Blog

I'm excited to get into more detail to help you recruit and retain the right board members!  Last week I gave an overview of certain steps your board can take to ensure that you are recruiting and then retaining candidates who are the best fit for your nonprofit board.  This week, we will speak in some more detail about Step 1 = Assess.  When conducting an initial assessment of your board, on a broad scale, it is important to determine the status of your organization as well as to decide the specific needs of your board. Read More

Creating and sustaining a solid board of directors for your nonprofit is a significant task.  Certain steps can help to ensure a strong, collaborative and working board to benefit the nonprofit organization you lead.  Here are the steps that can be completed to guide you and your board to success! Read More

I love a quote I read from Jessica Jackley, co-founder of the nonprofit, Kiva (www.kiva.org).  Jackley was speaking about her reaction to a speech from a founder of a microfinance bank.  She said “The way he talked about the poor was beautiful, respectful, and dignified. I didn’t have feelings of guilt and shame like I did after a lot of nonprofit messaging. Instead, I wanted to be there, listening to people’s stories and talking with clients face to face” (Article titled ‘The Profit In Nonprofit’, in the online Sanford Social Innovation Review at www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_profit_in_nonprofit).   This made me think about the manner in which many nonprofits share their message of need; their need for money. Read More

In the past 2 years of my life, I have taken on some big challenges.  I am not always eager and comfortable doing them, but have done them nevertheless.  I’ve moved to a new country and on a weekly basis I put myself in new and (literally) foreign situations. I made this move a year and a half ago as my family and I temporarily relocated to Germany for my husband’s work.  I’ll admit, even blog writing intimidates me!  I have sat in front of my computer and started many blog entries.  But, as you see, this is the first one that you are reading.  That is because I was scared of writing my first blog.  One day as I was doing something new (which happens quite often for me in Germany), I realized that I just have to ‘do it afraid’.  Of course!!  That is what I must write about. Read More