truth is, often your problem is actually an …
Show Me The Money! A Step Toward Solving the Problem of Operating Support
Having spent nearly twenty years in the nonprofit sector, I can tell you without a doubt that the field is totally undercapitalized. We all know this! People are underpaid, many facilities were “updated” in the 1970s, and in order to review the financi …
Achieving Equity: We Need a New Approach to Funding
Lately there has been a lot of focus on the issue of equity. “Equity” is obviously a broad term that encompasses a range of issues including income and wealth inequality, as well as economic opportunity. But at its core, equity is ultimately about crea …
