Financing sustainability in a charity: How to get and maintain funds to make change happen

This fifth article in CharityVillage's® Sustainability Series speaks to an issue that does not always surface when it comes to addressing sustainability issues in an organization: how do you cover the costs of going green? By now you've seen some...

Strategic planning made simple

Many who have experienced strategic planning will relate to this scenario: the facilitator with an impressive PowerPoint featuring graphs, intersecting circles, and colourful charts to suggest how the planning process flows and makes sense. There are even handouts explaining the...

Governance Q&A: Board and funder are too close for comfort

I sit on the board of an organization that is greatly intertwined with a major funder. The board members of the major funder are also the only members of my organization. Their part-time executive director also serves as our part-time...

You like me, you really like me!

In the Spring of 2002, Caroline MacGillivray was working at a temp job to pay the bills when her cell phone rang with some exciting news. As the founder of Beauty Night Society, a nonprofit that that provides makeovers, life...

The top five most common budgeting mistakes

Budgeting has been described as a cornerstone of an organization's financial management foundation. The budget serves as a benchmark against which financial results are measured, and variances from budget can be used to guide management's decision making. There are a...

Fundraising Q&A: Recruiting advisory boards

What should we know about recruiting an Advisory Board/Committee? The term "advisory board, council, committee or group" are all synonymous. Inviting influential individuals to provide expertise or to support the efficient management of an organization is a great idea but...

Measuring what matters: Why monitoring and evaluation is the root of all good

This month's Charity Village® Sustainability Series article is the fourth in a series that cover the practical aspects of embedding sustainability within your charity. You can view last month's article here. As we move from the general logic of setting...

Governance Q&A: Misrepresentation on social media

I want to have lots of people hear good things about my cause, and become supporters, and I have a brother in a similar situation with a different cause. I want to ask all our friends to "like" each other’s...

How to build your legacy

Whether in executive search practice, or providing training to Board volunteers, as a management consultant I inevitably ask others about achieving a legacy. In a hiring interview, the question typically goes something like this: "what will others say has been...

Goals to save the world: How to prioritize and set strong, realistic sustainability goals

The Charity Village® Sustainability Series covers the practical aspects of embedding sustainability within your charity. The last two month's articles covered some general principles on sustainability and charities along with some insights on how to set up a core team....