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Articles for category Nonprofit


If Ruminating on Risk Inspires Worry, You’re Doing it Wrong

Pondering risk should inspire confidence and excitement about the possibilities, not excessive handwringing. Here are some practical ways to turn your risk worries into confidence-building conversations.[…]
By Melanie Lockwood Herman | April 30, 2019 Read More>
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Four Things Your Nonprofit’s Board of Directors Should Do to Start Out the New Year by Embracing Best Practices

There is more to running an ethical, accountable, and transparent nonprofit than just legal and accounting requirements. Boards of directors can set the tone for the organization by conducting regular reviews of core governing and operating policies and procedures. Check out these four things your board of directors can do to embrace ethical, accountable, and transparent values in the new year.[…]
By Amy Coates Madsen | January 31, 2019 Read More>

Top Takeaways from Licensed Consulting Training

Ron Barrett, COGENCY GLOBAL's Vice President of Nonprofit Services, reflects on his experience participating in the 2018 Standards for Excellence Institute Licensed Consultant Training.[…]
By Lydia Alcock | January 10, 2019 Read More>

2019 Class of Licensed Consultants Advance Standards for Excellence® Mission

The Standards for Excellence Institute, an initiative designed to help nonprofit organizations operate more ethically and accountably, announces its 2018 Class of Licensed Consultants. […]
By Lydia Alcock | December 13, 2018 Read More>
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Failure to Address Succession Planning by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

A long-tenured executive director is uncertain about how much longer he intends to stay with his organization and has talked with a few members of the staff about the possibility of leaving. He has not spoken to the board or stated a clear intention, and the board is hesitant to address the issue out of respect. How can this board and executive director act ethically? Read this article from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, a Replication Partner based in Santa Clara, CA, to find out.   […]
By Lydia Alcock | October 26, 2018 Read More>
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Lack of Board Engagement: Did this Board act ethically? By the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

Disengaged board members fail to meet their ethical obligations to nonprofit organizations. If the executive director believes their nonprofit could raise more funds and serve more people, but the board's lack of engagement is impacting growth, what options are there? Read this article from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, a Replication Partner based in Santa Clara, CA, to find out. […]
By Lydia Alcock | October 26, 2018 Read More>
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Nonprofit Fraud: Did this Board act ethically? By the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

Boards have an ethical duty to understand and fulfill their responsibilities to a nonprofit, including rigorous financial oversight. If a nonprofit loses $900,000 over eight years due to theft by the executive director, was the board acting unethically?  Check out this article from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, a Santa Clara, California-based Replication Partner,  to find out.[…]
By Lydia Alcock | October 26, 2018 Read More>
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Upholding Fundraising Standards and Ethics

The Standards for Excellence Institute has been following a news story in Baton Rouge that raises important questions related to best practices in governance and management of nonprofit charitable resources, and provides a sharp example of the importance of embracing best practices, as articulated in the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector.[…]
By Amy Coates Madsen | June 27, 2018 Read More>
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Is Your Executive Director A Farmer? (And that’s not a bad thing!)

The role of an Executive Director is to acquire and husband all the resources of an organization, so those resources can best serve the mission. These resources may be dollars, good will, facilities or, most importantly, the people who are making a difference.[…]
By Susan Detwiler | April 26, 2018 Read More>
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The One Thing Strategic Plans Forget

Ahh, the glorious feeling of looking at the month after next on your calendar and seeing whole empty days. How easy it is to be magnanimous and say “yes” when asked to take on a job that isn’t due for two months. So we say “yes,” and put it on the calendar. When another someone asks us to do something in the future, we again check our calendar, see that it’s still pretty empty, and again say “yes.” This happens a few more times, and all of a sudden, the 1st week in December starts looking pretty[…]
By Susan Detwiler | January 10, 2018 Read More>
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