Karen Carter

Discover the Core Practices of Innovation in ‘The Responsive Nonprofit’, a new book by Gabe Cooper 1. Human-Centered Design: How building empathy with your donors and community can accelerate giving and impact. 2. Dismantling Team Silos and Increasing Transparency: How increased team collaboration and shared data insights can save time and help you discover opportunities to increase growth. 3. The Agile Methodology: How working in two-week sprints and prototyping ideas can de-risk innovation and help your organization quickly pivot based on real data and community feedback. 4. Metrics and Goal Setting: How aligning your team to common shared goals can create clarity, improve results, and empower team creativity. 5. Change Management: How effectively navigating the people and process challenges associated with change can be your secret weapon for growth. 6. Building a Culture of Innovation: How empowering your team, encouraging transparency, and focusing on a bottom-up approach to leadership can help you attract and retain the most innovative talent. 7. Storytelling and Community: How activating ambassadors for your cause can exponentially increase your team’s ability to move quickly and accelerate new ideas. 8. Generosity Operations: How a new kind of nonprofit team can help foster innovation, surface data insights, and be a catalyst for growth within your organization. The tactics and mindsets associated with these eight practices have the ability to transform your nonprofit into an innovative juggernaut capable of producing outsized generosity and impact. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ex9eZTRm

4

LEVEL UP YOUR NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT SKILLS! Fall 2024 semester of the Nonprofit Management Certificate course at Sonoma State University is now open for enrollment. Join live on Wednesday evenings, Sept. 11-Nov. 13, 2024. Fast-paced live-streamed course on fundamental concepts, best practices & hands-on skills-building, taught by diverse instructors and enriched by students’ experiences. Topics include: * Nonprofit Program Development * Legal Issues * Finance & Accounting * Fundraising (I teach the session on grantwriting) * Board Governance * Leadership -- & more! When you complete the course, you receive a Certificate of Nonprofit Management. https://lnkd.in/ggdECCGv Students rave about the course: * I was offered a higher starting salary after I told the hiring manager I’d just completed this course. * Thank you for leading an inspirational program for nonprofit leaders. It elevated my understanding of working in a nonprofit organization. * Having different instructors each week is refreshing and potent. * Great class for the fundamentals of nonprofit management.

4

1 Comment

"The fullest expression of trust-based philanthropy's goals is when it creates space for both parties' relative strengths and assets to fully contribute toward a shared impact objective." Thanks to The Bridgespan Group for this thoughtful analysis of trust as a critical facet of social impact, and for inviting me to add my perspective (link to my article in comments). https://lnkd.in/gQUJnJJQ

56

3 Comments

📈 Seven Metrics to Evaluate your Fundraising Program's Performance 📈 💹 Percent change in Revenue Year-over-Year (Y-O-Y) 💹 Donor count 💹 Gift Counts (# of monthly donors, # of recurring donors, # of look-a-like donors) 💹 Percent change in Institutional Revenue Year-over-Year (Y-O-Y) 💹 Percent change in Annual Fund Revenue Year-over-Year (Y-O-Y) 💹 Percent change in Public Grant Revenue Year-over-Year (Y-O-Y) 💹 Percent change in Earned Income Revenue Year-over-Year (Y-O-Y) What metrics do you use to evaluate the health and efficacy of your fundraising program? Drop a comment. 👇 #KiaCroomFundraising #Nonprofit #Fundraiser #TheGoToBIPOCFundraiser #Social Justice

2

Are donor expectations of nonprofits completely out of touch with reality?? Yes, there is a lost trust component because of some bad players in social impact. And measuring objective impact IS still an important metric for donors to make the "right" decision. BUT what about not-for-profit work that is unquantifiable?? Loving this article from Hiver Dakota McGovern - he is straight shooting with some *really* big thoughts on how to re-evaluate how donor/charity interactions could be thought of differently. We particularly love the 4 alternative metrics by which the not-for-profit sector should evaluate itself 🙌 It's also personal though; Dakota has been supporting, advocating and working within the sector from a young age. What expectations vs. reality do you wish donors would look at differently nonprofiteer?? #nonprofit #fundraising #relationships #socialimpact #trust https://lnkd.in/g7Ay_fHn

5

1 Comment

📊 Want to make the most of your nonprofit's data? Join us on July 11th at 1:00 PM ET for an engaging webinar with experts from Community Boost (Blake Arata), CCS Fundraising (John Sammis), Social Impact Solutions (Lauren Vanderpool), Pursuant - An Allegiance Group Company (Kristin Priest, MA, CFRE) and moderated by our very own, Amanda D'Annucci-Kean. Learn how analytics can help you make smarter decisions and boost your impact. Register today: https://hubs.ly/Q02D6BQn0 #NonprofitSuccess #DataDrivenImpact #TheGivingBlock #Analytics

14

Many donors still are trying to understand how donor-advised funds work. Likewise, a lot of nonprofit leaders still are unsure the right way to work with donors who give through DAFs, much less the DAF providers themselves. In the latest Giving Ventures podcast, we tackle both sides of the equation. The podcast plays back a great webinar we hosted for non-profit leaders last week exploring how to use and work with DAF providers. Take a listen, whether you be a donor, non-profit CEO, or a fundraiser. You'll find something to help you!

