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Social Entrepreneurs A social entrepreneur is any individual who enacts large-scale social change by applying the ideas of business entrepreneurship to solving society’s problems. What generally sets an entrepreneur apart from her big business counterpart is her ability to take risks and her problem-solving skills. It turns out that these two skills applied to social […]

Nonprofit Communications Strategy Every non-profit organization must have a strong communications strategy in place in order to communicate with their donors and supporters. A communication strategy that provides additional information about the non-profit organization, such as their motive, the campaigns they are launching, their cause, and who their beneficiaries are, among other things. the main […]

Taking on the ED role means you willingly accept a very difficult and challenging job. You choose to make responsibility a central aspect of who you are and what you do. In order to succeed, you have to believe you have a superior combination of leadership traits such as strength, perseverance, commitment, intelligence, focus, problem-solving, […]

This week I had an intense call with a friend/client of mine who is in the process of re-branding his nonprofit organization and is working through his ideas of what he feels is the next best step for his cause. To give him credit, branding and strategic planning is exhausting, mentally wearing experiences. I joke […]

When it comes to processing feedback, I believe there are primarily three types of people. Type #1 – Feedback Seekers These people know that they don’t know it all and intentionally develop a strategic team of advisers to help them achieve their goals.  They have no ego about asking for help and openly embrace wise […]

501c3 Purpose Statements: What are the limits? The answer to this question boils down to one thing, compliance with IRS Code section 501(c)(3).  Under section 501(c)(3) a tax-exempt nonprofit is required to have a complying purpose statement. To determine if an organization complies with section 501(c)(3) the Organizational test is applied.  To meet the Organizational […]

As fundraisers, we are programmed to single-mindedly pursue the holy grail of the nonprofit world – the donor contribution. But one of your most important jobs happens after you have received a contribution from a donor. Thank-you notes are an art form, and mastering them can make the difference between cultivating one-time givers and lifelong […]

Benefit corporations (“B Corps”) are a unique corporate entity that can provide a variety of potential benefits. Like C corporations, benefit corporations are designed to create a profit for their shareholders. But unlike C corporations, benefit corporations are designed to have a positive impact on their community as well. These corporations currently exist in 33 […]

As technology and industry trends have evolved, organizations of all kinds have begun to place a stronger emphasis on Customer Relationship Management (CRM). CRM involves the use of data, observations, and projections to predict which customers will be the most profitable for a company and how these customers can be effectively targeted. Until recently, most […]

My late grandfather—Maurice Mazur—was a pharmacist. Like many pharmacists from back in the day, he owned his own store, which doubled as a convenience store. Mazur’s Ideal Pharmacy was a long-time cornerstone of the rough Milwaukee neighborhood where it was located. Many of his customers knew him most of their lives. He was a familiar […]