Jennifer E Goldman, Nonprofit Consultant

Funding Planning seems to be on a LOT of minds right now. Perhaps you're feeling a bit squeezed dry from all we've been through in the past 2.5 years. Maybe it's just a 'holy moly the new fiscal year is starting...NOW!' bit of anxiety. Whatever the reason, if you're stressing about moolah, here are a few things you can do to get yourself a bit more organized and ready to make money this fiscal year: Determine your income goal for the next fiscal year and compare it to what the organization brought in last fiscal year. What's the difference? Talk to board members and current funders about possible ways to bridge that gap. Make a list of funding you know is guaranteed this fiscal year. Make a list of current income streams that you feel you can increase this year. Dust off last year's donor solicitation letter, update it with juicy data and stories of success and compelling statements about your new plans. Send the new draft of your letter to your board an...

I’ve been thinking a lot about Main Street (historic downtown) events and street closures. Partly because I’m consulting with several Main Street communities this summer. But also, partly because one of my dearest friends is a Main Street merchant and her community has elected to shut down their Main Street Friday evenings through Sunday mornings. When I was a Main Street Manager (if you know me well, this is my version of “This one time in band camp”) I got an earful from Main Street merchants every time my organization put on an event that caused street closures. Every. Single. Time. Downtown retail business owners let me know how much they disliked the street closures. How bad it was for business. How bad it was for customers to not be able to park outside their shop. How much money they lost during events. How many people wanted to just use their bathroom. How much loss they suffered from shoplifting. How disruptive all the unchaperoned children were. And I would argue back: but th...