Why do we make assumptions? Our brains process billions of pieces of information every day, sorting them into categories by connecting the unknown to the known. Because we know our own feelings and reactions best, we tend to project them onto others. This blog helps identify how to overcome, or at least minimize, your assumption bias.

The question I hear most often about boards is "how can I get my board more engaged?" or "how can I get my board members to engage?" It takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work to turn an ineffective board into an effective one, but it can and does happen. These four tips will help you start your journey toward a more effective board.

Writing an effective professional email takes more than good grammar and a polite sign-off; it demands clarity and intentionality. These 8 tips will help every email you send land with greater impact.

Many options exist for paying your grant professional or staff to write applications on your behalf. A commission or percentage of the revenue they raise should not and cannot ethically be one of them. Learn why in this week's video.

Back in 1964, communication theorist Marshall McLuhan famously declared, "the medium is the message," meaning that the way information gets delivered shapes its impact on the recipient just as powerfully as the words themselves. Why does the medium matter? Let’s dive into it!

You may have seen on an application that you can add indirect costs to your budget and request. Learn what that means and why you should take advantage of these opportunities to raise more operating funds for your organization.

These 7 themes serve as good reminders to more seasoned grant professionals and good lessons for more novice grant seekers.

The board guides both the thinking and execution in the strategic planning process to guide the organization’s future. Five actions fulfill this role.

With 30% of all donations made during the month of December, how you finish the year with your appeal strategy might make or break your fund development goals and your organization's budget. These tips can help you end the year strong to maximize the revenue you raise.

At this time of year, a good digital strategy becomes even more important. With nearly 40% of gifts made during the month of December, a robust digital strategy can maximize your revenue, especially important as we conclude this tumultuous year. Here are 6 ways you can you best integrate digital tools this giving season.

As described in our last post, a strong board-led evaluation process transforms how a board and its executive director work together. It ensures alignment, builds trust, and keeps the organization moving forward with clarity and purpose. While each nonprofit may tailor its process, the best evaluations share the following 7 steps that combine structure with respect.

A 30-45 second explanation of your organization and why it's important, an elevator pitch provides an important tool for educating the public about your organization. When created with your leadership team, board and staff, it also empowers them to both better understand your organization and to share a consistent message with their friends and network.

Effective leadership drives mission success. When the executive director leads with clarity, integrity, and purpose, the organization thrives. Like every employee, even the most talented leader needs regular and structured feedback, direction, and accountability to continue to grow personally and professionally and strategically move the organization forward. For a nonprofit, the board alone carries that responsibility. These five reasons explain how board-led evaluations of your chief executive will reap long-term benefits for your organization.

Last time we talked about why you need a fund development plan. This video walks through the steps to gather the data that will inform your plan and how to use that data to develop the strategies to move your organization and its fund development work forward.

Nonprofits don’t exist to make money — but they do need it to make an impact. A social enterprise can help you do both. Read more to learn how to build a mission-driven business venture that strengthens your sustainability, credibility, and connection to your cause.

One type of strategic plan focuses on your fund development work. Are you spending time in a way that will raise the most money for your organization? Are you meeting best practices benchmarks? A plan can help you determine that and create strategy to fill in any identified gaps.

At a meeting back in February, my staff and I talked about some of the likely challenges with which we thought our clients lived after the barrage of executive orders that the current administration had released at that time.

As executive orders and funding freezes began to feel more common, we started collecting data in a quarterly Federal Grant Impact Survey. Today's blog post highlights are most recent findings and the state of Quad Cities nonprofits today.

One strategic plan that I recommend all organizations have is a strategic fund development plan. It allows you to chart out your long-term and short-term goals, find the gaps in achieving that goal, and develop specific steps to get there.

Last week, I had the honor of cohosting the inaugural Table Talk session of the OneTable QC initiative, a joint venture between Wastyn & Associates and the Quad Cities Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The event brought together nearly 60 local nonprofit leaders from various sectors to discuss their realities in the current political and economic environment, to share what they anticipate as the various elements of the Reconciliation Bill get implemented, and to brainstorm ways to minimize these impacts on their organizations and the people they serve.

Organizations that have a good strategic plan will more likely achieve their goals, their goals will more likely move them toward their vision of success, and they will have more engaged board members and staff. Learn why you need a strategic plan and how a good planning process can get you there.