Management

We recently broke down the basics of volunteer management, but to develop a truly engaging, rewarding volunteer program, you’ll need more than just a working knowledge of what volunteer management means. Looking to develop a volunteer program for the first time or take your existing volunteer management plan to the next level? You’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll talk through 5 strategies that can revolutionize your approach to volunteer management, each of which can help you increase volunteer engagement and retention. Try one of the following tips on its own or put all of them together for a truly [...]

Whether a board is seeking to replace a retiring executive director or requesting a search for a new CEO to move their organization to greater levels of success, the leadership skills they are seeking are much different than those of traditional nonprofit leaders. As an executive search consultant for the nonprofit sector, I've noticed that boards are seeking chief executives with transformational leadership styles. Previously, boards placed a strong emphasis on recruiting executives who were passionate about the mission, experienced with grant writing, program development and had good management and community relationship skills. Though these skills remain important, the following are [...]

No one wants to believe that they or their company has bias, especially nonprofit organizations whose purpose is to do social good. But, it happens. Conscious or unconscious bias may reduce your openness to people who are different from you, and in turn, can dramatically affect your hiring process.   Research over the past eleven years has repeatedly demonstrated a tilted field in nonprofit hiring, especially in senior executive and development level positions. Despite this knowledge, the percentages seem to show little movement.   Instead of rehashing the statistics, here are several immediate, introductory steps that can improve diversity within your [...]

  A new study from the Taproot Foundation shows just how important pro bono service has become in the nonprofit community and how this form of giving is actually a win-win for both the corporations and your nonprofit. Taproot’s mission is “to drive social change by leading, mobilizing, and engaging professionals in pro bono service.” The Foundation’s recent annual and global event, “Pro Bono Week” (Oct. 19-25) reinforced that pro bono services may be the perfect opportunity to spare your budget, while still getting quality services from various industries.   According to Giving in Numbers: 2014 Edition (a report from the [...]