Using focus groups to learn about your organization

There is no unanimous agreement on the benefit of focus groups, or even how to conduct focus research or use what is learned from it. Done well, however, focus groups can be a source of information.
At the Direct Marketing Association New York Nonprofit Conference, Dana Weinstein, membership director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum [...]

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Best practices for nonprofits

The Nonprofit Good Practice Guide, a free online resource, captures and organizes good practices for nonprofits and foundations.
There are thousands of effectiveness-building tips and resources on topics including:

Accountability and Evaluation;
Advocacy;
Communications and Marketing;
Foundations and Grantmaking;
Fundraising and Financial Sustainability;
Governance;
Management and Leadership;
Staff Development and Organizational Capacity;
Technology; and
Volunteer Management.

Source: National Council of Nonprofits

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Timeless wisdom from Deming

One of my all-time favorite management gurus is W. Edwards Deming. In my opinion, Deming along with Peter Drucker were the most important management minds of the 20th century. Here, on a cold, rain sunday night is a wonderful taste of his wisdom:
The prevailing system of management has destroyed our people. People are born [...]

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Workaholics inebriate everyone in the office

There’s being committed to the job, and then there’s being a workaholic. It might sound like a polite euphemism for someone who puts maybe a little too much time into work or seems a little too dedicated.
But according to Bryan Robinson, a retired psychology professor, workaholism is an addiction, a serious one that harms not [...]

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IRS releases public comment draft of Form 990

In a major revision of IRS Form 990 — the tax exmpt annual reporting form required by all nonprofits — the IRS has released for public comment a discussion draft of a redesigned Form 990, Return of Organizations Exempt from Income Tax. The discussion draft constitutes a significant redesign of the form, which has been [...]

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Building a personal network: Pain or blessing?

You’ve heard people say networking is important, and many trace their current employment to knowing someone in the company. But I believe networking is more than a job-finding tool and can benefit you on several levels. Connecting with other managers in your personal network can improve your ability to

present solid business decisions
discover practical applications for [...]

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Managing at the leading edge

Mike Hudson has written an awesome book on leading nonprofit organizations in the new century. The book mainly applies to medium-sized and large organizations — those that employ ten or more staff and those with an income of $1 million plus per year. In Managing at the leading edge: New challenges in managing [...]

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Capacity building – Buzzword or byword?

By: Lilya Wagner, Ed.D., CFRE, 5/2/07
Capacity building seemed to be the “buzzword” of the early 21st century. Books and book chapters were written about this concept, workshops were requested and conducted, articles were published, and foundations were openly urged to do more for nonprofit capacity building.
The truth is, capacity building as a concept is [...]

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Why don’t we talk about customer service?

Why is it that we never speak of customer service in our nonprofit work? Be honest, when was the last time you heard someone refer to increasing customer service, or customer satisfaction? I can’t remember one time.
What does this say about how we view our clients, particularly for organizations that [...]

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Tips and Techniques for dealing with angry employees

Anger is a force that can move an organization forward to improve, or, it can be a force that destroys the organization’s ability to fulfill its purpose on an everyday level. Managers play a critical role in determining which of these results will come about.
The way the manager deals with conflict and anger will [...]

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