Springtime at my house means lots of outdoor gardening projects.  One that I like to do best is mulching the flower beds.  In addition to looking neat and tidy, the mulch helps my flower beds retain a bit of water, and stops the growth of some of the weeds.  In my garden (maybe yours, too), the mulch never stops the growth of all weeds.  There are always at least some very hardy weeds that get through even the best mulched plots!  And if I don’t pull it at first sight, the unwanted weeds will[…]

No sooner than spring arrives do we begin planning our summer barbeques, vacations, and road-trips. Having survived the winter, that ribbon of highway leading to the sandy beach never looked so good. Back at the office, you might also be making plans to capitalize on your expanding database and donor lists having captured more potential donors than ever during last year’s annual appeal. As it has become easier to reach potential donors online who reside in every state and country, how tempting[…]

Thinking back to the second grade, I recall the day I met my ultimate goal –  to achieve perfect attendance.  My name was plastered on the school’s front bulletin board with many others that had managed to pull themselves out of bed each morning, sometimes going to lengths to persuade parents that they were well enough to go to school. Perfect attendance was a symbol of achievement for many of us. But it was not an indicator of how much we had learned. The grades from the pop quizzes and scores[…]

If someone called your agency today and requested the organization’s Form 990s for the past three years, would someone be able to help them right away?  What would happen if someone walked through the door and asked to see a copy of the organization’s determination letter or 1023 or 1024 form (the original application for tax exempt status)? Would they be helped or would they be turned away by someone who had no idea what the person was talking about?  Nonprofit organizations are legally[…]

When another organization, group of people, or an individual offers to raise funds or collect in-kind donations for the benefit of your nonprofit, it is generally a cause for celebration!  Free money is terrific.  No strings attached…no work involved…no fundraising expenses for you….or is it?  What if the outside entity makes promises your organization couldn’t keep? What if the outside group provided inappropriate receipts or acknowledgements for the gifts?  What if the noncash gifts received[…]

The headlines in the past few weeks have highlighted the sudden influx of highly qualified volunteers arriving at our doors in record numbers.  If you frequently utilize volunteers, you probably have systems in place to get them working right away.  However, some nonprofits have avoided engaging volunteers on a large scale due to the cost of a structured volunteer program. After all, managing volunteers requires resources and exposes the organization to potential risks. But have you calculated[…]

For many nonprofits, it is difficult to find that rare person who delights in writing board minutes and has an aptitude for the task!   Hopefully, you have a person with that special talent who creates perfect minutes for every board meeting.Of course, board minutes serve as the business records of the organization and should be kept for all meetings of the board.  In addition, minutes should be kept for committee meetings when the committee makes decisions on behalf of the board.  In many[…]

One role of the board of directors is to keep a watchful eye on the organization’s financial health.  However, the quantity of financial information that nonprofit boards receive can vary from a brief verbal summary that “all is well,” reported sporadically from time-to-time, to a 30-page copy of the organization’s general ledger provided monthly.  The Standards for Excellence® code has always recommended that the board of directors review the internal financial statements at least quarterly.[…]

Did you know that the first question of the newly revised Form 990 (following the initial identification) is a request for your organization’s mission statement?The Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector® states that all organizations should “have a mission statement that is a formal statement of the organization’s purpose as defined and approved by the board of directors.  The organization’s activities should be consistent with its stated purpose.” […]

Like most people, I have a couple of favorite charities that can count on my donation each year.  I also have my “walk-ins.”  These are charities that unexpectedly catch my attention.  Their stories are compelling and their needs are often urgent.  The least I can do is to take a second look, right?  This is where the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for Nonprofit Sector® is very helpful.The Standards for Excellence® code is one of many tools I use to distinguish the[…]