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Succession Planning for Nonprofits of All Sizes
The term “succession planning” brings to mind a large corporation with a long-time CEO first choosing, then grooming, a successor. But this practice is sharply declining even in large corporations and is even less relevant to most communi …
A Board Leads an Organization Out of the Ashes
Perhaps the least-appreciated aspect of nonprofit boards is their role as a safety net. Even boards that don't seem to be doing much, or that may even have contributed to deep problems, rise up and do heroic work to fix things. Here is a First Pers …
Nonprofit Layoffs and Furloughs: Do Them Right
Dear Rita: It looks like we're going to have to lay some people off in the next couple of months. But the management team is also considering furloughs, a week's shutdown, and other choices. The decision about what to do won't be made by us …
Sample Layoff Letter
It’s a good idea to seek advice from a professional due to the varying nature of the layoff situations. If you are considering laying off an employee who is on a protected leave, be sure to consult a labor law professional. This is a sample letter whic …
New Growth from Old Wood: Heroes & Nonprofits (and Sarbanes-Oxley) 1.15.09
Textbooks make it seem as if Rosa Parks just one day decided not to sit at the back of the bus. In fact, of course, many other African American women and men had done just that over the years, only to be thrown off the bus. But when Rosa Parks refused …
A 360-Degree Look at the Organization: Seeing Ourselves as Others See Us
Who should judge if a meal is good? The cook? The nutritionist? The restaurant critic? Aristotle had a good answer long ago: “The guest is a better judge of the feast than the cook.” There are 360 degrees in a circle, and the 360 …
Speed Up the Board Recruitment Process!
Imagine getting excited about volunteering for something, and then waiting six or seven months before you actually get to do it. Can we accelerate the process by “pre-qualifying” candidates? One of the most frustrating parts of board recruitment …
Six Things Every Board Member Should Know About the NEW 990
Just the thought of an IRS form can bring out the clouds on a sunny day. But now that this annually required nonprofit form is on the web for everyone to see (at GuideStar.org), it goes beyond compliance to being an important way to t …
The Secret to a High Impact Annual Report
We nonprofits often put a great deal of time and effort into our annual reports, especially compared with how briefly most recipients will look at them. “The annual report is a comic book,” a nonprofit executive once told me. “Th …
Succeeding With – or Maybe in Spite of – Evidence-Based Practices
We understand the reasoning that allows funding only for proven, evidence-based practices. But too often this requirement has become a club battering community nonprofits. Evaluator Clare Nolan explains how to “tweak” evidence-based practices to …
