As we enter the last quarter of the fiscal year (for many NPOs) and the biggest fundraising season of the year for all, pumping up the board for raising funds is top of mind. We know from experience, and we see it now among our clients, that coaxing the board into garnering individual donations is difficult.

The strategic planning process is all about defining the future, setting goals, and creating actionable steps.

Suicidal thoughts can plague anyone regardless of age, gender, or social status. Commonly linked to depression, there is no foolproof indicator of suicidal tendencies. Many people suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts cover them up quite well.

As we race through the third quarter of the year, it’s time to start thinking about next year’s priorities (I can hear your laughter as I type this). In a perfect world, you would be referencing your organization’s current strategic plan and tracking progress, with thoughts of building on this in the year to come.

The relationship between the Executive Director and the Board Chair is critical to the success of a nonprofit organization. A strong, working relationship between these two positions goes a long way to ensuring that the relationship between the Board as a whole, and the rest of the organization, is also strong.

Passion is frequently cited as being the #1 desired quality in nonprofit Board members. But this begs the question, is passion enough? And the answer is a resounding “no.”

When organizations approach change management, they often do so through the lens of “fixing what’s wrong.” If a fundamental problem is identified, change initiatives are created to address it, and that is, of course, necessary.

To start with though, let’s define the term “Strategic Plan” and address some frequently asked questions. Harvard Business School defines strategic planning as “the ongoing organizational process of using available knowledge to document a business’s intended process.