Creating more strategic, financially savvy, and confident nonprofit leaders and organizations.
In my last blog post, I talked about how making decisions from a place of fear is solidly rooting you in the world of scarcity. And that’s the last place you want your nonprofit and your social change work to be. Yet, scarcity is such an omnipresent ethos in the social change sector — from […]
I was talking to a nonprofit leader earlier this week who was unknowingly torturing herself. One part of her had a big vision for growing her nonprofit to reach more people and create change to a broken system. But another part of her felt stuck because she lacked so many things to make that big […]
There is something that I find nonprofit leaders often forget. And this is that you are immensely powerful. You are, in fact, powerful beyond measure. But there are so many ways that our society attempts to strip you of your power. To name a few: Legal and norm limits on your ability to influence policy […]
2020 continues to uncover the many social problems we need to solve, and broken systems we need to reinvent. This is crystal clear most recently with the horrific wildfires that have demonstrated how desperate we are for a solution to climate change. 2020 has been crisis after crisis, but these crises are also incredible opportunities. […]
I have been feeling lately that we social changemakers are on the cusp of something really big and new. It is an opportunity — an opportunity we have likely been training for our entire lives — to remake the world in ways we could formerly only imagine. Social change leaders, who have for so long […]
It feels like right now we are surrounded by can’ts. We can’t be near most other humans, we can’t travel as we used to, many can’t find work, we can’t really plan for the future because things seem to change by the minute. The can’ts seem to be everywhere. The sadder part is that in […]
These past few weeks have been heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. The protests around the country, around the world, fighting for racial justice and equality are growing by size and number every day. And those protests are already starting to result in some policy changes that only a couple of weeks ago felt […]
I received a great comment from a reader of my recent post, “The System for Funding Nonprofits is Crumbling. That’s a Good Thing.” While blog reader Vanessa agreed with my assessment that how we fund social change is horribly broken, she very rightly wanted to know what an individual nonprofit leader can do to overcome […]
There is much discussion lately about the financial doom that this pandemic is unleashing on nonprofits. Cancelled galas, shrinking corporate donations, fearful foundation donors, disappearing government coffers. It seems that the entire way nonprofits and social change are funded might be crumbling before our eyes. It’s about time! That’s because how money flows to the […]
Perhaps one of the worst things about this pandemic is that in practicing social distancing for days on end we begin to believe that we are alone. Zoom calls, emails and conversations with the same few people you are quarantining with can only get you so far. The silence, the physical distance from staff, board, […]
Let me be honest for a second. As a social change leader you are the victim of so many defeating messages, on likely a daily basis. If you’re like a lot of my clients, you probably don’t even realize how much you’ve internalized these messages. As a society, we say things to nonprofit leaders like: […]
Hey nonprofit leaders, I know you constantly face really critical decisions, like: “Should I grow this program?” “Should I go after this funding opportunity?” “Should I recruit this new board member?” So I recorded a video with a quick tool you can use when you are facing a hard decision. Take a look: And, remember, […]
My guess is that you want to attract more money for your mission. Who doesn’t, right? But to do that you need to cultivate a Culture of Mission and Money among your board, staff, and funders. Does your nonprofit have one? Here are some key things present in a nonprofit with a robust culture of […]
Did you know that self doubt is one of the biggest hurdles you face? Truly. You think your funders, your board members, your staff, or policymakers are a tough crowd? I bet your toughest crowd is actually you, yourself. You know what I’m talking about. It’s that voice that wakes you up in the middle […]
The thing I love best about my work is seeing absolute transformation. It’s so exciting to see someone who is working to make the world a better place step out of the shadows and into her tremendous power. I saw this transformation again the other day with one of my clients — “Mina”. Mina came […]
I am in love with a new (for me) TV show. I’m sure you’ve heard of it since I’m late to the game — “Ted Lasso” is about a lovable American leader of a troubled English soccer team. But really the show provides an example of how to go through life as a force of […]
Do you struggle (as so many nonprofit leaders do) to raise money for: a top-notch fundraiser, solid technology and systems, fantastic marketing expertise, and other elusive (but oh so necessary) things that will make your work so much easier? Then this month’s free training, Embrace Capacity Capital, is for you! You’ve been taught for so […]
I know how scared you sometimes get. I see you tossing and turning in the middle of the night, terrified about how you will make payroll. Or worried that you will never attract truly helpful board members. Or working 80 hour weeks because you fear no one else will help. Or anxious to check your […]
The most amazing thing happened for one of my clients the other day — she shifted her fear into $500,000. I was in a session with one of my Strategic Advising clients (let’s call her Beth) who was anxious about an upcoming meeting with a long-time funder. It was time to approach this program officer […]
There was a really interesting article in Inside Philanthropy last week arguing that nonprofit leaders desperately need sabbaticals, therefore more funders should fund them. I completely agree with the first part, but strongly disagree with the second. Nonprofit leaders, like any human being, need large chunks of time away to rest, recharge, find inspiration again, […]
