By Mel Shaw and Pearl Shaw As you organize your work for the coming year, now is a good time to review the contracts or agreements you have in place or are developing. Do you know what they say? What the payments terms are? What you’re actually purchasing? Too often a deal is made, an agreement is signed, people get to work, and the paper is never looked at again. Does this sound familiar? If yes, don’t worry, we’re all human! But there are a few things to consider to help ensure positive outcomes and healthy working relationships. We are…
Author: Mel and Pearl Shaw
By Mel and Pearl Shaw of Saad&Shaw It’s a joyous time to give and receive – and to teach! With our holiday giving we have a moment to teach our children the power and value of our local and national nonprofits. As we prepare gifts for our friends and family members we reflect on our relationships and how we value the people in our lives. We may not see a family member on a regular basis, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care about them. A gift, card, text, email or phone call is a way to reach across the…
What does an artist look like? What about a businessperson? Do they look the same? Different? What are they doing? How do they dress? Where do they live? Here are two more questions to consider. Which is the introvert? Which can assess the environment and create impactful solutions? We pose these questions as opposites, building on the assumption that artists and business people are of two different minds. That is the dominant message in our culture. It is “luck” that makes an artist successful in his or her lifetime, and “smarts” that lead to business success. What we are learning…
A well-run volunteer management program can change the life of your nonprofit. Most leaders know this and yearn for a team they can depend on. At the same time most delay engaging volunteers because “it’s a lot of work.” That’s the truth. But, it’s also true that an investment in volunteers will leverage the work of your organization in ways you can’t yet imagine. There are two key principles that are the foundation of a successful volunteer engagement program. First, recruit leadership-level volunteers using the same care and thoughtfulness you would when engaging a major donor. Second, once recruited, ask…
Will a fundraising plan solve your fundraising challenges? Will your organizational culture change? Will your board suddenly become more involved? What about funding: will the money and resources you need miraculously appear? Creating fundraising plans for our clients is one of our core services. We invest time learning each organization, its culture, assets, position in the marketplace, challenges and successes. And we get to know the people. We combine our learnings and experience to create a fundraising plan. While we wish a plan could magically bring resources to a nonprofit, the truth is that it won’t. A plan is only…
How will you meet your fundraising goal in 2017? This question typically elicits one of three responses. Some are confident they will be able to secure the funds their organization needs. Others have a general feeling about where the money and resources will come from. Still others are used to making do and believe they will survive one way or the other. Where does your nonprofit fall on this spectrum of responses? Managing the fundraising process throughout the year can help reduce year-end “surprises.” With this column we offer three suggestions to support your fundraising. First, set your annual fundraising…
Each day we are creating the legacy that one day we will leave to our family and the world. We do it with our words and daily actions. We do it with our giving. What is most important to you and your family? How do you want to be remembered? When an organization captures your heart you think about how you can contribute to their work. You give of your time, resources and talents. You can also plan to continue your giving in the future, even when you’re gone. You can start at 20 years old or 70. Age is…
Part II of a II Part Series Are you ready for a successful fundraising year? Are you already involved? Before you go full force in the marketplace – whether with cultivation or solicitation – stop and review your fundraising readiness status. Here are 10 business processes we have found impact fundraising. Take a moment to review, and consider scheduling a staff meeting to discuss. 1. Customer service. Do we have a system in place that provides donors with the information or interaction they requested? Have we created a culture that ensures people who interact with our organization leave 2. Recognition…