When donors visit your organization, they're eager to meet program staff, hear client success stories, and perhaps chat with the executive director. Rarely, if ever, do they ask, "Could I speak with your operations team?" Yet this invisible engine—what I call the Machine Beneath the Mission—may be the most undervalued asset in the non-profit sector.
The relationship between donors and non-profits is undergoing a fundamental transformation. For decades, the conventional wisdom has been clear: present polished success stories, minimize challenges, and maintain strict message control. This approach, once standard practice, is increasingly alienating the very supporters organizations hope to attract and retain. Today's donors—particularly millennials and Gen Z, but increasingly
The non-profit sector faces a paradoxical crisis: organizations dedicated to healing societal wounds are themselves suffering from a debilitating condition. Staff burnout has reached epidemic proportions, yet remains largely unaddressed in strategic planning and board discussions. This silence doesn't just hurt employees—it actively undermines the very missions these organizations exist to serve. The statistics tell
In today's philanthropy landscape, non-profits often chase the elusive "big fish" – those high-net-worth donors who can transform an organization with a single check. But this pursuit comes at a cost, one that many organizations fail to recognize until it's too late: the neglect of small donor cultivation. Small donors – those giving anywhere from
The nexus between philanthropy and education reform is a dynamic arena where strategic investments are driving significant changes in teaching, learning, and educational access. Philanthropy's role in education reform is multifaceted, involving support for innovative programs, research into effective practices, and advocacy for systemic change. Innovation and Experimentation Philanthropy enables innovation in education by funding
It’s important to always remember to give back to your community and support worthy causes. As individuals, we do it to support our fellow man and help those who are less fortunate. As for businesses, it can actually help improve your image all while making a huge difference in the world. It’s crucial for businesses,
For some people, giving back to their community and making a difference is a passion and a way of life. Helping out your fellow man and thinking of new ways to raise money for a cause you care about is a fantastic feeling. Of course, these acts are most of the time done out of
Volunteering can have a positive impact on your community but it can also bring about more opportunities when job searching.
It's sad that many of us only think about charitable giving towards the end of the year. We scramble to throw our money into whatever organizations we can find right before the end of the year in order to solidify those financial contributions as tax write-offs when we are forced to fill out the dreaded
If you are a small business owner, you know there is more to running a business than just the day-to-day operations and focusing on growing your profits. It is also your due diligence to be an engaged member of your community, whether that be with your individual customers or the other small businesses in your
