“Baby Sea Turtles” by Katie Dobson Cundiff
“Ducks in Flight” by Katie Dobson Cundiff
“Zebras” by Katie Dobson Cundiff
“Baby Sea Turtles” by Katie Dobson Cundiff
“Ducks in Flight” by Katie Dobson Cundiff
“Zebras” by Katie Dobson Cundiff
A Dozen Measures of a Fundable 501(c)(3) or (c)(4) Nonprofit Organization When working with start-up nonprofits or organizations in early stages of maturity, I have found expectations for funding are often unrealistic. Here I present an even dozen measures or characteristics of a fundable 501(c)(3) or (c)(4). These are factors that funders may often look […]
fundraising, nonprofit, nonprofit business, nonprofit management, Nonprofit Organization Income, nonprofit organization planning, nonprofit organization strategic plan, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosen, strategic planning
Recruiting nonprofit leaders who “fit” versus those with skills and experience may confound volunteer boards of directors A conversation with top nonprofit leadership of an organization early in the process of seeking a new CEO brought to mind an earlier blog topic about “charisma versus competency.” As I listened to the leaders of the organization […]
CEO recruitment, fundraising, leadership, nonprofit, nonprofit business, Nonprofit Leadership, nonprofit management, rudolph-rosen, strategic planning
Publishing can increase nonprofit organization income for some kinds of nonprofits by Dr. Rudolph Rosen I regularly give talks to groups of students coming from a wide range of university majors on the general topic of fundraising and nonprofit organization income. Student interest can range from learning about financing nonprofit charitable causes, to venture funding […]
charity fundraising, fundraising, leadership, nonprofit business, Nonprofit Leadership, nonprofit management, Nonprofit Organization Income, nonprofit publishing, publishing, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosen, strategic planning, vanity press
Strategic plans count if the process and the resulting plan are valued (and used) by leadership Don’t get me wrong. I’m a believer in strategic plans (see my earlier paper: Nonprofit Strategic Planning Dilemma), especially when strategic planning and resultant strategic plans are used to build true operational plans which then tie into and ground […]
nonprofit board, nonprofit business, nonprofit business plan, Nonprofit Leadership, nonprofit management, nonprofit organization planning, nonprofit organization strategic plan, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosen, strategic planning, strategic plans, volunteer empowerment
An intensive review of past funding and future needs for financing the work of a mid-sized lands conservancy caused me to rethink the long term fiscal realities of funding some critical aspects of nonprofit land practice. Background: Previous to discussions with the lands conservancy at issue in this post, I had held executive responsibility (and […]
nonprofit, nonprofit business, nonprofit business plan, Nonprofit Leadership, nonprofit management, Nonprofit Organization Income, nonprofit organization planning, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosen, strategic planning
Nonprofit organization leadership versus management are terms often confused by staff and organization board members by Dr. Rudolph Rosen There can be confusion about nonprofit organization leadership versus management of organizations, as I hear people talk about improving effectiveness of nonprofits. The terms are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings in the context […]
leadership, nonprofit management, rudy rosen
Make your Nonprofit Business Plan volunteer-friendly and do math for fundraising/financial efficiency I recently spoke with board leaders of a long-standing nonprofit organization who were seeking an executive director to run operations. This would be the first executive director ever hired by the organization and they had yet to develop a nonprofit business plan. Through discussion, […]
CEO recruitment, charity fundraising, fundraising, leadership, nonprofit business, nonprofit management, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosen, strategic planning, volunteer empowermentFundraising strategy An inquiry through one of my websites brought about a consultation covering a dilemma many nonprofit leaders face — how to scale-up fundraising for a nonprofit organization with no money, no staff, no work-force of volunteers, and no board members willing to roll up their sleeves and work. A brief discussion with the […]
fundraising, leadership, nonprofit, nonprofit management, rudy rosen
Conferences, conventions, and meetings come in every imaginable size and combination of sessions and individual gatherings. Conferences range from everyone always all together in the same room, to many sessions including only a few people at a time held simultaneously using every room, nook, and cranny in the meeting facility. One professional organization’s conferences annually […]
conference, conferences and conventions, Convention fundraising, conventions and conferences, fundraising, meeting, nonprofit, nonprofit business, Nonprofit Leadership, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosen
Insider advantage vs. association management expertise: With nonprofit CEO recruitment the choice is not always obvious With the economy beginning to surge (slightly), nonprofit CEO recruitment has become the subject of questions I have received. Selection committees are seeing attractive job applicants well-experienced in managing nonprofit associations, but who have little or no professional credentials […]
