If you’re walking around Philly today, chances are you have spring fever, like me. As it turns out, that urge to ditch your desk and go have lunch in the park is pretty healthy, and might actually help you work smarter. Continue reading
InSights
Lessons from Punk Rock
Punk rocker Amanda Palmer makes the point that by asking her audience for their support she creates an exchange that builds community and gives her listeners the opportunity to participate in something of meaning to them. Compare this to selling a product, a purely financial exchange. Her music is free to anyone to download, while she asks her fans to pay what they want. The result is far more money than she would have raised through sales and a stronger connection and sense of trust between her and her audience. She also makes the point how vulnerable it feels to ask, but how gratifying it is to both parties to establish the resulting relationship.
Lessons learned for nonprofit fundraising?
One truffle in the box
Yesterday’s mail included a nice surprise underneath the bills: a one-pound box of dark truffles. There were about 30 truffles – old favorites to savor and new flavors to test. The project you’re trying to pitch to a funder is just one truffle in the box.
Not as easy as 1-2-3
Part of what makes data collection and evaluation so challenging is that it’s not always clear what the most useful data to capture actually is. Last time, I talked about how an organization might determine what the most useful data is for evaluating performance of volunteers. It’s not as easy as it seems. Continue reading
Tipping the Scales
Every January, the same scene: the gym locker room crowded with determined New Year’s Resolutioners. While not unwelcome, us long-termers know that 90% will be gone by March. What separates the 10% from the rest of the pack?
Banish Networking Nightmares
One of the most tired pieces of advice around nonprofits (as well as your personal career) is network, network, network!
This isn’t to say that networking and collaboration aren’t vitally important to an organization’s success – I’d wager it’s quite the opposite. In a world of finite human and financial resources and seemingly infinite need, successful nonprofits are connected to and learning from other great organizations. These nonprofits are also filled with well-connected individuals. Continue reading
THAT guy again
Hitting it Out of the Park
Last week I wrote about football and the value of punting. This week, I’m moving to baseball and considering another question: How can we determine what the most useful data is for evaluating performance? Continue reading
How to not fail at failure
“Good judgment is the result of experience and experience the result of bad judgment.”—Mark Twain
While it’s easy to pat yourself on the back for a job well done, examining organizational mistakes, struggles, and shortcomings can be unpleasant, but it’s the key to future success. Continue reading
Fairmount4Free – Update
Back in June we announced the launch of the Fairmount4Free initiative with the goal of supporting small innovative nonprofit organizations that benefit the Greater Philadelphia region. In addition to working with PhilaSoup, we decided to move forward with an additional mini F4F engagement with the African Family Health Organization (AFAHO). Continue reading