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Nonprofit Management

Newsletter 

February 2015

Today is a Time of Optimism and Opportunity for Nonprofits

By John Lehr


The environment for nonprofit organizations has improved considerably over the past few years.  The economy is growing, the stock market is bullish, and federal tax policy remains favorable to donors, despite recent calls from some policymakers to cap the federal charitable tax deduction. 

 

Another factor coming into play is the enormous transfer of wealth from one generation of Americans to the next.  According to the National Philanthropic Trust, over the next 40 years, $41 trillion will change hands as American pass on their accumulated wealth.[i]  Charitable organizations are likely to benefit enormously.  Yet, while the pool of charitable dollars is almost certain to grow in the coming years, nonprofits must demonstrate to savvy donors that their organization is most deserving of their time and resources.

 

To do so, many nonprofits are streamlining operations as well as clarifying mission and impact.  In addition, nonprofits are seeking to diversify funding to create new and sustainable revenue streams -- from major gifts, special events, corporations, foundations, planned giving as well as earned income and social impact funding.  Our clients often ask us how to implement these changes so they are best positioned for growth now and in the future.  We believe a focus on the Four Pillars of Fundraising is foundational.

By their very nature, nonprofits are organic and evolving.  The external environment is changing fast, and those nonprofits that are willing to continually invest in improving their Four Pillars of Fundraising are likely to gain most from this favorable charitable giving environment.

OAI can support your organization develop or improve any and all of the Four Pillars of Fundraising.  For more information, contact us at info@oai-usa.com or (202) 338-6100.

[i] National Philanthropic Trust.  Charitable Giving Statistics, 2015.

Wednesday, March 11th, 18th, 25th

2:00 - 3:00 pm ET

 

Seventy-five percent of executive directors recently polled called their board member engagement "insufficient".[i]  Recruiting the right board members, keeping them focused on fundraising goals, and ensuring they stay engaged are critical to the success and growth of any nonprofit.

 

Join us for a three-part series that will demonstrate how nonprofit leaders can ensure they are building and capitalizing on the power of their boards.  Using our experience leading and working alongside some of America's most-admired nonprofits, we will provide you with the tools and resources to develop your board into one that will provide you with strategic support and will lead you to financial security. 

 

Kelly Dunphy, Vice President, Fundraising and Development at Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI) will lead this series, bringing more than a decade of expertise working with nonprofits to improve their boards.  Kelly will begin the series with some fundamental requirements of a board, and will dive deeper into the following three areas:

 

Session One:  Board Recruitment

Nothing is more important than getting highly-qualified, connected, and passionate people onto your board.  It is not as hard as it sounds, but does take a year-round effort.  This session will be led by Kelly and Caite Gilmore, who currently serves as the outsourced Chief Development Officer for a national organization dedicated to increasing college enrollment of youth from low-income communities.  They will talk through the process of assessing your board, developing the materials you need to recruit the right profile of board member, mining new board prospects, and formulating appropriate strategies for cultivation and recruitment.

 

Session Two: Best Practices for Onboarding and Engaging Board Members

Once you have your new board members teed up, bringing them onboard in a constructive way is crucial.  Setting individual requirements and expectations during the board recruitment process allows new board members to understand their important role once they come on board.  It is the nonprofit leader's responsibility to ensure the board members are supported along the way and remain engaged with the mission.  This session will be led by Kelly and Craig Shelley, who currently serves as the outsourced Executive Director for a $2 million organization based in New York City. They will share anecdotes of nonprofit board engagement successes and provide you with the tools needed to devise your own strategy.

 

Session Three:  Involving Your Board in Fundraising  

Fundraising is one of the most important and challenging responsibilities of a board member.  From the beginning, your board must understand that their networks are one of the biggest assets they bring to your organization.  This session will be led by Kelly and Juliana Sloper, who brings more than a decade of experience coaching board members in making the most of their network with the support of the nonprofit.  This session will review how nonprofit leaders should work with their board through the "Moves Management" process - identifying prospects, cultivating those prospects, working up to the "ask", and then how to steward prospects in a way that ensures a repeat gift.

 

 

Registration:

This webinar series is free.  

Click here to register for Session One.   
Click here to register for Session Two.   
Click here to register for Session Three.   

_________________________________________________________________________

[i] From Underdeveloped:  A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising, Compass Point, 2013.

About Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)

 

Responding to the increasingly complex burdens on nonprofit leaders, OAI has developed a transformational approach to fundraising and strategy consulting.  Our teams of experienced professionals seamlessly embed themselves with nonprofits to fundraise, to recruit and improve board leadership, to build consensus and direction through new strategies, and to provide executive, fundraising, and financial leadership.  With offices in Washington, DC and New York City, OAI has partnered in our clients' success for 23 years, helping more than 500 nonprofits raise hundreds of millions of dollars for their causes. 

 

See how we can help you today at www.oai-usa.com.   

 

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