Jennifer E Goldman, Nonprofit Consultant

Everybody likes free stuff, right? Well...maybe. It depends on the stuff. If I were to give you the choice: a free new car or a free mud pie, which one would you choose? What if I never offered you the car, just the mud pie? Would that seem like an awesome gift to you? Maybe if you’re three. But as a nonprofit leader, what are you going to do with a mud pie? Ok, so all of that is me being silly and playing devil’s advocate, but how many of you have given consideration to the value of in-kind contributions offered to your organization? Not the stated monetary value of the item; the value of that item to YOU. When is a gift not a gift? In consideration of the in-kind contributions you’re being offered, ask yourself (or your board if you need additional input): Is the service or item you’re being offered of benefit to your organization? Is this something you would have sought out and paid for even if it hadn’t been offered? Is this something you know exactly what to do with, or will it ta...

I’m blaming it on summer fun! I’ve been teasing you about the eBook on events that I’m putting together...and it’s not finished yet. :(  So to help ease the pain, I’m going to give you a fun, outside-the-box idea that I’ve come up with that can be a great supplement – or maybe even a substitution - for your nonprofit fundraiser ticketed event. In all honesty, I didn’t invent this – it’s an idea that I heard of several years ago that I believe should become a bigger idea, so I’m adding a new level to it. Back in the day, I caught wind of an organization holding a “plateless” dinner. And, wow, was I jealous! Here I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off organizing a black-tie fundraiser gala - spending more and more hours of my week on just this one thing as the end of September neared – while some genius was raking in the money and planning nothing!? To explain further, the plateless dinner was a fundraiser for this particular nonprofit organization. They sent out fa...

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC I have a soft spot in my heart for nonprofit organizations. And a huge understanding of how they work…or don’t work, as is too often the case. There are so many things that can endanger the success of even the best-intended nonprofit. A poorly defined mission tops the list.  In some cases, as the organization is formed, a definitive mission is never clearly defined and the organization never even gets off the ground. In other cases, the mission is strong at the beginning as founding board members have a clear vision and purpose, but eventually erodes as new board members, who aren’t as personally tied to the original mission, attempt to redefine it over time. Recently, I met with the leader of a 6-year old organization who wanted my company’s help with fundraising through community events. When asked what type of event she had in mind, her only response was, “The one that will bring in the most money.” As I ...