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201310 Questions A Development Director Candidate Should Ask Once Offered But Before Accepting the Position
A posting by Dania Toscano Miwa and James V. Toscano 1. How many different individuals have held this position in the last 5 years? If one, proceed to the next question. If 2, ask why each left. If 3 or more, run in the other direction. 2. How is the development goal determined? Has it been met in the last three years? If the goal is set by the difference between expected expenses and anticipated revenue, and if it hasn’t been met in 2 or 3 of the last three years, ask for a change in the way it is…
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2013Doing Development Differently
A post from James V. Toscano In a rich and thoughtful study, UNDERDEVELOPED: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising, authors Jeanne Bell and Marla Cornelius report on a study done electronically among nonprofit senior development staff and executive directors. A small number of focus groups were also conducted that included board members along with development people and executive directors. CompassPoint and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund jointly sponsored the study. Approximately 1850 senior development staff responded to the survey as well as 870 executive directors. The results document the instability in development in many of our…
14
2013
To B or Not to B?
A Post by James V. Toscano The B Corp is emerging as an innovative way to use the power of a business model and the market to help impact the major societal problems of our times. The B Corp may emerge as an alternative or a complement to much of the work being done now by the nonprofit sector. Time will tell how they are perceived, although both options are obviously important and both should prosper. There is room for both and more. The idea is certainly welcome. For years, I have been railing about our sector calling itself “non-profit,” one of…
02
2013
A Recap – The Most Popular Posts in 2012
Happy New Year! In looking back over last year, Jim and I were interested to see what resonated with our readers the most and are eager to hear what topics our readers wished we’d written about. (The comment box below is a great place to let us know what you’d like to read more about, or if you’d prefer, send me an email at Dania(@)ToscanoAdvisors.com.) These are the top five most read posts of last year. 1. 5 Myths about Social Media for Nonprofit Organizations 2. Why Does a Nonprofit Board Need Young People? 3. The Ten “Must” Agreements Between…
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2012A Baker’s Dozen Development Officer’s New Year Resolutions
A post from James V. Toscano 1. I resolve to understand that I am part of my organization’s brand. 2. I resolve to understand that donors give to our mission, not to me. 3. I resolve to never say that I raised millions but say that I assisted in raising millions for our mission.
07
2012
How Many Board Members Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?
A Posting from James V. Toscano How many times have we read, heard or said something like, “Board Members Must Not Only Give, They Must Get” or one of the variations of that message? I have read it, heard it, said it, taught it, written it a few thousand times in my fifty years in nonprofit management and consulting. And who listens? Apparently not a lot of board members In the latest BoardSource survey of nonprofit CEO’s on their boards’ performance (see the distribution in the map below), a consistent pattern emerges. Sampling both BoardSource members and nonmembers on a range…
24
2012
The Revenue Crisis
A post by James V. Toscano The traditional nonprofit revenue model is broken. Revenue formulas are out of date. Contributions just don’t flow in the same way. Some revenue taps have dried up. Others, such as government, are fading. Traditional methods don’t work as well. It’s time to reimagined the nonprofit revenue paradigm. Attention and concern lately have focused on measuring results and impact. However, if we lack the resources to do the work, we get no results. Revenue always precedes results in priority. And if revenue sources demand results but do not pay to evaluate and obtain results, we…
11
2012Book Review
A Review by James V Toscano Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE, is well-known to us all. One of the few development professionals to have the Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive distinction, she is prolific in her writing, distinguished in her consulting and highly esteemed in her teaching. In Fundraising for the Genius (and here it’s for the genius in us all), Lysakowski has truly given us a gift, a tour de force, a comprehensive, knowledgeable, wise and practical overview of the elements of resource development. A definitive look at what we do!
18
2012
Guest Post from the UK – Is Offline Fundraising Needed in The Current Online Era?
Post by Alison Richmond Where do you go to raise money? Traditional wisdom says TV commercials, mail-in forms and even door-to-door. But things are changing in the age of the internet – virtual giving is growing. Once considered a luxury, online fundraising is now a standard procedure for most charities and other non-profit organizations. Online fundraising has netted over €15 billion since 2010, a number that only continues to rise with the increasing prevalence of paperless banking.* So what’s the appeal? For one, online fundraising is easy and convenient. It requires no “sales pitch” and no haggard afternoons standing on street…
10
2012Moving the Needle
A post by James V. Toscano In an article in Nonprofit Quarterly, “Strategic Philanthropy: Who Wins and Loses?” Prentice Zinn, using a variety of reasons, outlines the argument against funding sources alone deciding where to focus their grants as part of their version of a strategic initiative, often involving outcomes measurement and scaling up service. In a trenchant major point, he states: “Today, the field of philanthropy is seeing a relative explosion of conversations, debate, and reflection about how it can be more effective. Add to this rich exchange of information a dose of organizational narcissism, careerism, and peer pressure…