When I’m asked what separates the nonprofits that thrive from the ones that merely survive, my answer is almost always the same: clarity. The strongest organizations can tell you, without hesitation, who they serve, what their mission is, and what problem they exist to solve. That’s the north star. Everything else—programs, budgets, board recruitment, hiring, fundraising—should flow from those answers. What erodes that clarity is mission creep, and I want to be honest about w

Let me be honest with you: I'm not a big fan of fundraising events. I know, I know. The event feels like momentum. Hundreds of people show up wearing your t-shirts, the energy is high, sponsors have their banners up, and for one Saturday your nonprofit feels like it's really doing something. But after years working as a nonprofit CEO and fundraising professional, I've seen the same patterns play out over and over — and most of them are costing organizations far more than they

I love football season. As we gear up for the big kickoffs this weekend, I can’t help but think how much being an Executive Director...

While I'm still new in my role as a consultant, a clear theme has emerged from my conversations with clients and potential clients:...

In this blog post, I will share with you some of the insights I gained from my experience as both a grant maker and a grant seeker. I...

In the nonprofit sector, we often emphasize the importance of understanding our "why." In my first blog post I’d like to take a moment to...