19
2022
2022: Ten Trends for Significant Nonprofit Survival
We are just starting to realize the full implications and enormity of forces unleashed by our previous national presidential administration, the failure of the current one to enact the larger elements of its plans for infrastructure and society, and, above all by the pandemic on all of us in every way, with huge impact on the nonprofit sector. In the pandemic, faced by the dilemma of reduced resources and increased need, nonprofits have struggled to achieve their goals. Despite trillions in government funds channeled into the society, need has been greater and many civil benefit organizations have been under enormous…
05
2021
2021: Ten Trends for Significant Nonprofit Survival
2021 will be a year of transition for nonprofit organizations as well as for the rest of society. Transition does not mean heading back to the business as usual of 2019, but movement toward a blending of what was, what has been learned, what has changed and what is needed for a more equitable and just society. The Pandemic taught us many things and reminded us of things we knew, but were easy to push to the back burner. It changed patterns of thought, behavior and action. Our culture, society, economy, technology and all other aspects responded. We hear of…
08
2020
End of Year Appeal Letters
Did you know many people don’t read most of your end of year appeal letter? They skim. This means you need to make sure your key points are in the most skimmed area, and are direct and actionable. Letter writing for fundraising appeals can feel daunting and high stakes, especially this year. I find the most success is writing my letters based on how I would want to receive them. Not too dry and stuffy, not alarmist and above all make them engaging, make me want to keep reading. They should be about me, the reader and my relationship with…
24
2020
“Ask a Fundraiser” A Pilot Program
Jim and I are trying out an idea that we have been discussing for awhile. A “Ask a Fundraiser” service. What if someone at an organization could just text us a quick question? It might be about fundraising, or an upcoming event, or a new Executive Director just wants a second opinion? How can we make it easier for clients to reach out, especially now when many of us are working from home, in between family obligations and the stress of the pandemic. I’m excited because recently I found a way for nonprofit organizations to reach me via text, and…
19
2020
2020 1/2 In the Time of the Virus, Ten Trends for Significant Survival
Essay By Jim Toscano with additions by Dania Miwa. As we typically do, we released our 2020 predictions in December of last year. Then, in March all bets were suddenly off, as the infection and death rates started climbing and we began to realize the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic for nonprofits. This is our attempt to re-forecast based on what we are telling clients, experiencing first hand and as we are seeing some national trends emerge. Leap Year 2020 did occur in February as did so many more events. We celebrated many of the anniversaries:100 years of women having…
15
2020
Board Transformation for Nonprofit Organizations
By Jim Toscano & Dania Toscano Miwa Board members have many responsibilities: decision-making, planning, hiring and overseeing the executive, making their own generous gifts, bringing peers to the table, serving as ambassadors to the community with some members actively serving on the development committee helping to raise funds. Many nonprofits do not have such board helping to raise funds and it is at their peril not to. The ideal situation is to gradually move to an organizational culture of philanthropy, a culture of constituent development. This starts with the Board leadership but envelops all in the organization, including staff, volunteers…
14
2020
The Blog is Back
Essay by Dania Toscano Miwa & Jim Toscano As many of you know as supporters, clients, friends and colleagues of Toscano Advisors, Jim and I moved our business to Portland, Oregon last year. Since that time we have been busy meeting new people and new Nonprofits. We’ve also been creating new relationships, networks, and learning as much as we can about NGO’s working in the Pacific Northwest. In that time, we took a hiatus from writing and updating the blog regularly.
14
2019
2020: Ten Trends Affecting Nonprofits
Leap Year 2020 will see a tumultuous Presidential election, $10 billion in election spending, the decennial Census, 100 years of women voting, the summer Olympics in Tokyo, hotly contested Oscars, a thrilling World Series, a Rose Bowl with our new state of Oregon represented and substantial underlying changes in the nonprofit world. Here is what we see coming. 1. Rapid Underlying Change. Underneath a seeming stable overall sector, with slow growth over inflation, there are, and will be substantial underlying changes going on, with many organizations struggling to maintain this outward stability. Major flux will be the norm for many,…
04
2018
Ten Behaviors: Creating a Culture of Philanthropy
The idea of creating a culture of philanthropy is hot right now, either a fad or a real commitment by nonprofits to envelop boards, staff, volunteers and constituency (visitors, members, clients, patients, volunteers, staff, committee members, board members, donors, legacy leavers, etc.) in deep recognition of the overall importance of philanthropy in the life of the organization. (See my earlier posting on the Culture of Philanthropy) There are many websites talking about it, listing what to do in training, offering training, listing qualities to be achieved, selling packages, offering consulting and on and on. We know it takes years, often,…
29
2018
Building a Robust Volunteer Force
An Essay by Dania Toscano Miwa and Jim Toscano Fourth in a Series Volunteers are among the leading potential sources for new growth and new resources in nonprofit organizations. Volunteers and donors share many of the same values. This is seen when they express the reasons why they donate to and/or volunteer for a nonprofit organization. New volunteers become new donors. Many of the ways we prospect for new donors are the same strategies used in the recruitment of volunteers. Given that over 60 million American adults volunteer – which is approximately one-third of the total adult population – nonprofits…