Category Archives: Nonprofit
Building a strategic planning process that works
February 26, 2020Strategic planning documents are valuable, but it’s the actual planning process that really makes a difference in the quality of the end product. How can you be sure that the time you spend building a strategic plan will provide you … Continue reading
At time of tragedy in Jersey City, the arts demonstrate community love
December 20, 2019Note: Nimbus Dance’s Sam Potts shared the below letter with its community following the anti-Semitic Dec. 10 attack on the JC Kosher Supermarket in Jersey City, which left three victims and two suspects dead. The Dodge Foundation received the letter … Continue reading
Technical Assistance: Choosing to change board culture
May 8, 2019Diversity has been the talk of, and about, boards for a long time, albeit with more talk than action. Boards of nonprofits remain, according to BoardSource’s 2017 Leading with Intent: Overwhelmingly white Pretty evenly split between male and female, but … Continue reading
Is your board giving policy helping your diversity initiatives — or holding them back?
February 12, 2019Adopting a board giving policy has become fairly commonplace in our country’s nonprofit sector. Board giving policies provide clarity about the board’s anticipated role as individual donors, as well as the organization’s expectations in terms of fundraising participation. This practice … Continue reading
Kicking off the new year of board leadership learning
November 6, 2018For those of us involved with the Dodge Foundation Board Leadership Series, each New Year actually begins in the fall. We leave the champagne and hugging for January, but we do a pretty good job in October of looking ahead with a sense of hope and new possibilities. Our New … Continue reading
Sustainable Jersey: This is what a movement looks like
July 23, 2018NJ Sustainability Summit combines vision with action The 2018 New Jersey Sustainability Summit confirmed my belief that we have a movement. We the people–we the green teams and environmental commissions, committed local citizens, business administrators and local leaders–we believe that … Continue reading
Confronting plastic pollution, creating equitable communities and mapping sustainability issues
May 16, 20182018 New Jersey Sustainability Summit is June 18 Although the sustainability movement in New Jersey is experiencing significant momentum, important work is still on the horizon. There is perhaps no more powerful way to jump start fresh interest and energy … Continue reading
3 lessons we learned from Voting Block NJ
May 15, 2018Collaborative journalism is having a moment right now, but it’s more than just a buzzword. As budgets and staff sizes continue to shrink in local newsrooms, collaboration has become one crucial way to expand coverage and reach. Last year, in … Continue reading
Board Leadership: The doctor will see you now
November 27, 2017Robert Frost once wrote, “An idea is a feat of association, and the height of it is a good metaphor.” As a former English teacher and current consultant to non-profit organizations, I couldn’t agree more. I thought about metaphors as … Continue reading
The Pro Bono Partnership Pundit: A Title Conundrum
October 17, 2017I often wonder if it is productive to try to fashion a catchy title for a post, particularly when you could be the only person who thinks it is catchy. This one’s a stretch. The driver for this title is … Continue reading
Pro Bono Partnership Pundit: Raising Unrestricted Revenue
August 29, 2017Are you tired of endless grant applications, expenditure tracking, report writing? Do you know that you have great services and could probably market more great services or products through a natural expansion of your programs? Are you thinking it would just … Continue reading
Detroiter feels kinship with Newark on 50th anniversary of rebellion
August 3, 2017This year marks a somber anniversary for many urban communities around the United States. It’s the 50th anniversary of 1967 rebellions that occurred in cities across the nation, including Newark, Oakland, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. As a native Detroiter, I’ve heard … Continue reading
Feeling Burned out? 7 Steps to Get Back Your NGO Mojo
July 25, 2017You’re probably so busy that you don’t have time to read this post. But, please stop multi-tasking and resist the pull to check your phone. I have an important question: Lately, when you walk into your non-profit job in the … Continue reading
Pro Bono Partnership Pundit: Sorting through the dreaded 501c3 reporting obligations
July 18, 2017Paperwork. Reporting requirements. I know. This isn’t a very captivating topic. But many tasks that nonprofits need to attend to aren’t captivating. But this is an important topic, one that if ignored could put your nonprofit at significant risk of … Continue reading
Sustainable Jersey: Commit your town to climate progress, instructions included
June 28, 2017Helping NJ cities and towns meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement At the recent New Jersey Sustainability Summit over 300 local and statewide leaders convened to pledge their commitment to a sustainable future and learn the practical … Continue reading