"It has truly been an honor to serve our elder generation and I am eternally grateful to learn from their pearls of wisdom, " said Heidi Holly, Executive Director of Friendship Center. "I never imagined that, when I began working at Friendship Center, how much my life...
By Scott Eblin of the Eblin Group Ideally, everyone who works for a company would act as an ambassador for that organization to the public at large. In the rare cases where you see that, it’s a triumph of a highly aligned corporate culture. And, as is true with any...
Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) was outraged when he toured the major oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara in August of 1969. Nelson also went away that day impressed with the many people who rallied to clean up the mess. Witnessing the miles and miles of beaches...
By Joseph Scarano, CEO of Araize, Inc. A nonprofit audit is an independent examination of a nonprofit organization’s financial statements and records to ensure compliance. An audit can also provide insight into the organization’s financial health and help identify...
By AUSTIN DETWILER Do you have a fundraising plan for 2023? It’s not too late—and it’s critically important. Here’s a crash course....
Article written by Scott Eblin of the Eblin Group How you start your day is predictive of how your day is going to end. And a consecutive series of good starts is predictive of not just how your year is going to start but also how it ends. Over the weekend, I saw a...
When you attend a nonprofit fundraising event, do you notice that some people make a point of speaking with lots of folks, while others talk to the same people for a long time or even just sit at their table? There is an art and a skill to interacting with people in...
Are you pleased with your board’s participation in fundraising? Do you wish you could find some way to inspire your board members to advocate more and raise funds for your organization? You aren't alone! Many nonprofits search for ways to help board members become...
Sam, the board chair, opened the board meeting with a sharp whack of his gavel. He looked a little concerned. A few board members noticed his serious demeanor. They thought maybe it was just worries about his business or family. “Before we get into this evening’s...
As the pandemic woes fade a bit in our rear-view mirror, many people are left with some uncertainty about the best way to move forward in their work life. Creating the most effective work schedules can be confusing, for executives and employees alike. Should we tell...
I sat down at a table in a local coffee shop to enjoy a vanilla latte and work on my laptop. As I settled in, animated voices at the next table caught my attention. I couldn’t help myself; my curiosity got the best of me. Without turning around, I just tuned in to...
As a donor, you can help actualize a bold, ambitious dream of what the world could be. The magical beauty of your charitable giving results not only in tax savings for you but, as importantly, enhances our community and our world. Nonprofits change humanity for the...
Leaders from small businesses to large corporations have come to realize the wisdom of proactively partnering with nonprofits to enhance their communities. These business leaders are finding that a well thought out philanthropy plan brings their company higher...
This time of year, many donors begin contemplating their charitable giving. Some supporters give to their same favorite nonprofits every year. They are very clear about which organizations and causes resonate with their interests and experiences. Others are unsure...
The popularity of Giving Tuesday has grown into a global movement.
What are the chances of someone embezzling funds from your nonprofit? Most board and staff members think the possibility is remote for their organization. “Our people are so committed to our mission and work so hard, they would never take funds that don’t belong to...
Discover how to keep your meetings on track. Read this Harvard Business Review article from January 5, 2022 by Joel Schwartzberg Too many meeting leaders think their job ends when the meeting starts orthat they merely serve as note-taker and “agenda police.” But, as...
When many people think of today’s focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) they think of stock market investments. Beginning in the 1960s, some investors promoted the idea of investing in companies that work to improve the world and their communities. They...
Our driver, Hakeem, picked us up at 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 5, to whisk us off to our beloved Santa Barbara airport to begin our exciting adventure to the Mediterranean. Our first short flight took us to LAX, and after a two-hour layover we were off to...
“I would really like to serve on a nonprofit board of directors,” Hector said sheepishly. “But do you think anyone would want me?” Hector was a young professional working as a relationship manager in a local bank. He had asked to meet with me to find out if I thought...
Many of my articles focus on recommendations for nonprofit board best practices. While it is important for board members to know their roles and responsibilities, it is equally critical that they realize what to avoid. Today’s article will tell you about a board that...
