“We love our Form 990!” Would any nonprofit organization ever make that statement? Loving it might be a lot to ask. We at least need to get to the point where we can say, “Our Form 990 represents our nonprofit very well and we are proud of its contents.” Why such a “to do” about Form 990s? Taking a step back to the “pre-GuideStar era (founded in 1994),” most folks didn’t even know what a Form 990 was. As GuideStar grew to be more of household name among nonprofit organizations, the treasure[…]

By Tish Mogan, Standards for Excellence Officer, Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations “We love our Form 990!” Would any nonprofit organization ever make that statement? Loving it might be a lot to ask. We at least need to get to the point where we can say, “Our Form 990 represents our nonprofit very well and we are proud of its contents.” Why such a “to do” about Form 990s? Taking a step back to the “pre-GuideStar era (founded in 1994),” most folks didn’t even know what a Form 990[…]

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work in the nonprofit sector.  I am even more thankful to have this chance to work with so many people from different fields and with diverse passions working as hard as they can to fight the toughest problems.  With the Standards for Excellence Institute, we work with all different types of organizations, addressing all different types of ills and problems in our communities and world.I spent most of this spring moving quickly from one training or[…]

The ethics field lost a giant last week when Rushworth Kidder, President and Founder of the Institute for Global Ethics in Rockport, Maine passed way in Naples Florida.While I am sorry to say that I never personally met Rush, I was an avid reader of his publications and works and I often cited a quote from his writings.  My favorite Rushworth Kidder quote was:“…because nonprofits have an obligation to do the right things-often wrenching choices among competing priorities, and having to ask what[…]

 Recent news about the bankruptcy filing at Baltimore Behavioral Health Center is a startling and disturbing example of what can go wrong when nonprofits don’t do all that they can to keep their work ethical, accountable, and above board.The story reads like a “how to get your name in the paper” manual: allegations like blatant instances of conflicts of interest, related individuals that were both board members and staff members, hiring practices that did not screen for individuals on federal[…]

With super storms crashing through the region, hurricane season just behind us, and winter looming ahead, it occurred to me how much productivity an organization could gain if their staff worked from home. What if employees were already telecommuting when a physical office closed due to snow or power outage? What if the groundwork was laid so that, in case of emergency, an employee could telecommute from any location? If this were the case, work could continue despite issues that may be[…]

With super storms crashing through the region, hurricane season just behind us, and winter looming ahead, it occurred to me how much productivity an organization could gain if their staff worked from home. What if employees were already telecommuting when a physical office closed due to snow or power outage? What if the groundwork was laid so that, in case of emergency, an employee could telecommute from any location? If this were the case, work could continue despite issues that may be[…]

My Top 3 Reasons for Standards for Excellenceby Maria Carrasquillo, MJH Consulting Last month, I was one of many who have been certified as a Licensed Consultant with the Standards for Excellence Institute (SFX). The three-day training was informative, intriguing, and invigorating. For many, many years, my eyes have been following this program and, finally, I find myself sitting in a room with twenty participants. As I processed my experience, I gave some serious thought to my personal reasons[…]

By: Greg Cantori, President & CEO, Maryland Nonprofits and the Standards for Excellence InstituteLast month I had the pleasure of welcoming the 2012 class of Licensed Consultants to Baltimore for three days of extensive training in how to work with organizations seeking to implement the Standards for Excellence® code.  Planning my remarks, I decided to tell the story of my first week on the job at my previous position at the Downtown Sailing Center…Our summer Junior Sailing Camp was in full[…]

Cartoon CreditIn July 2012, Sally Patterson then Interim President & CEO of the Standards for Excellence Institute and Maryland Nonprofits was interviewed by Joce Sterman of ABC2 News about nonprofit organizations that claim zero fundraising expenses. But in this Chronicle of Philanthropy article entitled, “Nonprofit Inquiry Thrusts Fundraising Costs into the Spotlight,” Suzanne Perry discusses that the current issue isn’t low cost fundraising but expenses that are too high when compared to the[…]