How much of a reserve fund should you have? We can debate exactly how much is too much some other day, but I bet you know your nonprofit should have a much bigger reserve than it has now. Could your organization survive another Great Recession? The challenge we all face is finding that balance between “Money” and “Mission.” Nonprofits don’t exist to “make money.” But we … [Read more...] about The Money & Mission Balance
Leadership
Your Summer Staff Retreat
Many organizations like to take a day during the summer to call a “time out” and gather the staff together for a retreat. Depending on the size of the organization, this could involve everyone or, at larger organizations, departments may end up having their own retreats. What makes for a successful retreat? Here are some tips: *It’s a Retreat. Some organizations say … [Read more...] about Your Summer Staff Retreat
Succession Preparation vs Planning
“We need a succession plan.” I hear this from CEOs and, more often, Board members who are concerned about CEO retirement or departure. While this is a healthy thing to think about, I suggest that you need “succession preparation” more than you need “succession planning.” In large corporations, succession planning is about identifying, developing, and evaluating potential … [Read more...] about Succession Preparation vs Planning
Promoting Mission & Values
We know that mission, vision, and values are core to the identity of any organization. And I often tell leaders that one of their most important responsibilities is to keep these in the forefront of their coworkers minds. But how do you do that? Recently, Dr. Alex Triantis – our Dean at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland – had our … [Read more...] about Promoting Mission & Values
How to Stop Overcommitting
Would you like to STOP: -Rushing to/from meetings? -Missing workouts? -Getting reports in at the last minute? -Burning yourself out? Then you need to stop overcommitting. Admit it. There is a certain “jazz” you get from being constantly busy. It can be intoxicating to serve the tyranny of the urgent. In his book First Things First, Dr. Stephen Covey identifies this … [Read more...] about How to Stop Overcommitting