Recent Posts
Navigating the nonprofit world can be challenging. Blue Avocado offers expert guidance on a range of topics — from building strong boards to maximizing your fundraising impact. Explore our latest posts for practical tips, strategies, and solutions to common issues facing nonprofit organizations today.
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Nonprofit Retirement: Calculating retirement Needs & Exploring Choices
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Ask Rita: Zero Cell Phone Use While Driving Policy
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A Family and Medical Leave Act Checklist
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Ask Rita: Can an Employee Come and Go Using Family or Medical Leave?
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Is It Time for an Audit?
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Gas Rates, Volunteers, and Justice
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Should the Board Hold Executive Sessions?
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More Than the Olympics: Sports, Nonprofits & Community
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Boards of All-Volunteer Organizations
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Three-Step Immigration (IRCA) Compliance for Employers
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Obama: the Nonprofit Sector’s Favorite Son?
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Overtime Pay for Nonprofit Preschool Teacher?
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The Best Way to Raise Money? Choose a Revenue Strategy
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What Should Nonprofit Boards Know About Insurance Brokers?
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In Search of Unicorns: Finding & Hiring Outside Grantwriters Part 2
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Unicorns Found: Meet Two Grantwriters
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Word on the Street from the Council on Foundations Conference
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The Unrecognized Value of Community Nonprofits, Hiring Grantwriters, Extended Warranties, MTV
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In Search of Unicorns: Finding & Hiring Grantwriters, Part 1
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Nonprofit Budgets Have to Balance: False!
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Don’t Drive, Chew Gum and Use the Phone at the Same Time
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Meaningful Acts of Appreciation for Nonprofit Boards and Staff
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Nonprofits and the Media
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Pay Off My Student Loan or Pay Into a 401K?
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Why is it called Blue Avocado?
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Abolish Board Committees?
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Reasons to Have (& Not to Have) an Attorney on a Nonprofit Board
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Can We Require An Employee To Take Her Meds?
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Promises, Promises: Rural Advocates vs. Big Philanthropy
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Five Ways to Let Government Money Run You Over
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Good Management vs. Good Leadership
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What Do I Say to a Donor or Funder?
Boards and board members don’t get credit for some important work they do without even realizing they are doing it.
Cow board members donate hours at meetings and asking others to give milk debate whether or not they should give milk themselves. Moo.
Bylaws Cheat Sheet: If a copy of the by-laws is handy, it’s tedious to have to look over all the legalese for an answer to a simple question.
Major gifts aren’t the right strategy for every organization, but we can still appreciate how this fundraiser talks about her job.
How many outcomes and logic models can fit on the head of a pin? Humor columnist Vu Le enlightens us.
Nonprofit managers should know how to support a committee of volunteers: An Advisory Committee, a Board Finance Committee, or a coalition.
When an employee’s mental health behavior is negatively impacting your workplace, what can you do?
Nonprofit board members tell their tales of woe or whoa: Funny, sad, silly or gut wrenching stories.
A survey of 906 nonprofit finance professionals reveals some surprises about these crucial-but-often-overlooked staff.
The sustainability question at nonprofits: How will you sustain this program or project when funding from the So-and-So Foundation runs out?
Is it a good idea to have insurance for volunteers? I thought volunteers had immunity in both federal and state laws.
Workplace policies that describe prohibited conduct types help manage the distinction between a spurious complaints and bullying situations.
Advice to nonprofits on managing their ratings, and commentary on the impact of the raters as a whole.
Executive directors often say that their boards need training. The most effective way to change a board is to change the people on it.
In most states, it is legal to have board meetings by telephone if everyone can hear one another at the same time.
There is no law that mandates employers conduct performance reviews. But most employment attorneys always say, “document, document, document.”
Having 100% of board members make personal donations is a cliché. But, if you have this requirement, make it as easy as possible.
A list of 13 guidelines and practices that you can heed, if you want avoid recruiting terrible nonprofit board members.
A look at six charity raters, who they rate, and the criteria they use to rate them.
Beyond helping nonprofit leaders understand the business model, the Matrix Map can help you strengthen it.
Nonprofit executive directors often want boards to have lively discussions followed by votes that agree with the executive director.
You may have heard of the Dual Bottom Line: the idea that strategic choices must serve both mission impact and financial viability. But how do you turn this idea into a quantitative decision-making tool?
The Affordable Healthcare Act creates sweeping changes in health care law. There are two key provisions which may help your nonprofit.
Nonprofits spend way too much time navigating the complex maze of funding restrictions, time that could be spent delivering services.