Our clients come to us carrying different goals to move their organization forward.
Some need to generate funding in new ways after their once-steady sources become obsolete. Others want to create a stronger, more engaged board. Some face uncertainty about the best approach to expand their organization. Continue reading
A recent New York Times op-ed titled “Parental Involvement Is Overrated” challenges conventional wisdom that increased parent engagement improves student academic achievement. Authors Keith Robinson and Angel L. Harris argue some parent involvement can even limit students academically. Robinson and Harris believe parents must do three things to positively impact their child’s academic success. Continue reading
The Twitterverse is alive with stimulating conversation. Sometimes we’ll share some of our favorite tweets. Fairmount’s Favorite Tweets is a quick way to stay informed on interesting and innovative thoughts that can help your organization think smarter and create greater impact. Continue reading
Who says you can’t teach an experienced dog new tricks? Fairmount Ventures has joined Twitter!
The Twitterverse is alive with stimulating conversation. Weekly we’ll share some of our favorite tweets. We view it as a quick way to stay informed on the facts, news, and quotes that introduced something we think is neat, interesting, or even funny. Continue reading
You may not be aware yet, but earlier this week LinkedIn opened its Volunteer Marketplace – designed specifically for nonprofits looking for skilled volunteers.
For instance you might serve on a small, relatively unknown nonprofit with aspirations to expand your visibility. Using Volunteer Marketplace, you can post an opening for a Volunteer Director of Marketing, along with a description of the skills and experiences you seek. Chicago Family Directions, a nonprofit who provides long-term literacy tutoring to Chicago Public School K-12 students did just that using the marketplace and had 12 applicants one day after posting its position. Continue reading
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
There’s no easy recipe for innovation, but I’m pretty sure it starts with a big idea. Here are five ingredients for creating an environment where big ideas thrive. Continue reading
Did anyone else get the opportunity to watch Bill Clinton’s speech at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night? Regardless of political affiliation, professional commentators and casual observers alike seem to agree that the man is a masterful orator, and his most recent speech was certainly no exception. The excitement in the convention hall was palpable even in my living room. Though the speech was almost an hour long, I was glued to my seat. Continue reading
I’ve been thinking a lot about collaboration lately. How can multiple actors best come together to merge different (and often competing) cultures and interests, to achieve a common goal? What are the conditions under which something truly significant results? What are the red flags that indicate despite good intentions all around, it’s time to chalk things up to “lessons learned” and walk away? Continue reading
Last week, a friend sent me a link to an image that was popular on one of my favorite social media sites. It was a picture of a sign on the side of a bus stop. The sign depicted a cute, slightly dopey-looking squirrel and read: “Get adopted by a squirrel. And feel content in knowing that your new parents are somewhere in a tree, watching you.” Continue reading