Top Recent Nonprofit Articles

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.

Recent Nonprofit Articles

Board Management,Leadership and Management

Three Instant Improvements for Board Agendas and Accountability

ByJan Masaoka April 24, 2011 Board Management,Leadership and Management

Three instant ways to improve meetings simply by what you put on the piece of paper titled “Board Agenda:”

a young woman chewing on pencil looking at laptop screen

Community and Culture,HR and Employment Issues

Nonprofit Job Sites Reviewed and Rated

ByTom Battin April 24, 2011 Community and Culture,HR and Employment Issues

Where are the best nonprofit job sites, both to post and look for nonprofit jobs? A review and rating of 31 sites across several criteria.

Muted Paisly pattern background with "Ask Rita" text in middle

HR and Employment Issues

Can I Be Held Personally Liable for Misclassifying an Employee as Exempt?

ByPamela Fyfe April 15, 2011 HR and Employment Issues

Individuals can be personally liable for unpaid wages and other remedies under the FLSA and possibly also under state law.

Close up of multiple rulers and measuring tapes

Finance,Leadership and Management

Benchmarking and Analyzing Salaries: A Fast How-To

ByJan Masaoka April 4, 2011 Finance,Leadership and Management

Analyze salaries by charting salary ranges, adding benchmark salaries, and two ways to review individual salaries.

illustration of a person looking at job candidates on a laptop

Board Management,Leadership and Management

Blue Ribbon Nominating Committee for Your Board

ByJan Masaoka April 2, 2011 Board Management,Leadership and Management

A detailed method for your nonprofit’s nominating committee to recruit board members.

a casino table with a dealer laying out cards

Finance,Fundraising

Lucky 7: The Casino Industry and Philanthropy

ByRick Cohen April 1, 2011 Finance,Fundraising

Is it worth going all-in on casino philanthropy? Only if you know when to lay the odds and when to take the odds.

Person playing a remove the block tower strategy game

Fundraising,Leadership and Management

Alternatives to Strategic Planning at Nonprofits

ByJan Masaoka March 14, 2011 Fundraising,Leadership and Management

By staking too much on strategic planning, nonprofits often neglect other tools for making decisions, moving organizations, or learning.

closeup of a chess boards with a man holding a chess piece

Leadership and Management

In Defense of Strategic Planning: A Rebuttal

ByMike Allison March 12, 2011 Leadership and Management

Consultant Mike Allison provides a defense of strategic planning for the nonprofit sector in rebuttal to a prior Blue Avocado article.

HR and Employment Issues

Ask Rita: Can We Discriminate in Favor of People with Disabilities?

ByBlue Avocado March 6, 2011 HR and Employment Issues

Ask Rita’s HR experts review Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and ADA rules.

Volunteers

Court-Ordered Community Service: Volunteers or Prison Labor?

BySusan J. Ellis February 21, 2011 Volunteers

Court-ordered volunteers perform a wide variety of roles in nonprofits. Susan Ellis discusses when to accept them, and how to do it right.

Board Management,Leadership and Management

Strategic Planning: Failures and Alternatives

ByJan Masaoka February 19, 2011 Board Management,Leadership and Management

When recessions happen, many nonprofits can’t move forward on strategic plans. Jan Masaoka explores what nonprofits can do instead.

Board Management,Leadership and Management

Firing the Executive Director

ByJan Masaoka February 14, 2011 Board Management,Leadership and Management

Sometimes a board needs to fire an executive director. Sometimes it’s clear, more often it’s a little fuzzier. So when and how do you do it?

two people sitting and talking, shown from chest down

Community and Culture

Get Thy Nonprofit Self Into Therapy!

ByElizabeth Sullivan February 9, 2011 Community and Culture

The same things that motivate nonprofit workers can also create unnecessary personal and psychic suffering. For some, therapy may help.

business people sitting around a table talking

Board Management,Leadership and Management

Where Should the Board Chair, the ED, the Staff Sit?

ByJan Masaoka January 30, 2011 Board Management,Leadership and Management

Where everyone sits reflects organizational philosophy, and is a strong message to all about authority, participation, and the board’s role.

HR and Employment Issues

Ask Rita: The HR of Nonprofit Romance

ByEllen Aldridge, J.D. January 24, 2011 HR and Employment Issues

Many sample handbooks have policies which ban employees from dating with co-workers. Is it legally required to prohibit office relationships?

Illustration: A genie from a lamp grants a wish of treasure for a woman

Finance,Fundraising

How to Hire Your First Development Director

ByLeyna Bernstein January 19, 2011 Finance,Fundraising

The only thing worse than not having fundraising staff is having bad fundraising staff.

An open door in an orange room leading to a blue sky

Community and Culture,Fundraising

Grantseeker’s Guide to Foundation Affinity Groups

ByRick Cohen December 29, 2010 Community and Culture,Fundraising

Foundation affinity groups can appear to be secretive at first. Let Rick Cohen show you how to navigate them to help your nonprofit.

a cup of coffee on a tablecloth. Text reads Board Cafe

Board Management

Finding the Right Nonprofit Board to Join

ByJan Masaoka December 28, 2010 Board Management

Questions to ask yourself before seeking a board, and then how to find the right next opportunity for making a difference.

Old photo of 4 people reading newspapers.

Marketing and Communications

Stick With Old Media: Not Cool But it Works

ByHolly Minch December 27, 2010 Marketing and Communications

In the age of social media, Holly Minch dares to defy the Twitter evangelists and make the case for the power of traditional print and radio.

Online exam isometric color illustration

Finance,Leadership and Management

Nonprofit Bookkeeping Test

ByDennis Walsh, CPA December 26, 2010 Finance,Leadership and Management

This 21-question quiz samples from general bookkeeping knowledge as well as nonprofit bookkeeping and compliance matters. Use this assessment test as part of your hiring toolkit as well as for identifying staff training needs.

Finance,Leadership and Management

Meaningful Budget Work by the Board

ByJan Masaoka December 6, 2010 Finance,Leadership and Management

The board has some important perspectives to bring to the discussion of the budget. Here some questions that take advantage of the board’s diverse community perspectives and the finance staff’s knowledge and skill.