On Point Philanthropic Consulting Blog

July 26, 2021 Effective Planning post #4 and an introduction to the 5 Whys Technique You have gathered the team- staff and board- around the table. It’s time to brainstorm the list of new programs or consider a new partnership. But wait! Before you hop over to the ‘real work’ of setting goals…

July 19, 2021 Effective Planning- part 3 Nonprofits often shy away from benchmarking themselves.  The reasons are understandable. It takes time to develop and track a set of indicators. An organization might have to purchase data, such as a salary survey or report. It can be threatening to compare your organization’s performance to…

July 12, 2021 Bad plans simply restate whatever the organization is currently doing and adds 10% or 15% more. Effective plans come from a planning process that is fearless.   Fearlessness allows the organization to consider its mission and vision and honestly assess the size of the gap between what is and what could…

July 5, 2021 David Lively and Naveen Vinukonda recently published a great article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy about the high cost of turnover in development staff and leadership. If you haven’t read it, it’s one you don’t want to miss. However, buried in all the great information regarding how long it takes to…

June 28, 2021 Effective strategic planning requires traction Ask ten non-profit board members about strategic planning, and eight will probably say it’s a waste of time. Many non-profit leaders feel the same way. Sums of money, not to mention valuable time, are expended to create plans without traction, destined to sit on the…

April 12, 2021 The ideal board member attends meetings, is prepared to engage in critical thinking in the board room and understands the fiduciary AND strategic roles that board members are called on to play.  Checking the fiduciary boxes is no longer enough to ensure your organization thrives and reaps the full benefit…

March 29, 2021 Build a Better Board Part 3 Visualize the most recent board meeting you attended and ask yourself these five questions about board performance: Were recommendations based on low aspirations due to fear of risk or criticism?  Did the board leave knowledge and skills untapped in its members? Did one or two…

March 22, 2021 Recruitment – What’s wrong with this picture? Recruitment is the first step in building any high-performing team. Governance and nominating committees need to use the same care as CEOs use to hire a new employee.  Board membership is a privilege. Board members can develop leadership skills, make a difference in…

March 15, 2021 What’s wrong with this picture? People rarely join a nonprofit board in search of mediocrity. And yet, that’s where they find themselves.    If you think your board is not engaged or engaged in the ‘wrong’ things, you are NOT alone. From confusion about roles and failure to fulfill essential legal…

March 8, 2021 Foundation Variance Power and Donor Intent I love watching the original James Bond movies. It seemed Bond would inevitably end up escaping from the villain at least once during the film by pushing the eject button on the dash of his fabulous sports car. Dramatic, yes. Recommended for day-to-day driving…