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Creating a Roadmap to Synchronize the Board to Your Nonprofit Mission
When I joined a nonprofit five years ago, I observed during our annual budgeting that we rarely launched new ventures or events. We were marching along the “status quo” path and the conditions for our clients, staff, and donors weren’t improving. Somet …
How to Do Legislative Advocacy—and WIN
Innovation begins in the public sector and becomes codified in the policy space. Three years ago, I found myself at California’s Capitol building, testifying on behalf of the Hunger-Free Campus Bill, a piece of legislation I had drafted on my laptop ju …
The Pitfalls of Running a Mentoring Program
So, you want to support the next generation of nonprofit, business, or community leaders, and you’re considering launching or expanding a mentoring program? Well, it’s not as easy as you might think… at least to do right. But the good news is there are …
Embracing Unlikely Allies: Sleeping with the Enemy
I’ve been actively engaging my so-called opponents in the meat, dairy, and egg industries for 20 years. As president of the animal protection organization Mercy For Animals, I work to end factory farming and construct a compassionate plant-based food s …
Against the Current: Rachel Sumekh
I am one of many. We are primarily white, often men. We have led the nonprofit sector for decades, and it’s time for us to step aside. When my last gig ended, I dedicated myself to supporting a younger generation of leaders and helping them challenge t …
Time to Fold: Keys to Gracefully Winding Down a Nonprofit
It looked like the Cancer Prevention Institute of California had a royal flush of a winning hand—a 40-plus-year track record of groundbreaking research, a stellar global reputation, 85 dedicated employees, a balanced $13 million budget, and one of the …
#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 …
How to Cure Founder’s Syndrome
Founders—the people who create nonprofits—are remarkable. They miss sleep to build websites, skip lunch to meet with potential donors or partners, and do whatever it takes to turn their dreams of a better world into reality, creating an organization in …
Successfully Navigating an Executive Director Transition
Children’s Fairyland is the nation’s first storybook theme park; definitely not your typical nonprofit. So maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised when the park’s executive director said to me, her replacement, as she handed over the keys to the kingdom, …
How to Hire Great Nonprofit Leaders
We’re all familiar with great leaders. From popular culture to UN council meetings, to articles about CEO’s, images are emblazoned in our minds. They are great champions on the big screen, in the boardroom, and in the oval o …
