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Violent Opposition, For Now

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[Note: This was cross-posted October 1, 2014 by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.] Arthur Schopenhauer said, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is…
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Labor Day Plus One

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We all have our favorite day of the year. It might be a birthday or a particular holiday. For me, it’s Opening Day of the baseball season. For my wife…
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Nickels

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If you want to get a whiff of the seamier edge of corporate philanthropy, check out the new charitable marketing scheme by 5-Hour Energy®. The company has undertaken an advertising…
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Counting Mosquito Nets

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If you think it’s simple to measure a nonprofit’s effectiveness, think again. I’ve written before about the failings of Charity Navigator and other rating systems, which resort to vastly oversimplified…
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Think Before You Endow

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I was recently asked at a public forum why I don’t like endowments. I answered: “It’s not so much that I don’t like endowments. It’s that nonprofits and their donors…
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The Departed

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So what should a nonprofit board do when high-ranking staff members leave the organization? This may sound radical, but shouldn’t the board try to figure out why these staff members…
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Cheap Easels

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If you want to understand the nonprofit world’s approach to spending money, take a look at their easels. Every small nonprofit owns metal easels. They use these easels a dozen…
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