2024 Blue Avocado Year in Review

Article Highlights:

• State of the Avocado
• Under the Skin
• The Most-Read New Articles of 2024
• Five Lessons for Creating an Effective (and Accountable) Nonprofit Board
• Nonprofit Grant Proposal Budget Calculations: A Road Map
• A Cautionary Tale: Overcoming Governance Nightmares in Nonprofit Organizations
• Blue Avocado Editors’ Choice
• Using Philanthropy to Address Racial Harm and Inequity
• Updates by topic!
• Board Management
• Community & Culture
• Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG)
• Finance
• Fundraising & Grants
• HR, Employment & Volunteers
• Leadership & Management
• Nonprofit 101
• In Conclusion

State of the Avocado

Esteemed community: The state of our Avocado is firm ripe! Why not ripe? There’s always room for improvement, and the scale is not perfect.

Blue Avocado exists to help nonprofits succeed, and our community of nonprofit experts, leaders, and trailblazers continues to share their wisdom, strengthening us all.

Under the Skin

2024 was a year of growth and evolution for Blue Avocado. This year, we saw the launch of the much-needed website redesign that you’re now looking at, an expanded mission statement, a “be excellent to each other” comments policy, and new types of submission categories for Blue Avocado authors, and these two popular new features:

The Larger Blue Avocado Community Gives Awesome Advice and Tips!

If there’s one thing we’re most proud of, it’s the way we’re giving Not everyone has the time to write a Blue Avocado article. But more often, our readers have insight they can share in a couple minutes. And that’s where Ask the Blue Avocado Community was born.

This year, hundreds of nonprofit experts have shared their advice, practical tips, and real-world solutions — all to help the larger community navigate the complexities of running a nonprofit. Make sure you check out all the real-world advice that nonprofit leaders have contributed this year.

Because A Blue Avocado Wasn’t Shiny Enough

There’s always an infinite number of people coming to Blue Avocado at any time. That’s why we’ve put some of Blue Avocado’s most popular articles from the past 15 years in the front of a new generation with Gold Avocado. At the same time, we’re recognizing that the authors of these articles have helped thousands of nonprofits by giving their work certified “gold” status, and giving them the chance to update or provide a new introduction to their classic articles.

We’ve also reduced the amount of unnecessary italics on this site by 99.9%! The editors also decided that guacamole with blue cheese in it sounds disgusting, but we’d try it. Why not?

The Most-Read New Articles of 2024

Here are the three most popular articles of the year:

Five Lessons for Creating an Effective (and Accountable) Nonprofit Board

Board dysfunction often starts with lack of accountability and clear expectations of what it means to be accountable for a nonprofit’s success. Author Richie Geisel shares five lessons for creating an effective, accountable nonprofit board.

Nonprofit Grant Proposal Budget Calculations: A Road Map

What’s the best way to make your nonprofit’s budget stand out on a grant application? Author Mary Diegert shares nonprofit grant proposal budgeting tips, and a road map for overcoming the challenges of calculating the revenue and expense numbers that will populate your one-page budget.

A Cautionary Tale: Overcoming Governance Nightmares in Nonprofit Organizations

No one enjoys it when a nonprofit’s board doesn’t work well together. One nonprofit leader shared six lessons learned from a bad board experience — organizational policies to help your nonprofit set expectations, prevent dysfunction, and avoid a laundry list of problems.

Blue Avocado Editors’ Choice

Using Philanthropy to Address Racial Harm and Inequity

Much of the renewed energy and attention given to racial justice within the nonprofit sector in recent years has been rightly fueled by the confluence of events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial justice protests that erupted throughout the country in 2020.

The history of systemic racism has created very real barriers to accessing critical wealth-building opportunities for people of color — but those same legacies of harm and inequity can also reflect disparities found within the nonprofit sector as well.

Author Ed Braxton profiled one nonprofit that is working toward undoing those legacies of harm and inequity inflicted upon communities of color — and shared tools for incorporating racial justice into your nonprofit’s strategies and decision-making.

This article is a good reminder for nonprofits of how far we’ve come toward addressing racial issues and economic disparity — and how far we still have to go.

This article is a favorite of the Blue Avocado team because it is hopeful. It presents a serious and systemic problem — but it doesn’t dwell on hand-wringing and finger-pointing. Instead, it highlights how one nonprofit chose to do something about it and shows how others can follow their example.