As each year draws to a close, I encourage organizations look back over the past months and make a list of their accomplishments. Most nonprofits are so focused on projects lying ahead that they forget to reflect on their successes. Yet, acknowledging triumphs can...
Originally, we planned to take Dennis’ entire family of 14 on a cruise around Tahiti to celebrate his 80th birthday and graduation for some of his grandkids. However, the pandemic had other plans. We tried to reschedule twice to no avail. Finally, it looked like the...
It was the beginning of our grand adventure: a week of hiking in Wales, a week of cycling through Scotland, and a visit to London to meet my new sister, Susie. Our driver, Hakim, was scheduled to pick us up to take us to the Santa Barbara airport for a leisurely Noon...
The significance of a great executive director/board chair relationship cannot be over-stated. A strong, well-functioning board is one of a nonprofit’s most important assets, and one that is often underutilized. It’s only when the executive and board chair work in...
The Santa Barbara Foundation released a first-ever report on thestate of nonprofits in Santa Barbara County after over eight months of collecting and analyzing extensive data. According to the introduction, “This report provides the most up to date and holistic...
This month we are acknowledging the two-year anniversary of the pandemic. It has created enormous, sometimes catastrophic, challenges for most people. Nonprofits have been especially hit hard with the restrictions that impacted their fund-raising efforts and hampered...
When I served as CEO of the tri-counties Girl Scouts, we had a saying. “When I look at you, do I see me?” That question kept us on track for ensuring that people who served on our board of directors reflected the communities we served. Nowadays, that question is more...
As each year draws to a close, I encourage organizations look back over the past months and make a list of their accomplishments. Most nonprofits are so focused on projects lying ahead that they forget to reflect on their successes. Yet, acknowledging triumphs can...
Now is a good time to start planning your year-end charitable giving, if you haven’t completed it already. It’s time for you to be doing your IRA’s required minimum distribution, preparing for qualified charitable distributions, and updating your charitable giving...
Merry Christmas & Happy New...
By Catie Taphorn on Dec 06, 2021 in Nonprofit Boards I recently read this article and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it with my readers. The article outlines seven types of leadership models patterned after Plato's ideas. Check it out to discover what type...
Have you been hearing more and more about nonprofits creating a policy to address diversity, equity, and inclusion? Sometimes referred to as “DEI” and sometimes “DEIJ,” with the J signifying justice, many nonprofits are adopting such policies as part of their board...
Nonprofits rely on the generosity of their donors now more than ever before due to the challenges created by the virus. Thankfully, many contributors have stepped up to continue and even increase gifts to their favorite charities. Santa Barbara is blessed with many...
Dennis, his son Jeff, and I were off on a grand adventure to visit friends in Alaska. I was so excited about the trip because I had never been to Alaska, and it was at the top of my bucket list. It turned out to be a trip of a lifetime! On Thursday, July 29, 2021, we...
When is the last time you talked with a friend or acquaintance about your nonprofit’s work? Sometimes such a conversation starts organically or almost by accident, but as a board member you can be intentional about discussing causes you believe in. You don’t have to...
Recently I overheard two gentlemen (I’ll call Harry and George) talking about their service on a local nonprofit board of directors. They voiced some basic concerns and confusion about their duties to the organization in terms of the financial reports and...
One board member of a regional organization dedicated to providing guide dogs for the visually impaired suggested that the group branch out to include production of a healthy dog food product. Another board member said he heard of a new grant that would fund provision...
Is your nonprofit planning to reopen soon? Have you planned how the work schedule and environment will be different? Most importantly, have you discussed this with your employees so they know what to expect? This insightful article from Harvard Business Review will...
Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) was outraged when he toured the major oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara in August of 1969. Nelson also went away that day impressed with the many people who rallied to clean up the mess. Witnessing the miles and miles of beaches...
