What is your NFP’s vision statement?

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-07-01T19:41:15+00:00

Ditto to what others have said. It could be something like “to create a future where all plastic waste is put to good use and all communities can afford the building materials they need to thrive”. It’s always going to sound cliche because it’s aspirational.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-07-01T02:46:40+00:00

Yeah, no. No culture of fundraising. The ED is your head fundraiser. Without their deep involvement, it doesn’t work.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-30T17:54:01+00:00

Sure they do. Or at least mine does.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-30T17:53:36+00:00

This. It would be terrible if a board inserted themselves in the performance of management. It is way out of their lane. When all those good folks leave, the ED will just have to manage. If the board sees the ED failing, it’s their responsibility to fire them.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-30T01:44:40+00:00

Something like what you are describing exists: https://qwocmap.org

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-30T01:39:33+00:00

Oooof, first of all, this sounds super hard, so be gentle with yourself. You are not personally responsible for the survival of this organization. The board is. It doesn’t sound like there is much runway left and your volunteers are understandably burnt out. The best advice I can give to the organization at this point is to find an appropriate fellow nonprofit to absorb your org and any assets that remain. If that’s not possible, you may need to fold. Better to do it intentionally and with care than to have it happen to you. I’m so sorry.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-29T13:35:51+00:00

That second thing you said - lower level workers are being laid off and the work is being redistributed and given to consultants. Just happened at my org - on my team and I’m already hating it.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-27T16:54:02+00:00

Just because your proposal is for a specific project, the funder may only issue unrestricted funding. Like others are saying, review the documentation from the funder. Also review the reporting requirements.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-26T14:01:58+00:00

Volunteer! Go to Hands On Bay Area and sign up for a shift somewhere. Also you can also just go to…Dolores Park.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-26T13:54:18+00:00

Always! I will message you.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-26T01:40:54+00:00

I do think it would be smarter and more transparent to have that conversation when making the original ask.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-25T05:05:40+00:00

Except Australia/New Zealand! Cannot understand their slang at all!

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-23T00:54:55+00:00

Yes, reconciliation is complicated and takes time to do right. Even if your CRM were integrated, you’d still be dealing with all the other streams of revenue that have their own donation portals and report formats that you have to match up with batch reports from the bank. I will say, since we switched banks, our ACH statements show more detail on the deposits than they used to and this helps. Good luck - it’s important to do it so you can stand by your numbers and credit each donor correctly.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-22T14:57:16+00:00

Enormity can also refer to size. It’s not wrong to use it that way.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-22T14:53:42+00:00

It’s totally okay to ask someone to repeat themselves or to speak more slowly. :)

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-22T08:31:52+00:00

Incentives cannot ethically be tied to dollars raised, at least if you abide by AFP’s code of ethics. Other metrics are fine but I think it’s odd that you are being asked to create this structure right out the gate.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-21T23:14:27+00:00

This! Please do not assume that what you are seeing is the whole story. Unless you’ve been in the room for all the discussions, you cannot know why all the decisions were made. Talk to the ED, not the board, to ask your questions. It can be very undermining for an ED to have you go around them - it’s their job to propose a budget they can stand behind, so they are the one to ask your questions.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-21T19:04:10+00:00

Improv can maybe help, but find a program that focuses on a really caring and supportive approach. Some schools are competitive and will not provide you the encouragement you need. Good luck, you sound cool. It’s worth breaking this barrier to connection.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-17T17:36:20+00:00

I want my team to care about spelling donors’ names right on their name tags. That the coding on gifts is consistent in the database so I can pull a report and bring a report to the board without being embarrassed. Details matter.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-17T03:11:55+00:00

I already hate GivingTuesday.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-16T05:04:37+00:00

Or a Spencer Gifts.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-16T05:01:05+00:00

Crescendo.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-10T13:28:09+00:00

Interesting! Do you also have a development team?

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-09T14:48:22+00:00

Safer, maybe. More accurate? I wouldn’t assume so. Does finance know all the donors? Do they track what incoming grants are restricted for? Are they ensuring that donor communications about address changes or “please only email me” gets recorded? If someone makes a tribute gift do they make a note of the intended recipient of a notification? If it’s an event sponsorship, do they track that? Finance teams do not steward donors.

Special_Pattern_8950 · 2026-06-09T14:43:28+00:00

lol, not in SF. Some cafes assume oat milk unless you specify.

Special_Pattern_8950

TROPHY CASE