At conferences, I’ll often tell very diverse groups of organizations in my seminars, “I don’t care what your mission is, you’re in the energy business.” For many that’s a momentary charley horse between the ears, and it takes only a few seconds for some stares to become entirely blank with incomprehension. But that’s just […]
If I had all the money lost by nonprofit organizations because of the costs of poor segmentation, I’d be very wealthy. I would have started a foundation long ago and would be spending my time giving money to worthwhile causes rather than helping to raise money for them. Because my intent here is to dash off […]
For many years I’ve been asked, generally by younger staff at client organizations or by people attending my seminars who are contemplating a career in the field of development, “What’s the most valuable degree I could get?” It’s a great question, and one that used to trigger a range of provisional answers. Because the field […]
Seasoned managers know the Principle of Inspection intimately: “You get what you inspect, not what you expect.” A close companion principle for managers, The Measurement Principle, states “What gets measured gets done.” Although these principles are embraced without question in the for profit world, nonprofit organizations have been slower to understand its criticality when it comes […]
In seminars I teach at conferences, I’ll frequently ask participants, “What is the primary purpose of development?” Answers always vary, but they tend to cluster in several areas like raising funds, building relationships, advancing the organization’s mission, and teaching stewardship. There’s truth in all of these, although I’m very doubtful about notions of teaching […]
Some of us are old enough to remember the 1984 Wendy’s commercials featuring the now immortal Clara Peller. Handed an exaggeratedly large bun with a small piece of meat, the elderly and diminutive Peller asks in disbelief, “Where’s the beef?” This expression from an advertising classic has since become part of America’s popular lexicon. When you see […]