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 […]
Management
Strategic Plans for Nonprofit Organizations? Yes, when they count!

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 empowermentLands Conservancy Funding Done Conservatively

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 planningNonprofit Organization Leadership versus Management

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 rosenNonprofit Business Plan

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 choices require focus
Fundraising 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 rosenNonprofit CEO recruitment risks: Insider advantage vs. association management expertise
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 empowermentEmpower an Advocacy Army for Your Nonprofit
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 empowermentFinance nonprofit organization growth for financial stability?
A 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 rosenLeadership Competency versus Charisma
Don’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 rosenFundraising Jobs: Turnover and Retention
The 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 rosen