By Caylie Cox on Mar 23, 2021 in Santa Barbara Nonprofits Longtime nonprofit professional finds triumphs in past and hope in opportunities for tomorrow With the Matterhorn standing tall in the background, Cynder Sinclair pauses for a photo opportunity during a Summit...
At the start of the pandemic, chances are your work life changed. If your role remained, you likely moved from working in the office to working from home. That was a big change for many people to adapt to working apart from each other. From the time we closed offices,...
Arnold Baker was worried. As board chair of the Davis County Food Bank, he perceived a gradual decline in the sense of connection trustees felt with the organization and between one another over the course of 2020. He suspected it had to do with the board’s move to...
This article will highlight how some of our local nonprofits are responding to the unknown new reality which will emerge from post-vaccine challenges. One thing is for sure, uncertainty will continue to weave through our every decision and prediction. Let’s begin by...
Through my work at Leading From Within over the years, I’vehad the good fortune to know many nonprofit leaders. They’re a special group of people that are uniquely called to make the world better than they found it. Many of them sacrifice a great deal in their...
BoardSource has published this excellent guide for board members to learn more about how to work with their legislators. One of the most rewarding things about serving as a nonprofit board member is the opportunity it affords to help create positive change. Board...
It appears that in just a few weeks many of our nonprofit staff and board members will have received the COVID-19 vaccine, ushering in a new set of challenges and changes. Here is an important piece of background information to consider. On Dec. 16, 2020, employers...
Most people have a list of their favorite charities that they donate to at year end. But the impact of the coronavirus on our nonprofits might shine a different light on your charitable giving. According to Philanthropy News Digest private donations increased 12...
Most nonprofits are scrambling for survival more than ever before. The pandemic restrictions have put the skids on their critical work in the community, raised havoc with their fundraising efforts and left many wondering if they will even be able to endure. Yet two...
According to the American Cancer Society breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. Currently the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 13 percent. Each year, about...
October was first designated as National Domestic Violence Month in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. It was initially begun as a Day of Unity to connect battered women’s advocates across the country. Domestic violence affects millions, both...
“The new five-year strategic plan is to stay afloat through 2020,” a local nonprofit leader was recently overheard saying. Many nonprofits agree with him. According to the American Alliance of Museums, more than half of all museums have less than six months of...
Be sure to read this excellent article from Blue Avocado about assessing the financial health of your nonprofit during COVID. by Suja Amir MPA on August 18, 2020 Covid-19 has created dramatic changes in the financial markets. Nonprofits such as private schools,...
You will find this article from Blue Avocado very helpful in your nonprofit's strategic planning, especially during COVID. by Joe Hnat on August 18, 2020 When I joined a nonprofit five years ago, I observed during our annual budgeting that we rarely launched new...
As nonprofits and businesses begin to plan to reopen their facilities, there are several aspects to consider. It’s important for leaders to understand where their people are mentally and prepare accordingly. Some will be enthusiastic about returning to the office,...
Each morning brings new stories of the critical role many nonprofits are playing in trying to address the impact of COVID-19. Nonprofit Quarterly has recognized how nonprofits under these extremely trying circumstances are quickly adapting their service systems to fit...
Are you the CEO or E.D. of your nonprofit—or even a middle manager? Do you think you are serving in a leadership role because of your mission—for the benefit of your organization—or for your own benefit? Patrick Lencioni says the answer may surprise you. I would...
Our last article highlighted William Bridges’ work with Transitions. He advised starting at the end rather than at the beginning so that we can let go of the old before we pick up the new. This period is followed by what he calls the neutral zone where “old and...
As we see signs of our community reopening and some COVID restrictions being relaxed, our natural tendency may be to hurry back to our pre-lockdown life. Yet, this virus has changed everything. Our organization’s sustainability will depend on our ability and...
The COVID-19 crisis is calling healthcare and mental healthcare providers, first responders, and other essential personnel to serve all of us with great sacrifice to themselves. We are humbled by their devotion to our well-being. We are honored to be in their...