I was inspired to write this prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers football game last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. I was worried. The Steelers had shown no “sense of urgency” during the prior week against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs and almost lost. “They cannot afford to do that with Cincinnati, ” I worried, “Coach Tomlin better find a way to inspire a sense of … [Read more...] about Inspiring a Sense of Urgency
Great Tools for Setting Outcomes
I have been giving the same speech for about fifteen years on the importance of nonprofits setting outcome measures – both for programs and at the organizational level. When a Board asks itself “How do we know we are making a difference?” there needs to be some kind of reliable measure that provides the answer. Inevitably, though, when I give this “speech” someone says “But … [Read more...] about Great Tools for Setting Outcomes
Give Your Strategy a Tune-up
How are you going to pursue your vision and work toward accomplishing your mission? What is your strategy? Your strategy is a collection of your answers to these three questions: *What programs/services do we want to provide to make a Mission Impact? *How will we staff our organization? *How will we fund our organization? The collective answers to these questions describe … [Read more...] about Give Your Strategy a Tune-up
The Basic Fundraising “Ask”
It is a simplistic fundraising formula. But I am a simple-minded guy. The three words I always make sure to keep in mind when I discuss a possible gift with a prospective donor are Problem, Opportunity, and Challenge. Though it is indeed a simplistic approach, I have found it to be very helpful. It keeps me on track during a fund-raising conversation. I have used it … [Read more...] about The Basic Fundraising “Ask”
Drucker’s Five Important Questions
The Nonprofit Strategy class I am teaching at Maryland was due to discuss SWOT analysis last night, so it has had me thinking about various assessment tools available for nonprofits. Peter Drucker spent a great deal of time in his later years working on applications of his management ideas for nonprofits – or, as he called them – social sector organizations. One of the … [Read more...] about Drucker’s Five Important Questions