Executive Director
Being colorblind is the idea that ignoring or overlooking racial and ethnic differences promotes racial harmony. In some circles, it’s called color-evasive. In others, it is called a myth.
Being colorblind is the idea that ignoring or overlooking racial and ethnic differences promotes racial harmony. In some circles, it’s called color-evasive. In others, it is called a myth.
May is #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
In addition to my role as a consultant for nonprofit and public sector organizations, I am also a mental health professional. I’ve been a licensed clinical social worker for over twenty years. I served as the deputy director of a community mental health authority, and I occasionally see clients in my private practice.
Sharon Castle
Capacity Builder
“This has been the single most impactful Professional Development I have ever been a part of. This process of utilizing empowering questions to guide coaching, along with reiterating thoughts, and not going straight to advice- this has all been a game changer for me and how I communicate.”
“Peer coaching is BY FAR one of the best continuing education courses I've ever taken. I use the skills in my personal and professional life, and they have gotten me unstuck from many challenging conversations and relationships.” ~ Peer Coaching Cohort Participants – March 2023
Katena Cain, PhD
Nonprofit Management Consultant
“Far too often, people think of themselves as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.” – Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
As humans, we operate within many different networks, all of which influence our perspectives and serve different purposes in our lives. While most networks are formed around a shared experience – such as the organization we work for, the city we live in, or identities that we hold – it is important to be cognizant of the networks we are part of and the diversity that is present within them. Given that our networks influence the way we think and the opportunities we give and receive, lack of diversity within these networks can propagate inequitable systems and create echo chambers of perspectives.
As nonprofits, we cannot meet our missions without having courageous conversations about inclusion and anti-racism in the systems, programs, policies and procedures that govern our organizations. It’s all fine and good to have these conversations in silos, but it is much more impactful when community leaders can come together to engage in conversation about their strengths, barriers and ideas. When we do this, we can learn from each other, share stories and have accountability partners.
Sharon Castle
Capacity Builder
I’m not going to sugarcoat it; fundraising is tough. Been there, done that, and I continue to do it. Let’s face it, there’s a reason many of us describe fundraising as “the oldest profession.” It has been around a long time and not going to go away anytime soon. I have great respect for Executive Directors, Development Directors, Board members, Staff and Volunteers who understand and actively engage in fundraising for their nonprofit organizations.
Alas, each of us has a responsibility to play a role in philanthropy: acting as an ambassador and sharing positive aspects of how the community is benefiting from the organization’s activities with friends, relatives and coworkers; being part of a team of solicitors and participating in well developed “asks”; making the public feel welcome at events or when they making an on-site visit; or making a personal gift, something we all should be doing at least once annually.
Renell Weathers
Advocacy and Public Policy Consultant
It's Time to Activate the Levers of Power for Your Mission.
Life has a way of interrupting our plans, making you either frustrated because you hate change or exhilarated because you embrace change. You may also be confused about which direction to channel your efforts. Whichever best describes you, this is not the time to put your head under the covers. It’s time to engage.
Katena Cain, PhD.
Nonprofit Management Consultant
A great nonprofit leader drives the mission down through the organization, upward through the board, and outward through the community. They are also the organization’s chief storyteller, brand advocate, brand guardian, crisis spokesperson, chief marketing officer, and chief fundraiser. To be effective in many of these roles, they must be authentic and be able to connect, collaborate, persuade, mediate, and negotiate with the best.
A great leader is also the ambassador for the health of the organization, both structurally and financially. This means they are responsible for building and maintaining relationships that enable the organization to flourish. They must recruit and retain the talent and supply the tools necessary to develop a strong infrastructure and a culture that builds morale.
A great leader is "tapped-in" to her board, staff, and the people they serve. They are in tune with the social and economic conditions that affect the organization’s mission.
Regina Pinney
Executive Director
As we emerge to seek a new normal, our post pandemic development strategies must be adaptive and directive and emphasize what we have learned in the past years and what we can (and can not) control.
A first step is to recreate (or create) a development plan to attract and retain donors and ensure these strategies are cost effective and our investments of time, talent, energy, and resources are efficient and effective.
“I’m a librarian not a fundraiser,” were the words of the library director of with whom I had just signed on as counsel for a capital campaign to assist with raising funds for a new building. Two years later as we celebrated success and they moved into their new library, she confided, “I know you kept saying that this would be the toughest thing I’ve ever done in my professional career, but I never really understood and, boy, you were right.”
As my library colleague discovered, a capital campaign is a significant undertaking requiring a substantial, and possibly, unprecedented investment of organizational resources and many nonprofits have little or no experience in this area. From initial planning to wrap up to pledge collection, the effort will likely take years and should propel your organization to a new level of fundraising. So, it makes sense that time spent on education and preparation on the front end will save you time and money and help strengthen your organization in the long haul.
Nonprofit Network has several resources including our Capital Campaign Course. The 12-session virtual course is help approximately once a year and follows a syllabus designed to review all aspects of a capital campaign. Sessions will include structured conversations around assigned reading and homework and participants will gain knowledge around key topics including:
If you are interested, please click on the link to learn more and register for the next course starting Feb. 2, 2023: Capital Campaigns Course 2023 (12 virtual sessions)
If this date has passed, please check our Capital Campaigns page to learn about our next upcoming event.
Happy New Year!