18

Successful fundraising hinges on communications that inspires, informs, and motivates potential donors. Effective fundraising communications is more than just asking for money; it’s about building relationships, telling compelling stories, and demonstrating impact. Read article:

1

In PolicyLink's series in Stanford Social Innovation Review so far, our colleagues have explored what achieving a flourishing multiracial democracy requires of each of us, and what it could begin to look like for governments. In this new installment written by Jeff Bradach and I, we explore what this foundational change will require of nonprofit institutions. To play their part, our institutions will need to embrace their own transformation, build from a past rooted in charity and move toward a model of liberation—a future where our laws, regulations, customs, and institutions are structured so all people can thrive.  This work calls us to struggle, and may look different depending on a nonprofit’s starting point, mission, assets, and challenges. Hard decisions will need to be made and missteps will happen. Until we bring love and accountability to our internal practices, external partnerships, and the nonprofit sector more broadly, we cannot expect to realize a nation where everyone can flourish. I look forward to continuing this journey towards liberation together. https://lnkd.in/g5ZVkCJf

126

2 Comments

How can we, in philanthropy, evolve to meet the moment? Here are 6️⃣ ways that the social sector can begin to transform grantmaking strategy. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gtfNessR

9

Trust is the connective tissue of human relationships. In its absence, there’s no community, no economy, no collaboration, no collective flourishing. So why are “control and compliance” donor practices the default- despite evidence that they often undermine impact? In this essay, we looked to other fields to shed new light on trust-based #philanthropy and how a more nuanced understanding of these dynamics can help build the range of relationships that drive the most #SocialChange.   📄 Read the essay and responses: https://lnkd.in/eRTbF_2F 🗨 We invited a range of other voices to critique and expand on the topic in a series of response essays. Thank you for your contributions: Shaady Salehi (Trust-Based Philanthropy Project), Jara Dean-Coffey (she/her/hers) (Equitable Evaluation Initiative and jdcPARTNERSHIPS), Kathy Reich (Ford Foundation’s BUILD Initiative), and Aaron Horvath and Micah McElroy (Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (Stanford PACS).

48

5 Comments

Every Friday, WSS holds a collaborative educational event on Zoom where we learn about climate crisis efforts from individuals and organizations across the world, thereby developing pathways in which we can work together to solve the climate crisis. Speakers present for 30 minutes followed by time for Q & A and discussion. This coming Friday, April 26th at 9:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM EST, we will be hearing from Wageesha Sharma who will share her research on mitigating greenhouse gases and replacing plastics with biological methods. She will also discuss how university-level research can create systems that improve our communities. About Wageesha: Wageesha grew up in the majestic Himalayas, where her deep-rooted values of community, sustainability, and harmony with nature took shape. As a Ph.D. student in Chemical and Biological Engineering at South Dakota Mines, her research focuses on mitigating greenhouse gases and replacing plastics using biological methods. Her work is driven by a commitment to create innovative sustainable solutions with broader and practical implications. She aims to create a communication bridge between research and the wider community, ensuring that valuable insights and knowledge are shared. Thus, promoting and providing research-based strategies—open access and free of charge—wherever they are needed to address societal issues. Believing in the power of collaboration and inclusion, from collaborating with government bodies to non-profits, she intends to unite people across disciplines to create positive change. She is passionate about creating a world that prioritizes inclusive and sustainable economic development, ensuring everyone has access to opportunities for growth. Join us at 9am PT here: https://lnkd.in/ggpwjpYm #globallearning #sustainablemethods #communityinsights #collaborativechange #futureleaders #educationfirst #innovationhub #ecoconscious #greeninnovations #unityinaction #researchforchange #knowledgeexchange #togetherwecan #actionableinsights #fridayforums #ecoforward #biotechadvances #communityengagement #thinkglobal #solutionspace #sustainabilitymatters #ecowarriors #planetfriendly #harmonywithnature #nurturenature #empowerchange #collaborativeefforts #ecosmart #greenfuture #innovatetogether

5

How you choose to present information to the public matters. This recent article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy is an interesting look at the way misinformation impacts perception. Read more: https://bit.ly/4d52NAQ #communication #philanthropy #nonprofit

5

1 Comment

Should your organization be budgeting for AI? The nonprofit sector is approaching the point where AI is no longer a wish-list item but a must-have within an organization's budget and resources. Orr Group's latest #AI insights explore key considerations for leaders to make when preparing their budgets to incorporate AI tools and training. . . . Authored by: Steve Orr, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, and Terry Cangelosi, Senior Director & Head of Operations, Orr Group

4