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2013Ten Requisites to Retain Development Directors
A Post from James V. Toscano Since the release of the Underdeveloped Study, much has been written here and elsewhere about the state of development and fundraising offices and people in nonprofit organizations. We have been somewhat shocked by what we read in the report on short tenures, distrust, misunderstanding, and intentions to terminate and to leave. All in all, the report gives a picture of a disaster happening before our eyes. We know there are many places where this is not happening, yet we also know a number of nonprofits where elements of this picture are present, some in…
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2013Ten Questions to Ask a Director of Development Candidate
A posting by Dania Toscano Miwa and James V. Toscano We read in the recent report, UnderDeveloped, of significant problems in recruiting and retaining good development people and that average tenure now is often at two years or less. Moreover, all is not well in many relationships between Executive Directors (ED) and Development Directors (DD). In an effort to promote transparency and clear up what is thought of as the “profound misunderstanding” about roles between and among the Board, ED and DD in an institution’s development program, we submit the following initial questions to recruitment and screening committees of nonprofits interviewing…
11
2013The Two Nonprofit Sectors
A post from James V. Toscano In his post, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits’ Jon Pratt discussed “A Virtuous Cycle” referring to the recent UnderDeveloped study. He reported difficulties of smaller nonprofits in affording needed development and related infrastructure costs. The idea of a virtuous cycle for nonprofit organizations able to afford infrastructure and transaction costs provokes discussion on the haves and have-nots among us. A recent study helps. In the March 2012 Stanford Social Innovation Review article, “ Why More Nonprofits Are Getting Bigger,” authors Peter Kim and Jeffrey Bradach reported on the emergence of a new wave of large…
05
2013Guest Post – A Virtuous Cycle
A post by Jon Pratt To paraphrase St. Paul, Minnesota native F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Let me tell you about rich nonprofits. They are different from you and me.” Underdeveloped — A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising identifies several ongoing, and challenging facts of life for the development staffing of the nonprofit sector, particularly for small organizations. Clearly these factors makes it more difficult for organizations to gather consistent or adequate resources – what we don’t know is what improvements or declines have occurred over the last 15 years, but I suspect that little is different.
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2013
Guest Post – Functionality Plus Fit Equals Better Fund Raising
A Post by Dawn M. Fish, M.A., CFRE Reading the recently released report, Underdeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising by Jeanne Bell and Maria Cornelius, I reflected upon my 25 years as an executive, development director and gift officer raising funds in social service, health care and higher education institutions. The report contains no surprises, but did fail to address two major issues related to nonprofit fund-raising failures: the traits and skills necessary in an effective director of development (DOD) and the relationship between the executive director (ED) and the DOD. DOD traits and skills An effective…