Jennifer E Goldman, Nonprofit Consultant

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC      When it comes to creating, or amending, an organizational mission, it’s important to consider not only what you intend for the organization to accomplish, but for how long. Is your mission sustainable, or merely attainable? While both descriptions seem positive, in reality only one will keep your organization in service indefinitely. Attainable Missions    An attainable mission is one that can, at least in theory, be fulfilled. Once that mission is accomplished, then the organization will cease to have a purpose. For example, if your mission is to build a dog park in every county in Virginia, once you’ve done this, the organization no longer has a purpose. Unfortunately, some organizations in this situation will either carry on after their usefulness has concluded or they may purposefully become less effective so as to never complete their mission. For organizations wishing to h...

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC I am often asked if I will serve on a committee or board of nonprofit organizations. As the former Executive Director of a nonprofit organization with a working board (and I use the term ‘working’ very loosely), I weigh this decision very carefully. My decision is based on three things: Does this organization have a mission that I can feel passionate about? Does the organization currently have a well-functioning board? Do I have the ability to truly give of my time, treasure AND talent, according to both their expectations and mine? Obviously the first and third question are things every prospective board member will have to decide for themselves, but what about the second? How can you tell if an organization’s current board is well-functioning? Here are some tips: Ask to attend a board meeting (or two). Be observant! There should be no more than one or two absentees. The meeting should take only as long as plan...