This is a terrific example of nonprofits doing what they do best.

Updates by topic!

Use the jump links below for a summary of Blue Avocado’s updates in 2024 by category:

• Board Management
• Community & Culture
• Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG)
• Finance
• Fundraising & Grants
• HR, Employment & Volunteers
• Leadership & Management
• Nonprofit 101

Board Management

• Effective executive directors build strong relationships and partnerships with their board. In fact, even something as simple as an “insider newsletter” can help keep your board in the loop, focused on your mission — and in your corner when you need them most.
• Your board members may have relationships with people and organizations that can create new and exciting opportunities for everyone. Here’s how one nonprofit partnership happened because a board member was able to bring two organizations together in support of a cause that she cared greatly about.
• What makes for a good, supportive, and reliable member of your nonprofit’s board of directors? Nonprofit leaders share the key qualities and skills they look for in potential board members.
• When serving on your nonprofit’s board is an unhappy and unfulfilling experience, people won’t want to stick around. Everyone wants to know that they are valued and part of the team — including your board members. Learn how you can reduce board resignations at your nonprofit.
• Sometimes, the only solution to a dysfunctional nonprofit board is a fresh start with an entirely new board. Here’s how one leader was able to move their organization forward after fully rebuilding their nonprofit’s board.

Community & Culture

• Working together lifts everyone up! Learn how nonprofit collaboration strategies can help you partner with like-minded people and organizations — and create a deepened impact, more sustainable relationships, and a stronger funding pool for your nonprofit.
• Getting what your small nonprofit needs to succeed — funding, staff, and more — can hinge on your ability to grab attention for your organization and show potential partners in the community how working with you can be a win-win for everyone.
• Nonprofit rebrands can be tricky! Discover nonprofit rebranding strategies that can help your organization get the word out, engage your people — and keep your brand recognition.
• Advisory committees let your nonprofit work with others who want to see you succeed. Learn how an inclusive and engaged nonprofit advisory committee has the potential to consistently increase the quality, reach, and overall impact of your organization’s work.

Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG)

• With the Supreme Court ruling to end affirmative action, author Johnisha Levi explored the relationship between nonprofits and affirmative action — and how organizations can remain committed to supporting the health, economic security, and well-being of historically marginalized communities.
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are not just words; they are the foundations of who we are, and they are steps we must continue to take. Learn how culturally responsive leadership can help bring out the best in your nonprofit’s team.
• When it comes to food insecurity, there are many myths and misconceptions that can get in the way of lasting solutions — all while real people in the communities our nonprofits serve continue to suffer. Explore the realities and challenges of food insecurity.
• Income inequality has forced nonprofits to rely more and more on the wealthy to fund their efforts to fight climate change. But, as the planet’s future looks more dire, inequality could leave nonprofits without options should the wealthy decide to abandon the nonprofit sector.
• Simple acts can have a big impact on the community! Learn how one nonprofit discovered the tools to fight systemic issues were at their disposal all along — they just needed to learn how to use them.

Finance

• Once your nonprofit or private foundation is tax-exempt, you never have to deal with the IRS again, right? Wrong! Every year, you must file a 990-PF form to the IRS in order to maintain your tax-exempt status. The 990-PF form can be difficult to navigate — unless you have a guide.
• Small nonprofits are often very informal, with a few people wearing a lot of hats. When it comes to finance, though, having clearly defined roles and duties over budgeting, accounting, and expenses are essential internal controls for small nonprofits, and key to their stability and success.
• Even when a nonprofit has no payroll and depends entirely on volunteers, there are still checks to write, accounts to balance, deposits to be made, and boards in need of financial reports — enter the treasurer. Learn some of the key responsibilities that go with this important role.
• A nonprofit’s budget reflects much more than just the financial health of an organization — it also shows your deepest priorities. By careful examination of your nonprofit’s budget priorities — where you allocate your time and resources — you can gain insights into your organization’s true motivations and goals.
• Creating an accounting procedures manual from scratch can be a time-consuming, stressful hassle. With a convenient accounting procedures manual template, though, now you can make one in as little as 30 minutes!

