Somewhere right now, an organization is twisting a program to fit a funder’s interest instead of a community’s need. A mentoring program starts calling itself workforce development, because that’s where the money moved this year. A food pantry adds a wellness component, because a health funder likes the word. Leadership calls this being flexible. It … Read more
The work being important is not a claim on anyone’s money. Many nonprofits believe, deep down, that a good cause is its own argument for support. The need is real. The money should follow — and when it doesn’t, the donor is the one who got it wrong. They’d never say it that plainly, but … Read more
The nonprofit sector calls it prudence, collegiality, not wanting to micromanage. Usually it is fear. A board can choose otherwise. The sector has a dozen words for it. Prudence. Collegiality. Respect for process. Not wanting to micromanage. They all describe the same behavior: a board declining to do the hard part of its own job. … Read more
The tax law changed the paperwork. It didn’t change why anyone gives. Somewhere right now, a development office is drafting an email that begins, “With the new tax law taking effect, we wanted to make sure you’re aware of how your 2026 giving may be affected.” It will explain the new floor. It will mention … Read more
The Q1 FEP report has a bright spot. Read one line further and it tells you why the sector keeps losing donors. The Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s Q1 2026 report landed this week, and the top line reads like relief. Dollars up 4.3% year over year. The donor count decline has shrunk from 2.3% a year … Read more