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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

Many nonprofits feel pressure to pursue every available grant, which can be overwhelming and counterproductive. When we’re chasing dollars, strategy and quality suffer. Instead, a well-designed grant screening tool helps your organization invest its limited resources where they can make the greatest impact. Why Build a Screening Tool? Grant opportunities vary widely in fit, likelihood, and return on investment. A structured screening process allows you to: Save time by quickl

Whack-A-Mole is one of my least favorite arcade games. It feels rigged. There is no way to keep up with those blasted moles. There are too many, and they are too fast. (For the record, Skee-ball is my preferred game.) As a nonprofit professional or volunteer, you may feel like your whole life is Whack-A-Mole. Work on the grant budget. Make a plan for the staffing shortage. Reach out to the key donor who left a message. Check with the finance department about an unpaid bill. I

Whether you love it or hate it, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is transforming the nonprofit landscape. We’re all on a colossal learning trajectory—even the most tech-savvy among us are discovering something new every day. Lots of questions linger about ethics, intellectual property, and data privacy. (And don’t even get me started on mysteries like AI hallucinations. How does that happen?) Within nonprofits, we’re seeing all sorts of amazing uses: Wealth screening with deep a

2025 has tested nonprofits in significant ways. At our Meeting the Moment webinar in June, we explored how to adapt during uncertain...

As a nonprofit leader, you’re in the business of hope. You take care of the vulnerable. You provide food, shelter, education, health...

A nonprofit client recently shared with me about their inspiring and audacious vision for the future. To bring this dream to life, the...

Ahhh… It’s finally summer. Long days. Lots of sunshine. You may be dreaming about vacations, ice cream concoctions, and extra time to...

My son has been on skates since he was three and started playing hockey soon after that. Hockey has become his all-consuming passion. For...

After SWOTing for years, I’m learning to SOAR more. SWOT is everywhere. This popular planning tool helps us assess Strengths, Weaknesses,...

Have you ever set out to bake something without knowing what you’re making? If you’re using a recipe for chocolate cake but you’re hoping...

Congratulations! You made it. You survived year-end giving and the busyness of the holidays. Now you can enjoy the relative quiet and...

AltruNext Associate, Diana Shea, and Kristin Raack, Principal, were recently featured as guest authors with a detailed guide for...

Kristin Raack was recently featured as a guest presenter on fund development planning for Foundant Technologies. The guided workbook is...

Grant Professionals Association - Annual Conference November 3, 2022 10:45am - 12:00pm Louisville, KY (in-person & virtual options)...

Strategic plans. Program plans. Fund development plans. Business plans. Data collection and evaluation plans. Nonprofits are always engaged in planning. Yet, all too often, we dread the planning process. Then, after countless hours of work, we put the plan on the shelf and forget about it. How can organizations engage in successful planning and avoid the common pitfalls? I’ve recently learned about a model called Appreciative Inquiry that has revolutionized my approach to or

Many of us stumbled into the nonprofit sector because we have big hearts. We hurt when the world hurts. We see human potential and want...

Here in Chicago, we love Daniel Burnham, the renowned city planner who envisioned and built the 1893 World’s Fair among other notable...

Foundant Educational Webinar December 16, 2021, 11:00a-12:00p CT Livestream (FREE!) Presenter: Kristin Raack After the last two years of...

You may not know this, but I don’t have a very good sense of direction. Suffice it to say, when I was a young driver, I had a huge road...