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Gearing Up and (Teaming Up) for a Leadership Transition
Some of the hardest moments we face as nonprofit professionals happen during leadership transitions. That’s why it’s so great that Susan Poglinco and Priscilla Rosenwald took the time to very honestly chronicle for Blue Avocado the challenges — both ex …
Is Your Nonprofit Ready for a Capital Project?
I have an almost-two-year old who just discovered Mega Blocks and how to stack them as tall as possible before they fall. That usually leads to some two-way negotiation about where the next block should go, to avoid a cascade of blocks and tears. (Some …
Ask Rita in HR: How Do I Stay ADA Compliant When an Employee Has a Disability?
Dear Rita in HR: One of our employees recently disclosed a medical condition that limits his ability to perform some of his duties. His manager wanted to fire him because he can no longer perform his job, but I don’t think we can do that. I handle acco …
After 25 Years of Grant Making, I Worry We Have Lost Sight of Nonprofit Struggles
A lot of people write about grantmaking, but this essay in the Chronicle of Philanthropy in September is the best we’ve have seen at summarizing the problems with foundations and the way they fund nonprofits. It’s worth your time to read. Elspet …
Mediocrity Starts with ME (humor)
After being in this sector for over a decade, I can say that nonprofit professionals are some of the most awesome people on earth. We are smart, talented, dedicated, passionate, caring, humble, witty, cool, and hilarious. Also, we are really good-looki …
A Board Member’s Guide to Nonprofit Overhead
Calculating overhead rates and managing overhead expense are important staff roles. Board members are not required to know how do staff accounting work, but we do need to bring an informed perspective to our oversight: Harvard’s indirect cost ra …
Crawling Out of the Psychological Depths
Most of us have had moments of despair. Marilyn Neece very generously shares her story with us: It’s hard to say this out loud. I lost my edge. I went from sharp-minded and insightful consultant to a tired and nearly burnt out executive director …
Nonprofit Auctions: A Complete Compliance Guide and Sample Forms
Auctions are known for two characteristics: they raise money (sometimes a lot), and they are a ton of work. Blue Avocado contributor and CPA Dennis Walsh gives us a complete, handy compliance guide, and even better: five sample forms to make sure your …
A Funder’s Message to Other Funders About Overhead
This article is adapted from a presentation made to Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). Our deepest thanks to Unmi Song for speaking these truths: Good afternoon; I am Unmi Song, President of the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation. The overhead …
Why is Fundraising More About Leadership Than About Skills? editor notes #93
Fundraisers never lack for advice. One board member tells you that foundations should be giving you money, while another thinks we should talk to Bill Gates. The staff thinks you should raising money from corporations. And the friend you run into at th …
