A compelling case for how nonprofits can build organizational capacity and infrastructure to ensure longevity by getting funding for those investments for their nonprofit.

The post The Data is in. Nonprofits are getting more operational support. appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Using the example of an educational nonprofit, this article presents five steps nonprofits can take to implement strategic inquiry including building board support, listening to community, research, broadening networks, and sharing the journey.

The post How to Implement Strategic Inquiry at Your Nonprofit in 5 Steps appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Neither supervisors nor employees think that the current process for performance appraisals is working. In this article, our author uses her experience as a trainer and coach with more than 2,000 managers, direct service staff, board members, and other volunteers to present a 6-pointed, human-centered approach that supervisors can use to fix the performance appraisal process.

The post Performance Appraisals Are Broken—Here’s How Managers Can Fix the Process appeared first on Blue Avocado.

To understand how resignation trends impacted nonprofits, sector leaders must look below the headline figures to understand employee motivations.

The post Re-evaluating the Great Resignation appeared first on Blue Avocado.

It can be difficult to know how to support employees who are grieving or experiencing grief as the result of a loved one dying. Done insensitively and without forethought and training, managers and colleagues can come across as uncaring and even complicit in a conspiracy of silence that deprives people of the support that work can offer in times of mourning.

The post Working through Grief: How to Build a Supportive Workplace appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Article In Brief: The Problem: More and more corporations are developing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies. As we have seen from past regulatory and reporting changes in the for-profit sector, the increasing focus on ESG will inevitably impact the nonprofit sector as well. The time for preparation and action is now. The Context: Stakeholder […]

The post ESG is Everywhere. Should It Matter to Nonprofits? appeared first on Blue Avocado.

10 concepts that both public speaking and fundraising have in common: Goal setting, knowing your audience, visualizing success, and paying attention to the details.

The post Fundraising and Public Speaking appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Our presenters, Dr. Emily Young, Executive Director of The Nonprofit Institute and  Florence Tandy, President/CEO of Leadership Bridges will help you understand the “why” behind ESG and provide a path for starting discussions about building an ESG framework for your organization.

The post Blue Avocado Presents: Why ESG is Important to Your Nonprofit – Live Q&A appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Article In Brief: In this edition of Blue Avocado’s Ask Rita column we answer a reader’s question about how to handle termination of employment at their nonprofit properly and with due regard for all concerned. Dear Ask Rita, I am new in my HR position with my small nonprofit employer. I have about 2 years […]

The post Ask Rita: I’ve Never Fired Anyone Before and Now I Have To! appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Have you ever been too tired to function or experienced the sensation of being hangry? When our basic needs are unmet, we cannot perform at our best. This is also true of our nonprofits and without the right tools and understanding the problem can go undiagnosed and unresolved.

The post Using the Sensory Funnel to Improve Nonprofit Efficacy and Productivity appeared first on Blue Avocado.

See how one nonprofit merged with another and learn concrete steps nonprofit EDs and boards can use in their decision-making process.

The post Nonprofit Merger & Collaboration appeared first on Blue Avocado.

A case study that shows how valuable hard and soft data can be used to turn around declining contributions, and build stronger relationships with donors.

The post Your data is trying to tell you something. Are you listening? A Case Study on Building a Nonprofit Donor Campaign appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Organizations of all types, and especially those that provide direct social services, are frequently met with a lack of community support and even downright opposition. To counteract NIMBY attitudes, a two-step framework is presented for proactive community engagement that will build local support.

The post Turning NIMBY into YIMBY! (YES in my Backyard!): A practical community engagement framework will lead to support for your nonprofit programs. appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Article In Brief: The Problem: In pursuing the next great digital marketing channel, nonprofits are overlooking a traditional kind of media that is both a powerful amplifier and available in communities they serve across the country. The Context: Nonprofits run on funding sources and getting publicity for their mission. By understanding options for working with […]

The post Perfect Together: How-to Access Community Television for Your Nonprofit appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Nonprofits often struggle to connect with the next generation of donors. An Associate Board might be the answer to keep your nonprofit moving forward.

The post Bridging the Generation Gap: Why Your Organization Should have an Associate Board (and How to Start One) appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Article In Brief: The Problem: The work grant professionals do is often not understood or comes with unrealistic expectations. The gap creates a mismatch between agency and staff and leads to burnout and turnover, both costly for nonprofits. The Context: Grants are the lifeblood for many nonprofits. Understanding the professional standards and work of grant […]

The post Welcoming Change, not just Dollars: What Every Grant Professional Wants Nonprofit Executives to Know appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Article In Brief: The Problem: It is tempting to get into false thinking that nothing bad can happen to your organization. Doing so leaves you unprepared to communicate in a crisis. The Context: Every nonprofit has the same probability of experiencing situations, such as accidents or disasters, that can evolve into crises without proper planning. […]

The post Identifying and Mitigating Nonprofit Risk with a Six-Step Crisis Communication Plan appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Article In Brief: The Problem: Nonprofit leaders’ desire to improve the future, and feeling of present inadequacy, can lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression. We have to realize we can’t do it alone. Why it Happens: Nonprofits, and funders alike, work separately in silos, tackling challenges, and vying for the same access to resources, independently. […]

The post The Regenerative Principle in Practice for Nonprofit Management appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Article In Brief: The Problem: The term nonprofit organizations has outlived its usefulness to describe the work that charitable organizations in the independent sector do, argues the author, former co-leader of the Fanning Institute’s nonprofit leadership development and capacity building practice. Why it Happens: The difficult work leaders of charitable organizations do to connect business […]

The post Egg, Omelet, or Frying Pan: Exploring the Relationship between Business & Altruism in the Independent Sector appeared first on Blue Avocado.

Article In Brief: The Problem: Nonprofits have long known the value of building community, but our voices have been ignored or devalued. Now we are learning that valuing private profit over community has brought us to the edge of extinction. Why it Happens: Our existing economic structure is designed to reward profit-seeking and to devalue […]

The post Nonprofits Have Been Right All Along: Community Benefit Models Can Solve Our Toughest Environmental Challenges appeared first on Blue Avocado.