Tag Archives: nonprofits

Giving Meaning to Work

Posted on November 11, 2018 by summergathercole

About a month after starting my first “real” job at a public accounting firm following college graduation, I vividly remember waking up and thinking, “I can’t believe that this is going to be my life for the next 40 years, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged HBR, meaningful, nonprofits, purpose, salary, work | Leave a comment

A Great Example of How a Community Can Learn and Work Together

Posted on October 1, 2018 by summergathercole

In 2004, I graduated from Leadership Greater Washington – a 10-month program that included a cross-sector of leaders who came together once a month to learn about the various issues facing our region: education, housing, health, etc. At the time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged community engagement, fellowship, foundations, funders, health affairs, leadership, nonprofits, partnerships, social issues | Leave a comment

Funders Forget Their Influence

Posted on June 3, 2018 by summergathercole

Have you ever had to let a staff member go? Regardless of the circumstances, it is an awful experience. It usually requires lots of documentation, and endless conversations to cover all of your bases and look at the situation from … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged bottleneck, effective, funders, giving, grantees, influence, nonprofits, preparation | Leave a comment

Fancy New Words Over-Complicate Things

Posted on April 23, 2018 by summergathercole

After spending nearly two decades in or connected to the nonprofit sector, there are topics that are still being discussed “ad nauseam:” Board governance, fundraising, evaluation, etc. With all of the focus on innovation in recent years, one would have … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged board governance, design thinking, fundraising, innovation, nonprofits | Leave a comment

A Clearinghouse for Grantmaking

Posted on November 17, 2017 by summergathercole

Imagine if nonprofit organizations could submit one proposal and one budget each year that was submitted to a Clearinghouse. They could tell their story, share the impact of their programs, and reveal their goals that they hope to achieve for … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged clearinghouse, efficiency, foundations, funders, nonprofit, nonprofits | Leave a comment

If You Are a Grantmaker, Read This

Posted on October 17, 2017 by summergathercole

Last week, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) released a letter to philanthropy. We Are In This Together: A Letter to Philanthropy highlights the grantmaking practices that are core and essential to grantees’ work and offers clear steps for grantmakers to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged grantee, grantmakers, nonprofits, what next | Leave a comment

Funding the Full Cost Can Enhance Social Good

Posted on October 16, 2017 by summergathercole

I was intrigued by the recent article, “The Full Cost Project: Funding for Impact.” It made me start to wonder if and how foundations could fully support projects of organizations, rather than ask them to diversify their resources. As a … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged diverse resources, foundations, funding, multi-year investment, nonprofits, projects, proposals, resources, sustainability | Leave a comment

Asking the Hard Questions is Not Always Fun

Posted on March 17, 2017 by summergathercole

Last month, I met with a family that wanted to honor their father through the creation of a foundation. The children’s father had recently passed away. He loved music – all kinds of music – and had been a long-time … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged consulting, family, foundation, foundations, legacy, nonprofits, questions | Leave a comment