Management

Volunteers are the driving force behind many nonprofits. Think about it: these amazing individuals dedicate their time and talents to your cause in a myriad of ways, from helping you pull off your fundraising event to serving others in their community on your behalf. So, how do you show volunteers that they made the right choice by becoming a part of your organization? By providing a positive volunteer experience, for starters! Managing volunteers is no small task, but with a little effort on your part, you can develop a volunteer program that’s effective, engaging, and exceptionally fulfilling for everyone involved. In [...]

You’ve heard it virtually everywhere – Millennials hate the idea of a 9 to 5 work schedule. Not only does it keep us glued to a computer at some of the best times for grocery shopping, hiking, running errands, or even getting a haircut, it dictates how late we can stay out or how much craft beer we can drink the night before. I know what you’re thinking. “Boo-hoo, poor Millennials. You have to be somewhat responsible and grow up.” Well, that attitude might keep you from hiring some of your best, and most productive workers, in freelance Millennials. Further, it's [...]

There's a lot of talk about what the future of the workplace will look like.  So, a few weeks ago, I put out a general question to my social media networks: When considering a potential (or current) employer, what is a non-negotiable for you? I wasn’t entirely sure what I was expecting. But let me tell you that people are super passionate about this. I spent some time really trying to analyze responses in an effort to create my list, but honestly, there was one glaring theme:  People want to be treated fairly and with respect. It seems so simple, right? [...]

You’re a small nonprofit making a big impact. Perhaps you dream of how much more you could accomplish with bigger staff, or a bigger budget… or both. What the next world-changing program could be if you weren’t juggling 5 different people’s jobs or putting out fires. Or maybe, you wonder how much more efficient you could be if you just had time to fix that data or operations challenge.   Around 90% of our nonprofit customers at Salesforce.org are small organizations with under 100 employees, who face the same challenges building capacity with a lack of resources. Organizations overcoming these hurdles [...]

As I’ve gone through the last five years of my career, my job search has stayed relatively the same. When I’m searching for writing jobs, it doesn’t matter what the industry is, the job descriptions are all virtually the same. Except that, over the last couple of years, I’ve seen a lot of companies squeezing in witty little remarks, hidden questions, and seemingly ridiculous proclamations about what goes on in their office every day. [Example: I just read one that mentions bike races in the office…how does that even happen?]   Have offices always been this fun and crazy? Am I [...]

  Throughout the country, leaders work tirelessly for their nonprofits, often above and beyond the call of duty. Often nonprofit directors and their organizations are so entwined with each other that a clearly defined succession plan is never a focus. This can be especially true in cases where the director is also the founder, since it is difficult to think of one without the other. Eventually, despite their love for their jobs, these tireless leaders deserve a break--perhaps a permanent one.   [adrotate banner="95"]   For the next 19 years, 10,000 people will be turning 65 every day. Baby Boomers are [...]

I am staggered by the number of universities, associations and institutes that claim to teach “leadership.” And I am weary of the statistics about the male/female leadership gap, both in the nonprofit sector and in the wider world of business and politics. But I am even more amazed at the way the “leadership industry” targets its wares by gender. Don’t take my word for it – go to Google and search the keywords “men’s leadership” and “women’s leadership” (using quote marks around both). What did you get? Well, my results were 87,000 hits for men and 1,030,000 for women. Surprised? I [...]

“It’s Not You, It’s Me”  Watching a great employee walk out the door on to another job is hard. Employee turnover rates seem a consistent trend among both nonprofit and business sectors as technology and culture rapidly evolve. What to do? Keep that spark alive between your nonprofit and its employees. When Dan Schwabel of Forbes.com shared The Top 10 Workplace Trends for 2014, “continuous job search” was on the list. Schwabel reports that “73% of workers don’t have a problem looking for new employment before leaving their current employer and 48% of millennials say they conduct job search activities at [...]

You curled your hair and put on your patent leather shoes. You even put on lipstick without your mom’s permission. You are ready for your first junior high dance. Will you ask Bobby to slow dance or stand near the wall with friends? Will you go near the chip bowl, or do you not want to run into Mr. Smead, the algebra teacher/chaperone? This dance was supposed to be fun, but it is turning into one awkward night. Do you notice any similarities to a networking event? Have you ever hoped to become a better networker than when you were in [...]