The sustainable nonprofit
The sustainable nonprofit column examines critical issues related to nonprofit sustainability through the eyes of nonprofit leaders, practitioners, and consultants. For more information, contact Kyoko Uchida, managing editor, kyoko.uchida@candid.org.
Ensuring a sustainable movement/organization
December 12, 2023Feldmann shares his approach to measuring sustainability with three key indicators: public action, individual change, and intersectionality with public life....
Raising the bar for public-private partnership in 2024 and beyond
December 4, 2023Baker, who leads the social impact practice at Boathouse Group Inc., offers considerations for improving corporate-nonprofit partnerships to drive change....
The difference between fundraising and marketing stories
November 9, 2023Fundraising relies on awareness and knowledge generated by marketing efforts; marketing itself benefits from supporting fundraising strategies and goals with deeper connections and longer-lasting awareness, writes Feldmann....
Seven ways to leverage Sustainable Development Goals to attract support
November 2, 2023Aligning their work with specific SDGs and measuring impact against specific goals enables nonprofits to demonstrate the tangible results of their work—and attract support and build relationships with partners with similar values, argues the executive director of The Blackbaud Giving Fund....
Is ‘Join the movement’ an effective or overused call to action?
October 17, 2023Research shows that “Join the movement” is a compelling CTA with people who are already persuaded and more likely to engage anyway, writes Feldmann, but ineffective with people who aren’t already receptive....
Trust, human connection, and infrastructure: A guide to building donor and investor relationships
October 11, 2023The managing partner at FSO Partners outlines how an organization will raise more capital if it values human connection, understands the speed of trust, and builds the infrastructure conducive for trust fundraising....
Tzimtzum—a path to organizational financial sustainability
September 26, 2023The Marcus Family executive director of Penn State Hillel explains how his organization leveraged the land it owned to build a strong physical presence and a robust balance sheet at the same time....
The challenge of identities in the cause space
September 19, 2023By relying on internal labels such as “supporter” and “donor” to craft communications to engage audiences, nonprofits may incorrectly include or exclude individuals in an outreach campaign based on a single behavior or transaction, writes Feldmann....
Is your organization ready for its next crisis?
September 12, 2023Crises can happen to nonprofits, foundations, and advocacy groups, which makes preparation for all possible known scenarios essential, write the chief of issue advocacy and the chief of political advocacy at Fenton Communications....
How to synchronize marketing and fundraising and why
August 21, 2023Feldmannn offers insights into key strategy decisions needed in ensuring that marketing and fundraising efforts are in sync and provide the audience with a seamless journey....
Avoid the perils of overgeneralizing generational research
July 27, 2023Feldmann, founder of the Millennial Impact Project and lead researcher at Cause & Social Influence, writes that researchers have a responsibility to discourage those who use and share research data from lifting only the data points that appear to support a particular narrative....
Let’s be better gardeners with our foundation funding partners
July 18, 2023Evan Wildstein, a nonprofiteer in Houston, Texas, director of community philanthropy at Every Texan, offers suggestions for fundraisers on better cultivating and stewarding their relationships with foundation leaders and staff....
Nonprofit founders: Win funding by focusing on what funders really care about
July 6, 2023Funders want to see a purpose statement focused on the why rather than what, a detailed background, an approach broken down into concrete phases, clear plans for reporting, and what sets the organization apart, argues Britt, a “nonprofit interventionist” and host of For Purpose Live....
Cannes Lions 2023 edition: Behind the scenes in creativity for impact
June 29, 2023Feldmann shares three takeaways from his conversations with leading creatives about what’s ahead for campaigns and creative efforts to spark social change....
Four actions to stabilize nonprofit finances amid economic upheaval
June 27, 2023The vice president of customer success and account management at GiveSmart by Community Brands outlines how nonprofits can ensure long-term stability by identifying new engagement opportunities and diversifying revenue drivers....
Making the most of board members: How to turn passion into progress
June 20, 2023Laurin, a senior wealth advisor at Mercer Advisors, outlines how nonprofits can ensure that their board members are aware of their roles and work with them to maximize their effectiveness in fulfilling them....
What makes or breaks an acquisition: A case study in getting the process right
June 14, 2023Harrell, a senior editor at Harvard Business Review, outlines the key takeaways from Leading Edge’s acquisition of Boardified in 2022....
Making a leadership change? Don’t overlook the importance of communications
June 6, 2023The founder of The 360 Group and a managing partner at Turn Two Communications outline how foundations and nonprofits can effectively communicate with internal and external audiences throughout the process of recruiting and hiring a new executive.....
