If we want to raise the bar for philanthropy here in the Northwest, I’m beginning to think that the place we must start with is a wholesale upgrade to the management skills of the leaders within our nonprofit organizations. I know too many executives who are simply resigned to the high turnover rates of their [...]
The thing I value most about working for The Collins Group is that we are constantly learning – from donors and volunteers, from each other, and, most often, from our clients. The nature of our work allows us to become engaged with such a wide array of nonprofit organizations, and I am constantly surprised by [...]
Not a day has gone by in the past few weeks that I haven’t seen something written about the Gates/Buffett Giving Pledge on a philanthropy blog. But with each passing day the commentary surrounding the project seems to be getting more and more critical. Who could have anticipated that the mega-rich pledging their fortunes to [...]
Two studies released last month provide an interesting look at the current state of philanthropy. Reviewed together, they cover recent changes within our local funder community, and what we can expect to see in terms of national funding trends in the years ahead. From Crisis to Opportunity: Learning from One Region’s Response to the Economic [...]
I recently discovered a book which I think would be great summer reading for anyone looking for tips to energize a nonprofit board. It’s written for employers looking to motivate their staff, but all the tips seem equally, if not more, relevant for motivating volunteer leaders. It’s called “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates [...]
According to an article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, there have been more eight- and nine-figure gifts given in the first half of 2010 than in 2009. The article states: “At least 20 people have made gifts of $20-million to $35-million in the past six months; in the first part of 2009, only 13 such [...]
We here at The Collins Group are big fans of Christopher Davenport’s Movie Monday series – but not this week. In this week’s video, Spokane-based consultant Jeanne Ager explains her style of “mini-feasibility studies.” You can view the video here. Ager’s approach to a “mini-feasibility study” would indeed be less costly and less time-consuming than [...]
The results of the new Money for Good report will surprise you. The Money for Good initiative seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the behaviors, attitudes, and motivations of affluent Americans with respect to impact investing, charitable giving, and international entrepreneurship. Focus groups and an online survey (Hope Consulting conducted the research) tapped the [...]
About a week ago, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled “Smart Money: Is Your Favorite Charity Spying on You?” The article describes how nonprofits research donors by using wealth screening tools, public records and databases that provide career and education information, stock holdings, charitable giving history, campaign contributions, and home and real estate [...]
On March 22, the Nonprofit Finance Fund released a survey of more than 1,300 nonprofit leaders in markets nationwide, finding that nonprofits expect 2010 to be an increasingly challenging year as the economic recovery has not yet reached people in need or the organizations that serve them. Key findings from the survey include: Nearly 90 [...]
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