Capital campaigns open up exciting possibilities for nonprofits. They also bring plenty of questions and misconceptions. Who leads the effort? What will board members be expected to do? How much should board members give? These are questions I hear often. Clarifying the board’s role early helps everyone move forward with greater confidence. First, what is a capital campaign? A capital campaign is a focused, time-bound fundraising effort to support a major organizational prior

Reframing the Problem: Start With What’s Strong Scarcity mindset and deficit-based problem-solving run rampant in our society. When a challenge comes up at your nonprofit, you might hear someone ask: “What’s going wrong?” “Why isn’t this working?” “What are we missing?” “Who or what is causing the problem?” “How do we fix it?” To survive, humans have always needed to notice trouble and address it, but this explicit process of viewing challenges as inherent deficits to be dia

Hard decisions are not unique to nonprofits, and they are not unique to uncertain times. Whether your organization is thriving or strained, you will likely face moments when you need to decide what to keep, what to change, and what to let go. For nonprofits, the challenge is that decisions cannot be made on finances alone. Every program has a dual bottom line: mission impact and financial sustainability. The Dual Bottom-Line Matrix (created by Jeanne Bell and Steve Zimmerman)

I started AltruNext back in 2008. For years, it was just me: one person, partnering with nonprofits to advance the greater good. Ten years ago, that changed. AltruNext grew from a solo practice into something bigger, and my husband, Don, left his job to build it with me. It was a leap of faith for both of us. Two parents, young kids, and the very real uncertainty that comes with betting on your own business. Ten years in, I can tell you it hasn't always been easy, but it rema

This time of year, gardeners are eagerly watching to see what emerges. Some plants seem to burst to life overnight, while others take their time. I’m not great at keeping plants alive, but I’ve been trying to add pollinator-friendly perennials to our yard over the last few years. The problem is that they seem pitiful in that first year. I water them, I hope, and I wait. But I’m not even sure they’re alive. I found out there’s a gardening axiom for that: the first year it slee

Sometimes we all need a reset—a chance to step away from the daily grind and reconnect with the reasons we do this work. I had the pleasure of doing just that last week while attending the largest fundraising conference in the world: AFP ICON. You deserve to benefit from the energy and insights I brought back, so here are 10 takeaways for you: Call one donor every single day. Developing that simple habit is one of the easiest ways to strengthen authentic relationships and imp

Have you seen NPR’s brilliant new marketing campaign ? It “defend[s] the right to be curious.” I’m absolutely smitten . As NPR’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mishka Pitter-Armand, put it, "Curiosity is the fuel of a functioning democracy." It’s also essential for thriving, creative nonprofits. Get Curious About Curiosity Curiosity can be intrinsic or externally motivated. It can focus on intellectual topics or interpersonal issues. Regardless of its particularities, the ben

We’ve all been there. You’re coaching a new hire, a volunteer, or a team member on a specific task, and it’s just not landing. You’ve explained the process, shared resources, and even offered support—yet two weeks later, the task is still undone. What’s the disconnect? I realized the problem wasn’t in what I was explaining, but how I was coaching. I could outline steps and cheer people on, but that’s not the same as effective coaching. True coaching requires understanding wh

I’ve been a fundraising consultant now for 17 years, and a frontline fundraiser for years before that. So, much of my career has focused on helping organizations raise the resources they need to achieve their missions. I love guiding nonprofit leaders through the art and science of making the ask—coaching teams through major gift best practices, building donor strategies, and creating fundraising materials. But recently, the tables turned. I found myself on the other side—no

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