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Stop Saying “Nonprofit.” Start Saying What You Actually Do.
Words that define us by what we’re not can never fully describe who we are. You’ve probably introduced your organization a thousand times. At galas, on grant applications, in elevator pitches. And chances are, you’ve used the word “nonprofit,” probably within the first sentence. Here’s a question worth sitting with: Why do we define ourselves…
Read MoreWhen the Compass Goes Dark: What the Seneca Babcock Collapse Teaches Every Nonprofit Board
The story coming out of Buffalo is heartbreaking — and preventable. The Seneca Babcock Community Association, which served more than 1,200 youth and seniors through a variety of human service programs, lost its nonprofit status after its Executive Director failed to file the required IRS Form 990 for several years. According, to the same article,…
Read MoreLearnGrants Summit Recap 2: Rejection, Sustainability & the One Metric That Actually Matters
Last week I shared the first three sessions from the #LearnGrants Summit — the Retrospective, finding funders in unexpected places, and building a storytelling culture. If you missed it, you can catch up right here. This week, we’re wrapping up with the final three sessions. These got into some deeper territory — how we handle…
Read MoreLearnGrants Summit Recap Pt. 1: 3 Tools Every Nonprofit Leader Needs Right Now
I recently attended the #LearnGrants Summit, and I walked away with pages of notes I knew I had to share with you. Over the next two newsletters, I’m breaking down the six mini-sessions with the kind of practical, roll-up-your-sleeves wisdom that’s hard to find but easy to use. This week: sessions on communication, discovery, and…
Read MoreLeadership, Trust & Surviving in Uncertain Times
This is the final installment of our 3 part series on what I learned from @Candid webinar, “Nonprofit Sustainability: Build Strategies That Actually Work.” You can read part 1 here and part 2 here. Today I’m sharing what the speakers had to say about surviving in uncertain times — from delegation to self-care to community…
Read MoreDiversification Requires Creative Courage
This is Part 2 of a 3 part series on what I learned from @Candid webinar, “Nonprofit Sustainability: Build Strategies That Actually Work.” You can read it here. If Part 1 was about infrastructure, then Part 2 is about income. And not the predictable kind. One of the powerful takeaways from the webinar was simple:…
Read MoreSustainability Is Infrastructure — Not Just Income
Every day, my inbox fills with invitations to fundraising and capacity-building webinars promising the latest insight for nonprofit leaders. I attend many of them intentionally — not because every trend is worth chasing, but because my role is to filter, assess, and translate what’s truly useful for the organizations I serve. Recently, I participated in…
Read MorePart 3: Where Donors Came From — And What Smart Organizations Did About It
This is the final installment of my three part series based on what I learned from the Gravyty webinar which unpacked Giving Tuesday 2025 data. If Part 1 was about infrastructure and Part 2 was about emotional clarity, then Part 3 is about amplification. What I’m calling: Discovery, Ambassadors & Managing Expectations Because even the…
Read MorePart 2: Giving Tuesday 2025 – What Actually Resonated
As I stated last week, preparation for Giving Tuesday starts before December. I recently participated in a webinar offered by Gravyty which unpacked Giving Tuesday 2025 data. I’m sharing what I learned with you through a 3-part series. If Part 1 was about infrastructure, then Part 2 is about emotion. What I’m calling: Campaign Themes,…
Read MoreWhat Giving Tuesday 2025 Taught Us (And What Smart Nonprofits Are Doing Next): A 3-Part Series
I realize that Giving Tuesday is MANY months away, but I recently participated in a workshop offered by Gravyty which unpacked Giving Tuesday 2025 data. Over the next three weeks, I want to share their insights with you. First up: Timing, Forms & Friction – The Infrastructure of a Winning Giving Tuesday Giving Tuesday is…
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