Jennifer E Goldman, Nonprofit Consultant

  Many nonprofits struggle with fundraising . I see several of them addressing funding concerns by adding events to their already busy calendars. And I get it. An overwhelming majority of people aren’t comfortable with asking for money. It may seem easier to raise funds through ticket sales, silent auctions or cash bars. But in reality it takes a lot more time (not to mention energy) – from your staff and your volunteers. I’d like to help organizations be more comfortable with asking for money. It ties into my 2023 theme of value proposition . It’s easier to ask for money when you believe in yourself and you believe in what you’re asking money for. See and feel the value of yourself and what you bring to the table as well as your organization, your programs, your projects and the level of service that you bring to your community. The first step, in my mind, is to realize (visualize) your own strengths and assets. We all have different personalities, different attitudes, different ...

I don't actually mean you. I meant me. I did it wrong. Not ALL of it, but certainly some of it. And maybe you are, too... Despite the fact that that line ( You're doing it wrong! ) came from the movie Mr. Mom , pointing out that the daddy was doing school drop-off/pick-up incorrectly, I’ve come to realize that being the mommy doesn’t give you any better instincts. Forget parenting, just being a human can be difficult to comprehend some days. You can see why I’ve been in therapy more than once in my lifetime. Turns out my first hurdle was mommy vs. daddy in a bout of marriage counseling. What I learned is that I’m one of those people who does it all. Sometimes because I have to, when there’s no one else willing to share the load. And sometimes because in my head, it’s just easier and faster to do it myself instead of explaining it to someone else. Or because I shouldn’t have to ask, so I don’t. Or because I know I’ll do it the way I want it done – and isn’t that really better an...

Have you ever been invited to an event coordinated by a nonprofit organization and thought, "That's strange. Why would  they  be hosting something like  this?"  If so, then chances are that the organization didn't think about their mission when they planned the event. There's no alignment there.  The main concern with events that don’t align with an organization’s mission is that it dilutes the understanding of what that nonprofit was set up to do. It’s Branding 101 – be consistent in your messaging. Always. I’ve seen private schools who boast instilling education, values, and citizenship for its students and then hosts a Monte Carlo Night with cigars, booze and gambling. I’ve seen historic preservation organizations coordinating Halloween parades for children. I’ve seen community small business support organizations create a haunted forest event out in the middle of nowhere. The allure for nonprofits is the idea that creating super big, fun events will give the...

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...

  Have you ever heard the words that come out of your mouth and thought, “Why did I say that? That sounded so dumb.”? Or re-read the email (after you hit send, of course!) and totally criticized yourself for sounding small ? I’m guilty of self-analyzing. A LOT. Really, I spend so much time thinking about the things I say, write, do, and think that I should be paying me for therapy. I’d be rich! I remember one of the members of my board, when I was running a nonprofit organization, telling me to stop using “wimp words”. That’s what he called them. Words and phrases I would use to soften my ideas, cushion my thoughts, or qualify my opinions. I’m still guilty of doing many of these things. However, I’m making an effort to be more intentional with my words and how I use them. I don’t want to sound wimpy. I want to sound like a strong, intelligent, kind, and thoughtful person who has (sometimes) really good ideas, and (always) valid opinions. I’m still learning to stop packing myself in...

November tends to be a month of practicing gratitude. And who would argue that? Gratitude is never a bad idea. Gratitude, however, is a concept that is applied to the past and the present, typically. But what about the future? Personally, at this time of year, I’m preparing for the holiday season – time with friends and family, expressing gratitude, love, charitable giving, and my not-so-warm feelings about cold weather. Professionally, however, I’m thinking about my business and how I’d like it to perform next year. Not just how it will perform, but what types of projects I want to work on and who I want to work with. I hesitate to call it goal setting because that just seems so cliché. And I refuse to think of my goals as being SMART (if you haven’t heard that one yet, Google it). Plus, goals are for sports. I’d rather set a whole plan in motion. This is a time of year to be intentional. But more than that; it’s a time of year to be real with yourself. There’s a brand spankin’ new ye...

  Many nonprofit organizations create, coordinate and manage events throughout the year. Some are blissfully small and manageable while others are community block-busters (literally) that just seem to grow and grow.  As a former nonprofit manager I've lamented plenty over the years about the extreme amount of money, energy, and effort coordinating special events takes. It's hard work no matter how you slice it.  As a management consultant working mainly with nonprofit leaders, I hear all the same laments.  From the side of the table I'm currently on, the perspective is very different and it has me asking lots of questions and raising several concerns. The big two being: Why are you doing these events? Are they working? The majority of the people I pose these queries to can't answer them. In most cases the event in question was established before they became involved in the organization and they haven't been tracking any data associated with the event in order to mak...

Me, as Executive Director of a Main Street organization, running a black tie fundraiser gala: I remember being whisked away by the lovely ladies at the local salon. They literally kidnapped me off the street (thank you Melanee and Charla!), fed me champagne and went to work: plucking and tweezing, brushing and crimping, spraying and sponging, gluing and glittering until I came out perfectly glossy and gorgeous. And with eyelashes!! It was magnificent. I was Cinderella at my own ball. Only instead of losing a heel, I willingly gave them both up once an hour, donned my Nikes and dashed around town to ensure the logistics of my event were still holding up behind the scenes. Also me running a black tie fundraiser gala: I remember the year the rental company called the morning of the big event to let me know they couldn't deliver my tables and chairs due to staffing issues. Oh hell no! I jumped in our local realtor's box truck (thank you, Loni!) and drove 45 minutes out of town to p...