Tag Archives: nonprofits

Giving Meaning to Work

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 , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

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 , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Funders Forget Their Influence

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fancy New Words Over-Complicate Things

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 , , , , | Leave a comment

A Clearinghouse for Grantmaking

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 , , , , , | Leave a comment

If You Are a Grantmaker, Read This

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 , , , | Leave a comment

Funding the Full Cost Can Enhance Social Good

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 , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Let’s be Realistic About Companies Doing Social Good

To give my brain a break, I’ve been reading a lot of adventure stories recently – such as “Blood River,” which tells of a journey trekking through the Congo, and “The Blue Sweater,” which is about how Jacqueline Novogratz (of … Continue reading

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Lately, one of my clients has been referring “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. I read the book when it first came out, as well as the Social Sector monograph he published to accompany the book. Since it’s short, I … Continue reading

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Asking the Hard Questions is Not Always Fun

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 , , , , , , | Leave a comment