03
2012Nonprofit Board Search
Announcement from Dania Toscano Miwa Here at Toscano Advisors, we’ve been thinking about what an amazing sector we work in, especially in Minnesota. As we were discussing this and brainstorming ideas to add even more value to this already vibrant sector and we think we’ve found one! We are very excited to launch Nonprofit Board Search which is a free service from Toscano Advisors, allowing nonprofits to submit their open board positions on this site. Now, I realize this may sound like a rather self-serving, even a shameless self promotion post. However, we know most, if not all, of our…
26
2012
Guest Post – Dealing With the Fear of Fundraising
A post by Jim Thalhuber The March 5 blog headline reads, “We’re all development officers now!” As one who has worked in and with hundreds of nonprofits organizations over the past three-plus decades, I could not agree more with this proclamation. Unfortunately, I have not always found this to be the case in the nonprofit sector. Why? For many nonprofits, it stems directly from CEOs and Executive Directors who suffer from a profound fear of the “F” word – Fundraising.
14
2012
Nature Conservancy: Cavorting in Sea, Surf and Deep Manure
A post by James V. Toscano Certain specific demographic cohorts flock to the annual swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated each year, presumably to experience nature and the environment up close. Some of our friends at Nature Conservancy were intrigued with the demographics of these readers, clearly holding the prospect of adding to NC constituency and donors, so they entered into a three-pronged sponsorship of this year’s swimsuit edition with the magazine and a high-end luxury website.
05
2012
We’re All Development Officers Now!
A post by James V. Toscano A much emailed and referenced article from McKinsey Quarterly by Tom French, Laura LaBerge and Paul McGill, “We’re all marketers now,” stresses the need for commitment from everyone in an organization to fully engage customers. The authors advocate a total organizational approach to marketing. Quoting the article: “…customers no longer separate marketing from the product—it is the product…In the era of engagement, marketing is the company.”
22
2012Does the Slippery Slope Start with Trash?
A post by James V. Toscano Once upon a time, there existed a fairytale love fest between nonprofit organizations and the municipalities in which they operated. Reciprocity was the rule, encouragement the standard. Access to tax-exempt municipal bonding had to be one of the great added benefits of this relationship, especially to those high budget, capital-intensive groups such as hospitals, colleges and museums. Cities and towns recognized the major contributions made to their citizens by nonprofit organizations. Health, education, and culture are necessities for any growing region trying to attract investment, business and an educated work force, with many other…
13
2012A New Beginning?
A post by James V. Toscano Memorial and honor gifts, the subject of a recent post, are kissing cousins to those hot responder gifts that arrive moments after catastrophe occurs. Now we hear that the Red Cross, with a pool of about 500,000 such donors, will join analysts at the Wharton School to discover messaging and tools to increase response rates from this group, typically only 10% the next year. Such donors are “the single biggest channel through which we can acquire new donors is in response to a disaster,” according to their senior director of market intelligence , although…
19
2012
Guest Post – The Best Advice to Achieve Success
Post by Gary Gilson When I headed the Minnesota News Council I heard what I consider the best advice for a nonprofit on how to achieve success. I was in Denver to conduct an ethics workshop for managers of public radio stations in the far west, and I heard a Washington, D.C.-based consultant tell them the two most important things they could do: 1) convince their audience that the station belonged to the listeners, not to the management, and 2) take risks to grow, even if risks meant incurring debt. In other words, a nonprofit had to be entrepreneurial to…
14
2012Ten Thoughts on Retirement/Leadership Transition
Post by James V. Toscano With one-third of all Executive Directors reporting they will be leaving their positions in the next few years, I advance the following thoughts on retirement, now having retired this month for the third time. 1. Ensure that the Board of Directors has agreed to a succession policy and plan for top executive leadership well in advance of any announced departure. The Executive Director will probably need to initiate this policy, while board leadership needs then to jump in early and take responsibility. 2. Always nurture and work hard to develop all internal talent…
03
2012
Guest Post – Three Keys to a Successful Capital Campaign
Post by Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE 1. Recruit the best volunteer leadership for your campaign. The campaigns that have the best volunteer leaders are the most successful ones. Don’t just choose a leader because they love your organization or because they are a “big name in town.” I’ve seen both of these cases and they are always disastrous. On the other hand, one of my clients ran a very successful capital campaign, having never done annual fundraising, with no staff and a committed but not influential board. The secret? They recruited an “honorary” campaign chair that was influential enough to…
29
2011A Baker’s Dozen: New Year Resolutions for the Development Officer
Post By James V. Toscano 1. I will always remember that it’s the donor’s money. 2. I will always remember that fundraising is about the donor, not me. 3. I will always remember that donors need to be thanked and feel wanted as a vital element in the organization. 4. I will learn to cherish volunteers.