Blog

Recently the Non-Profit Times published the results of a study showing that most non-profits in the United States are deficient in leadership.  This is likely mirrored here in Canada where few non-profit leaders on boards or staff have formalized education.  Often the expectation is that they can manage in an... read more →

There is no short cut to achievement. Life requires thorough preparation - veneer isn't worth anything. George Washington Carver

Your smaller agency wants to get into fund raising, so you should hire a Director of Development…right?  I say, think again.  Check in with agencies that have done this.  Have they netted new money?  I doubt it.  Why not? Because fund development must belong to the agency, not to someone... read more →

Diversity of opinion is the objective of a Boards of Directors. If we only wanted one opinion we would simply have one director and follow their advice.  However, one opinion often misses important understanding about the people we serve or the communities we operate within.  To ensure that diverse opinions... read more →

For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate. Margaret Heffernan

BoardSource has published the results of Leading with Intent which is a biennial study of board composition.  Check out a summary of their findings in “Let’s Stop (just) Talking about Non-Profit Board Diversity.”

For charities that are accustomed to operating on donations and one time grants, the allure of stable (annualized) government funding is strong. And while that stable government funding often reduces worry about sustainability, agencies must remember that this is not “free” money.  Agencies seeking this stable funding source should be... read more →