We at Nonprofit Network are so grateful for all the blessings that we received in 2022 – even the ones wrapped as challenges, puzzles, and barriers. Each of us is so honored to walk and work alongside our nonprofit partners to build better communities, and most importantly, better outcomes for those you serve.
With deep gratitude, thank you for the passion you bring to your work.
We’d like to take a moment to share the impact you have had on us.
“Purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history.
Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfill.”
– Chadwick Boseman
This quote from Chadwick Boseman has been one of my inspirations. I believe that everyone has a purpose in life. Finding your purpose may or may not come easy. The idea of being and making a difference is one of the fundamentals of fulfilling one's aspirations in life.
I have been with Nonprofit Network since February 2022. I accepted the position of Consultant Support Specialist, and it has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to be exposed to a variety of different communities and at the same time explore and use some of the skills gained from my background in Sociology.
With a background in Sociology, understanding social institutions, structures and relationships within communities helps to provide great tools to support an active consulting staff. I supply support to the consultants and the organization through communication, organization, and research. This helps Nonprofit Network serve its diverse clients efficiently, effectively, and holistically.
We are excited to invite you to our new Nonprofit Network website! And you're invited to join us on Zoom for an in-depth look at our new site. We'll cover how to log-in, the services available to you, and answer any questions you have. We'll also be reviewing the new member-only homepage portal. No registration is needed for these live events.
Our new website is filled with even more help at your fingertips, including:
First Step is to Login - As members and non-members (prospects) you will both need to set up a new password. To do this, [Click here]. Your Username is your email address. Once your password is updated, you can [login here] using the new password you just set-up.
Sharon Castle
Capacity Builder
Much has been written about the Great Resignation of 2022 or, as McKinsey & Company recently described it as, “the Great Attrition has become the Great Negotiation.”
In fact, according to McKinsey, 40% of employees globally are planning to leave their jobs in the next three to six months. The Great Attrition is making hiring harder. Are you searching the right talent pools?
So, what does that mean for the nonprofit sector; a sector historically known for paying low wages for demanding positions? At Nonprofit Network, we’ve been getting many questions from stressed-out Executive Directors trying to figure out how to hire and then retain talented staff.
Alyssa Turcsak
Outreach Coordinator
One of the biggest challenges in our sector we hear often is how isolating this work can be. You put so much of your heart and energy into serving clients, rescuing animals, and protecting our planet that connecting with others doing similar work feels very low on the priority list. You’re not alone. Being under-resourced and underpaid leaves nonprofit employees stretched thin.
Regina Pinney
Executive Director
Have you ever had one of those board meetings—the kind that makes you question if you are the right person for the job, if you have the stamina to continue, or if anyone in the room is on the same page about anything? The kind of meeting that makes you wonder if working at one of those 9-5 for profit jobs is fulfilling?
You know—one of "those" meetings.
Sharon Castle
Capacity Builder
Question: On a scale of 1 – 10, how important is a nonprofit board of directors?
Answer: 10+
If building a strong board is tantamount to running a healthy, vibrant, and successful nonprofit organization, how do we build a dynamic board?
While the answer is complex, there are strategies you can use to enhance your success.
Stormy Trotter, PhD.
Nonprofit Consultant
Nonprofit organizations (NPO’s) are essential to our communities and strive to advocate for causes, fill existing gaps, and provide meaningful resources. Many are successful in delivering programs and servicing needs, but are still often underrecognized and under supported.
Katena Cain, PhD.
Nonprofit Management Consultant
Starting a nonprofit organization is an exciting way to make an impact in your community. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this community of do-gooders? Well, with over 1.5 million nonprofits in the United States and roughly 52,000 (up from 49K in 2020) in Michigan, ensuring the sustainability and longevity of a nonprofit are not easy tasks. Especially with the recent decline we've seen with the pandemic.
Tom Williams
Retired Consultant
It’ been awhile since I blogged on embezzlement and regrettably, I’m feeling compelled to revisit this dark topic. The recent situation that sparked this writing is my learning of a familiar organization experiencing a valued staffer that embezzled a six figure amount of the money donated to their mission. As I shared in my previous blog, this sickens me professionally and saddens me for the work of all the great people that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars now being for naught. Disgustingly this action succeeds when we drop our complete nonstop attention to safeguards.
While I certainly encourage you to dig through our Nonprofit Network blog library and read “3 Dangerous Myths About Nonprofit Embezzlement”, today I want to share a different insight that may generate conversations within your organization.
Did you know that 93% of people who embezzled funds NEVER had a criminal record before? This fact from Marquette Report on Embezzlement is one that deserves some sincere reflection. Ponder the implications of this data about the 3,000+ embezzlers the Michigan State Police see annually (for profit and nonprofit). This means that all our safeguards are not to stop criminals from taking our organization’s hard earned money. Our safeguards are actually intended to eliminate an opportunity for a “trusted” person to take advantage of our negligence and take their first step over to the dark side.
Tom Williams
Consultant
Typically, I like to use this blog space to share eye-opening ideas and tools to build your organization’s capacity so that more good is done in your community. But today I am compelled to step away from that and reflect on the ugly side of nonprofit life that ties my stomach in knots: embezzlement. Please, let me be clear: I am driven to share this, not for any sense of sensationalism, but rather because if you are aware and informed, you will be better prepared to prevent, detect, and recover any losses in the event that your organization is victimized in an embezzlement scheme.