Board Service: How Many Is Too Many?

Posted by & filed under Board Development, Boards of Directors.

Last week I led a class for the Board Development Academy hosted by the Center for Nonprofit Excellence in Charlottesville, VA. The Board Development Academy is for engaged community leaders, people either early on in their board careers or those who have never been on a board, who want to learn how to effectively serve… Read more »

Blackbaud Study Finds Two Virginia Cities Among Most Generous for Online Giving

Posted by & filed under Philanthropy Research & Events.

On April 11, Blackbaud, a leading nonprofit technology firm, released their fifth annual ranking of the Most Generous Online U.S. Cities. The study includes 265 cities with at least 100,000 residents based on per capita online giving. In the cities studied, donations topped $509 million online in 2012. And, while it may not be surprising… Read more »

Blackbaud Reports on Online Giving Trends

Posted by & filed under Philanthropy Research & Events.

I recently participated in a webinar hosted by Blackbaud and The Giving Institute on the topic of trends in online giving, its impact on nonprofits, and the best ways for organizations to optimize donor engagement through digital channels. One major trend Blackbaud emphasized was the predictability of online giving. As online giving grows, data is collected to… Read more »

Study Finds Next Gen Donors Driven by Personal Values & Desire for Social Impact

Posted by & filed under Philanthropy Research & Events.

Rick Moyers, vice president of programs and communications at the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, recently wrote in The Chronicle about a new report, “Next Gen Donors: Respecting Legacy, Revolutionizing Philanthropy.” The results included some interesting data from 300 high-capacity donors in their 20s and 30s. They are all individuals poised to become very influential… Read more »

Four Tips on Strategic Planning

Posted by & filed under Nonprofit Management.

I’m currently enrolled in Old Dominion University’s Public Administration program. This semester I’m taking a course on nonprofit management and reading a book by Michael Allison and Jude Kaye titled Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations. Allison and Kaye make four key points about effective strategic planning: 1. Focus on the most important issues during your… Read more »

Highlights from “Donor and Board Member Engagement” Webinar Hosted by Bloomerang

Posted by & filed under Boards of Directors, Donor Retention.

Bloomerang, a company specializing in donor databases, hosted a webinar recently titled “Everything You Need to Know about Donor and Board Member Engagement.” We are cautious of programs that boast these superlatives—”Everything”, really? But we knew the hosts were authorities in their field and signed up to participate. While Jay Love, CEO of Bloomerang, and Bryan… Read more »

Tips for a Successful Annual Giving Program: Harris Connect Presents at AFP-HR

Posted by & filed under Fundraising.

This week at the Association of Fundraising Professionals-Hampton Roads luncheon, Kurt Worrell, general manager, Fundraising Solutions Division at Harris Connect, presented on the topic of annual giving. Kurt began with the statement that running a successful annual giving program can be time intensive and costly. However, he continued, it’s an integral part of any fundraising… Read more »