Fundraising & Grants

• Is it a pleasure to support your nonprofit — or a hassle? Consider your giving process from a donor’s perspective: You want to make it as easy as possible for potential donors to move from consideration to actually making the donation.
• Grants are an important source of funds for nonprofits, but some may have strings attached that can create more headaches than positives for your organization. A strategic approach can help you be sure you’re choosing the right grants and applying for the ones that best meet your needs.
• Finding money and resources for your nonprofit is an art — and successful fundraising takes good communication, strong relationships, and understanding who (and how) to ask. Nonprofit leaders share their most successful nonprofit fundraising strategies.
• For many in the nonprofit world, fundraising isn’t exactly something they look forward to. Now, with Blue Avocado’s Ultimate Guide to Nonprofit Fundraising, you can peruse 15+ years of articles full of tips, practices, and more — all in one convenient location!
• Most nonprofits want to include grants in their revenue streams but can often be overwhelmed by the time commitment and technical know-how a successful grant application requires. Discover three ways your CFO can help your nonprofit through the grant application process.
• Grant writing takes skill, practical knowledge, and excellent communication — all in the name of raising funds for your nonprofit. Nonprofit leaders share what has worked for them and their secrets to successful grant writing.
• Donations don’t have to be a one-sided thing! One of the most effective donor engagement strategies is to consider and articulate how supporting your mission benefits your financial supporters as well as your nonprofit!
• Your nonprofit got a grant — now what? Getting a grant isn’t just a handshake and a check — they can come with lots of conditions. Learn four ways your CFO can help with your nonprofit’s grant management.

HR, Employment & Volunteers

• Your people invest themselves in your nonprofit’s success, and the best way to continue driving your mission forward is to invest in your people. Explore seven steps to prioritizing fair compensation for nonprofit employees.
• When is the right time to discipline or terminate an employee? Termination is always a sensitive topic — especially for nonprofits — so this “Ask Rita” article shares some factors to keep in mind when you need to discipline or terminate a nonprofit employee.
• These days, there is a lot of focus on sustainability in the nonprofit sector — and promoting the safety and well-being of our employees is a necessary part of that. Explore six actions you can take to improve your nonprofit employees’ safety in their workspaces.
• A values-based performance appraisal system means you measure what you value! Developing and sustaining a motivated, productive, and highly engaged workforce means your employees must be measured on how they demonstrate the organization’s values.
• You want a good volunteer to stick around! Providing your nonprofit’s volunteers with the same recruitment, training, mentoring, and appreciation as your employees can reduce turnover and create a better overall volunteer experience.

Leadership & Management

• Leading a nonprofit can be an isolating and exhausting experience, so avoiding burnout is key to an organization’s long-term success. How can nonprofit leaders prevent burnout when they’re expected to perform minor miracles on a regular basis?
• Stepping away is part of the nonprofit circle of life — and one of the hardest. Sometimes, the continued growth and success of a nonprofit means the founder must recognize when the time is right to step aside and trust others to guide the organization and its mission.
• Curiosity is something we’re naturally good at as children, and something we often need to relearn as adults. Curiosity and creativity in nonprofit leadership can enable you to hear and understand others — allowing you to grow as a leader.
• Supporting our communities means supporting our people, too! More workers than ever before now double as caregivers, in addition to their full-time jobs. Learn how nonprofits can find new, caring ways to support their caregiver employees in the workplace.
• Hindsight is always 20/20! As nonprofits grow and evolve, leaders sometimes look back on things they discovered by trial and error, lessons learned the hard way, and helpful nonprofit strategies and tools they wish they had implemented sooner.
• Strategic planning for your nonprofit doesn’t have to be a painful process. Learn how, by accounting for the culture of your organization and including your people in your nonprofit strategy planning, you can build trust and better align around common goals.

Nonprofit 101

• Collaborations are essential to building a nonprofit that lasts! Discover how one nonprofit was able to build a sustainable, collaborative mission in its first five years — and learn how you can do the same with your own organization.
• Starting a nonprofit is hard — especially if it’s your first time! Nonprofit leaders share their wisdom and give their examples of the biggest mistakes new nonprofits make.
• Every nonprofit has a different mission for a different community — that means success is going to mean something different for every nonprofit, as well. Nonprofit leaders share the various ways that their organizations measure success.
• You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel! Nonprofits may be surprised to find that their communities have already implemented the kind of innovative, collaborative programming that their leadership — and funders — are looking for.

In Conclusion

Thank you for reading Blue Avocado, for continuing to learn and evolve, and for sharing your knowledge with others in the community of community.

 

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