CEO recruitment, leadership, nonprofit, nonprofit board, nonprofit business, nonprofit ceo recruitment, Nonprofit Leadership, nonprofit management, nonprofit volunteers, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosen, volunteer empowerment
I was in a meeting with various department heads and faculty. Leading the group was one of the most respected deans on campus, a particularly learned professor who had built the college she represented into one of the most prestigious in the entire university system. I was pitching a start-up initiative based on the idea […]
charity fundraising, employment, nonprofit, rudy rosen
I have heard event planners say they can’t understand why some organizations’ events do so well but “identical” fundraising events held by their organization in the same city do poorly. They say that they do everything they can think of to imitate the successful organizations’ events. They imitate what appears on the surface as a successful […]
auction event, charity fundraising, Event, Event Fundraising, fundraising, Fundraising Event, nonprofit, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosenA good analogy to a well-run auction fundraising event is a well-run circus. There is something for everyone, and the goal is for everyone to have fun. Something is always going on to see or do. The circus has its center ring and the main event. The gala auction event has its auction, always held […]
I often see a nonprofit organization’s advocacy invested solely in an executive director. This individual does the testifying, the lobbying, the outreach, and the contact with members of legislative bodies and other elected officials. That person does everything. While often a noted expert in the association’s field of focus, their expertise and experience may not […]
fundraising, leadership, nonprofit, Nonprofit Leadership, nonprofit management, rudolph-rosen, rudy rosen, volunteer empowermentA conversation about diversifying small nonprofit organization funding for success A leader of a nonprofit organization came to me a few days ago with a problem many small nonprofits face. With a staff of about five and almost no staff time or financial resources to spare, this leader wanted to move the organization into new […]
fundraising, nonprofit, Nonprofit finance, nonprofit management, rudy rosenDon’t confuse leadership with charisma A successful association leader and I were visiting recently when the topic of “charismatic” nonprofit executives and leadership came up.  We discussed seeing numerous employment ads for executive leadership where in almost every one “charismatic” seemed to be the key qualification sought. It was a timely discussion. I mentioned a […]
CEO recruitment, nonprofit, rudy rosen
I received a request from a journalist for my top six hints for a successful charity fundraising auction. I told her my recommendations would vary a bit based on the size of fundraising auction and whether the host was managing with volunteers or had hired the services of professional event managers to run part or […]
auction event, charity fundraising, nonprofit, rudy rosenA well-run auction fundraising event offers something for everyone, with a goal for everyone to have fun. Something is always going on to see or do. The event’s main attraction is the live auction. An effective auction unfolds like a staged play, with a cast of characters and an audience. Auctioneers, spotters, runners, and models […]
auction event, charity fundraising, fundraising, Fundraising Event, rudy rosen
Board member expectations can be unrealistic in nonprofit strategic planning I had just completed a nonprofit strategic planning process involving board members and staff, and the board chairman had finished studying the strategic plan. He was not one to read a lot or put up with much process. He usually knew what he wanted and […]
fundraising, nonprofit, rudy rosen, strategic planning
Many people love to attend fundraising events because events are so much fun. Many of these same people are also members and officers of nonprofit organizations. It’s no surprise when those event lovers say they want their organization to host an event, too. And why not? Everyone knows fundraising events are fun and “all the […]
auction event, fundraising, nonprofit, rudy rosen
My wife and I attended a statewide event planned by a team of staff and volunteers. It was a fundraiser serving the added purpose of recognizing the efforts of volunteers from throughout the state who had hosted fundraising events in their own communities during the preceding year. At our table was a couple, longtime volunteers […]
auction event, fundraising, rudy rosenThe Chronicle of Philanthropy recently ran an article on fundraiser turnover by Holly Hall. It seems surveys are underway to shed light on the issue of fundraiser recruitment and retention. Executive directors and board members often have expectations about a fundraiser’s ability to raise funds that are not met, so fundraisers may come and go […]
fundraising, jobs, rudy rosenPresident and CEO Magazine http://www.presidentandceomagazine.com/ interviewed me for an article that ran in the April 2012 edition (page 20-21) titled “Donors Aren’t Perfect: Things That Annoy the Charities You Support.” The take-away message was that major donors can sometimes drive an organization’s efforts and funding away from its key mission. There is little negative that […]
donors, nonprofit business plan, rudy rosen