Welcome to my blog! I’m excited to share a blend of insights from my years in the nonprofit world, along with lighthearted stories from my travels and everyday life. Whether you’re looking for practical tips, helpful resources, or simply a good laugh, you’ll find it here.
I hope these reflections and anecdotes will inform, inspire, and bring a smile to your face. Thank you for stopping by—I can’t wait to learn and grow together!
You Have a New Board Member - Now What?
You’ve recruited a new board member - congratulations!
But now what?
Too often, nonprofit leaders work hard to identify and recruit new board members, only to feel disappointed when those new members don’t dive in with energy and initiative. The truth is, board members - especially those new to your organization - need more than a seat at the table. They need orientation, engagement, and clarity about what success looks like.
This post is a companion to my earlier piece, “You’ve Joined a Nonprofit Board - Now What?”, which offered guidance to individual board members. This one is for those nonprofit staff and leaders who want to set their board members up for success from day one, increasing the efficacy of the board as a whole.
You’ve Joined a Nonprofit Board—Now What?
You’ve joined the board of a local nonprofit with the best of intentions. You want to give back to your community, and support an organization that does great work in a meaningful way.
Hopefully, you received an orientation and maybe even a job description. You almost certainly got a schedule of board meetings and upcoming events. But now what?
Here’s the thing: your organization likely values your time and may hesitate to ask too much of you. But the truth is, as a board member, you have a vital role to play. You’re not just a seat at the table—you’re a partner in advancing the mission.
You Have a Fiduciary Role—But That’s Just the Beginning…
Making Time for Meaningful Connections (Even When You're Swamped)
When I was the Director of Development at a mid-sized nonprofit, I wanted to make space for cultivating relationships with our supporters. I knew how important it was. But between meetings, managing staff, responding to emails, and juggling the never-ending to-do list, relationship-building often felt like an afterthought.
And yet, as fundraisers, we know that meaningful connections are among the most effective things we can do.
So why do they often fall to the bottom of the list?
What If One Good Event Was Enough?
It’s the start of April, and along with the promised spring showers comes a flood of nonprofit event announcements—what we call “event season” around here.
Most fundraisers know that events are one of the lowest ROI fundraising activities. On average, it costs about 50 cents to raise $1—and that’s just direct costs. We often forget to factor in staff time and the opportunity costs. That’s not to say events don’t have value—but relying on them as a core strategy can be risky. Even worse? Spotting a revenue gap and saying, “Let’s throw an event to make up the difference.”
That said, events can absolutely play a meaningful role in a healthy fundraising program—when done with intentionality and in support of other activities. In fact, they can enhance revenue across channels when thoughtfully integrated.
Stop Competing, Start Connecting: The Abundance Mindset in Fundraising
The same applies to nonprofit fundraising. It’s easy to feel like we’re competing with other organizations for a fixed number of donors. If we focus solely on individuals and foundations with known wealth, we risk overlooking potential supporters who may be deeply passionate about our mission. Some donors give broadly across many causes, while others commit themselves to a single organization they truly believe in. Either way, the potential donor pool is vast.