By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group Nonprofit leadership and high-level salaried staff need time and space to focus on their organization’s mission, growth, strategy and fundraising. But all too often, we see these leaders become bogged down and burned out by administrative tasks trying to wear a million different hats. Does this sound familiar? With a few changes, it’s possible to streamline your nonprofit’s admin tasks and create effective systems. These efficiencies will improve day-to-day operations to benefit your leadership, staff and those you serve. #1 Segment Calls, Emails and Other Communications Managing incoming and...
By: Sherry Quam Taylor Founder, QuamTaylor LLC When I started in nonprofit years ago I had no idea what a Form 990 was - all those numbers and check-boxes seemed like a lot of painful information for someone to fill out. Frankly, I didn’t understand what most of it meant. I’ve put off filing because of “more important” business and have admittedly filed a few extensions myself. But that was before I understood the importance of this little gem of a document. You want your donors to see you as a transparent partner, right? You want them to see...
By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group This month we are celebrating YOU! We want to turn our focus to the people who power the nonprofit world. In our opinion, you are a superhero of a special kind – generally working long hours, juggling tasks while simultaneously balancing boards, budget and strategy, all the while working to advance the mission of your organization. Many of you must wear multiple hats, stretching yourself to do things that aren’t your forte for the sake of the nonprofit that you manage. You are constantly focused on helping others,...
By: Denise Dahl, MPA Founder & Principal, Epiphany Planning & Development Nonprofit Leadership & Strategy One of the most common questions I receive is “How do I get my board to do more?” The answer is easy, but the implementation can be a bit more challenging as board members each come with their own motivation regarding serving. Maybe they are serving as the cause is dear to them. Maybe they are serving because they feel a type of ownership (founder’s syndrome). Maybe they are serving to build their resume. Reasons to serve on a board are as varied as...
By: Melissa Lagowski Founder, CEO and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group You’ve got contacts. Maybe you have a collection of business cards, random notes and emails, or perhaps you’ve started to enter them in a spreadsheet or system. While taking the first step of obtaining contact information is great, it’s what you do next that can make a significant impact on your nonprofit's growth and the success of its mission. Here’s how to make your contacts count: Organize Contacts Into a System All of that general networking has left you with a bunch of business cards, so now what?...
By: Gail Perry President, Gail Perry Associates Philanthropy Consultants It’s the New Year – and it’s a great time to make smart resolutions for the future! This post is a perennial favorite with my readers – I’ve updated it for this year. Here are some ideas for nonprofit board members – to help everyone get started on the right foot for the year and keep on track as we launch into the new year. You might find that these ideas will open up some interesting discussions – about expectations, attitudes and actions needed from ALL board members. How...
By: Melissa Lagowski CEO, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group It’s that time of year when many clients are setting budgets for the year ahead. A budget is a crucial part of planning and execution. But all too often in the nonprofit world, budgets are simply carried over without questioning individual line items or evaluating partnerships. In taking a closer look and applying a forward-thinking, strategic mindset, we’ve helped our clients find areas where their organizations can trim excess spending and make those dollars work harder. Cost savings and more efficient, effective spending—that’s what we all want, right?...
“The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” —Charles Schwab By: Melissa Lagowski CEO, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group Early in my career, when I was an Executive Director at a small Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, I had a couple of board members who would try to dangle financial incentives in front of me as a means of encouragement. They kept reminding me of what my financial reward would be if we secured more sponsors for our largest event. It was referenced in every email and in every...
By: Nicole Martin Chief Empowerment Officer, HRBoost LLC Both small and large companies need to attract talent then develop and retain the best talent for their organizations. Both nonprofits and for-profit businesses must comply with the ever-changing maze of the regulatory environment. When it comes to talent however, nonprofit businesses have a hidden competitive advantage: they lead with heart. Nearly every NPO has their transcendent organizational purpose at the forefront of their vision and mission statement. What is often missed however is the strategic opportunity to link their transcendent organizational purpose to the deeper calling talent seeks through their work...
Holding On When You Feel Like Throwing In the Towel: Seven Tips To Keeping a Positive Mindset By: Melissa Lagowski CEO, Founder and Queen Bee, Big Buzz Idea Group The nonprofit space is filled with good people doing good work, but in being a servant leader, you encounter many different personalities along the way. Most of the people who devote themselves to the nonprofit world are optimistic people hoping to make a meaningful contribution. But, unfortunately, along the way, there are also a lot of curmudgeons and naysayers, and it is incredible how much negativity enters the arena. How can...
