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Can’t Raise Cash Through No VAULT of Your Own?
Do you lead a nonprofit that needs money? Do you look with envy on some other executive directors who haul dollars into their vaults in sacks or bitcoins? Maybe you’re like me—an outsider director. Outsider directors don’t know rich people who are tryi …
Functional Expenses Decreased During Covid-19? How to Prepare for Conversations with Funders
The topic of functional expenses has garnered attention at nonprofit board meetings over the past year. Many nonprofits feel pressure from foundation and government funding sources to maintain a certain level of program expenses as a percentage …
How to Give Feedback to Your Funders—Especially When It’s Hard
Nonprofits can empower themselves to speak out. In 2014, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) launched an innovative initiative called Philamplify, which evolved into Power Moves. It promoted open, honest feedback to challenge the …
Best Tactics for Finding Government Grants Suitable for Your Nonprofit
Organizations and nonprofits spend a majority of their grant development operations focusing on private rather than government funders. This is for good reason, as government grants, especially federal grants, are extremely competitive and rather compl …
Are Your Nonprofit Organization’s Stories Dishonoring the Families You Serve?
We have a problem in this country with the idea of a class system. Please indulge me the time to paint a picture of the backdrop against which many of us work but don’t often acknowledge. I will then use that backdrop to illustrate the challenge of dis …
Investing in Relationships with Donors: 5 Phases of Securing a Major Gift
Whether your organization considers $500 or $5,000 a major gift, you must take the time to invest in building a relationship with the prospective donor. If you have not started to build those relationships, the time is now. Major gifts are not just for …
Seeking Sustainability: How Can Nonprofits Survive the Pandemic?
Here in Los Angeles, leaders across the region are working to identify ways to safely reopen the economy. Some sectors are eager to get back to business, while others are worried about whether or not it is safe to return. But for the most part, the non …
#RiskyBusiness: Is Your Fundraising in Compliance with State Laws?
Blue Avocado introduces #RiskyBusiness, a column discussing the operating risks of running nonprofits, such as financials, contractors, volunteers, fundraising campaigns, expansions, M&A, contracts, board decision-making, capital projects, successi …
What Happened to My Annual Appeal? The Effect of the 2018 Tax Overall on Nonprofit Donations and the Rise of DAFs
With the holidays behind us and budget planning around the corner, it’s a good time to reexamine the effectiveness of the organization’s revenue sources, including the end of year appeal. Traditionally, the holidays at end-of-year is the time many dono …
#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 …
