Candid insights

When you add up fundraisers, their bosses, their boards, and assorted second-guessers, there are, I’m sure, millions of opinions about what works in fundraising and how to raise money “the right way.” For example, executive directors and board chairs who…

Our weekly roundup of noteworthy items from and about the social sector. For more links to great content, follow us on Twitter at @pndblog.... Fundraising It's the end of the world as we know it...and most of us feel fine.…

Imagine going on a first date with someone you think you’re really interested in. I know the rules have changed a lot since I’ve been in the game, but I bet some things have stayed the same. Even if you’re…

What place should philanthropy hold in a democratic society? Across our field, in politics, in business, and in our communities, Americans are questioning the very nature of philanthropy and probing its core value. These questions ask who has the responsibility—or…

Not every foundation has shifted toward a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), but fortunately, many have. That said, there seems to be a glaring miss amidst all this DEI work, and that is with who gets to participate…

In December 2019, Jeanne Bell of Nonprofit Quarterly and I led the first of a two-part webinar series on strategic nonprofit budgeting. One of the things we inevitably covered, even though I wish we no longer had to, was dispelling the myth…

At C&A Foundation we believe many of the challenges we seek to tackle are rooted in social exclusion. We are on a journey to deepen our approach to gender justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. As part of our own effort…

Happy new year! For my squad’s first meeting of the year, we spend some time reflecting on what went well, what challenges we faced, who we met, and what we learned in 2019. We also asked each other, “What’s one…

A while ago, I read about an experiment where kids were asked to draw a fish. One group was just told to draw a fish; the other group were told the same thing, but they were also given an example…

When I started in nonprofit marketing, with a shiny new journalism degree in hand, I thought I was all set to succeed. How hard can it be? I had much to learn about what makes a good marketer. After over…

Judging from media coverage and online conversations, it's clear we're living in a time of heightened social consciousness ("wokeness"). Whether that sentiment is driven by genuine concern for the fate of the planet and the welfare of others or a…

There are four big things that can hamper success in any organization, team, or relationship: lack of buy-in, lack of trust, inequities, and strife arising from toxic conflict. Authentic communication, however, can begin a process to correct, reset, build momentum,…