The Essentials of Educating Your Board of Directors
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela Education forms the foundation from which most everything else is created, making it one of the wisest investments a nonprofit can expend its precious resources on. Nowhere is this truer than taking the time to educate your board […]
Evaluating Your Nonprofit Board of Directors
One of a nonprofit’s most valuable assets is its board of directors. To create this value, a board must be diverse, dedicated and eager to assist your agency in fulfilling its mission. In today’s competitive philanthropic environment, it is essential to regularly measure the functionality and influence of your nonprofit board and determine practices and […]
Never Underestimate the Value of Earning the Public’s Trust within Your Community
Nonprofits exist to fulfill a specific purpose – to serve those in need and improve the lives of others in our communities (or to help the environment or assist animals or support the arts, etc.). While we may possess an exceptional team of dedicated individuals and the best strategy for how to fulfill our mission, […]
Succession Planning – Part II
Nonprofit organizations are particularly known for doing their best to provide stellar services to those in need while working with limited funding and, often, fewer human resources than the typical for-profit company. It’s the nature of the business, as they say. While this may be true, philanthropic organizations still face the challenges that all organizations […]
Crowdfunding Offers Exponential Philanthropic Possibilities
Fundraising is a fundamental necessity for nonprofits. Without adequate funding, mission fulfillment simply will not be possible. One trend that has evolved and grown explosively over the past few years (and appears here to stay) is crowdfunding, a social media savvy method of using online technology to reach the masses and rally the troops for […]
Annual Plan is Strategic Plan’s Greatest Tool for Success
Most nonprofit organizations have (or should have!) a long-term strategic plan, one that they have spent a great deal of time and resources to develop. By engaging various staff, board members and stakeholders, the strategic planning process can be an effective way to identify strategies that will support the organization as it strives to fulfill […]
Keeping the Competition in Perspective for the New Year
The heart of a nonprofit is its mission. Donors are an indispensable part of fulfilling this mission and the competition is fierce. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, as of 2015, the US is home to more than 1.5 million charitable organizations. Thinking about your competition in this way is certainly overwhelming – […]
Maintenance of Accreditation Key to Continued Achievement
Accreditation is an exceptional accomplishment for an organization. Awarded by an independent accrediting body, accreditation validates that an organization has effectively met designated national industry standards and is appropriately fulfilling its mission. Becoming accredited is a significant investment of time, effort and a multitude of resources dedicated to earning this distinction. Reaccreditation is a process […]
2015 Nonprofit Blog Recap
Did you miss an Accreditation Guru post over the past year? We published more than 25 nonprofit blog posts and below are some of our most popular articles from 2015. Thank you for reading in 2015. We look forward to providing you with more informative posts in 2016! Happy New Year! Accreditation Accreditation is Everywhere […]
Get Your Nonprofit’s Resolutions Ready for the New Year
Soon we will be ringing in a brand new year and with it our many hopes for a mission-filled 2016! To prepare your nonprofit to begin its best year yet, December offers a terrific opportunity to develop those ‘resolutions’ that will guide the way. Start at the top and create a board of directors that […]