Kimberly Howard Wade

Whilst its hard to see that any progress has been made, to the contrary - it looks like 0 progress made and everything got worse, with recent years breaking through the 1.5C targets. We mustn't give up hope that the many initiatives that have been kicked off as a result of these agreements, have prevented worse things from happening... too optimistic? maybe But working in the sustainability and SDG space has never been more exciting, with many people sharing that a just transition to a more sustainable, de-growth and circular economy is, ...possible. The questions is how fast, to prevent worse things from happening (Climate Catastrophy, Ecological Collapse, ...the list is getting longer). Currently the ANNUAL financing gap to the 2030 SDGs is (according to UN estimates), around $4 trillion. This is the same as Germany's or Japan's Gross Domestic Product. This is a staggering number and concept that the money missing to achieve the SDGs is the same as the monetary value of ALL finished goods and services made in Germany or Japan on an annual basis. And yet, the world economy is worth around $100 Trillion, so $4 trillion = 4%. That ...almost...sounds doable? too optimistic? maybe When it comes to asset managers, total discretionary assets under management (AUM) of the 500 biggest managers amounted to USD 113.7 trillion at the end of 2022, down by 13.7% from the end of 2021. The largest, BlackRock, manages $10 trillion and the next biggest 2, Vanguard ($9 trillion) and Fidelity ($4 trillion). Surely, investing into solutions on a planet that is actually liveable with resources being consumed at a sustainable pace is what its at? Otherwise, what will be managed in 20 or 30 years?

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💡 If you work with non-profits, then it’s no secret that it's getting harder and harder for them to reach their fundraising objectives. As a foundation or fonds de dotation (French endowment fund) a simple way help is to provide multi-year funding.   👇This article from KV Philanthropy Consulting offers a few insights as multi-year vs one-off donations and what impacts they can have for both associations and foundations. Don’t hesitate to let me know what you think! (Vous trouvez également la version française via le lien ci-dessous) #Donation #Multiyear #foundation #fondsdedotation #nonprofit #charity #association #grantmaking #fundraising #philanthropy

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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.

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4 Components of a Culture of Philanthropy "Development staff are always included in organizational decisions. Program staff play an active role in relationship building. Fundraising and engagement are inextricably linked. Transformational relationships take priority over transactions." More insights and explications of these points can be found in this important article by Claire.

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A Fourth of July Note to US Impact Sector Colleagues... Between the barbeques, pool parties, friends, family, and fireworks, let's remember what brought us here and what remains to be done. Many of us are thinking and talking a lot about politics these days. Most of the conversation centers on political parties, their candidates, and the fall elections. But some issues directly impact the liberty of nonprofits, their volunteers, and staff today. As this piece by Rajasvini B. of Solidaire Network in Inside Philanthropy article points out, some politicians are trying to redefine the rights and responsibilities of charitable organizations and those who lead and support them. This is very serious stuff. It involves threats of restrictions on activity, removal of nonprofit status, and prison sentences. There are many opinions on what nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations can and should be doing in 2024. But most of us probably agree that they should be allowed to do what they do and to keep doing it without threats, coercion, or punishment. Efforts to restrict the activities of legitimate nonprofit organizations and penalize their supporters, sometimes threatening loss of charitable status or incarceration, are a dramatic change to a social contract that has existed in some form since before the birth of the Republic. As we celebrate the 248th anniversary of our nation, the role of the impact sector is of singular importance in addressing the needs of the local, national, and international community. Let's keep this in mind today and every day and work together to ensure that nonprofit organizations are unhampered in serving the public in the years to come. https://lnkd.in/ePRHYkYW

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If We Truly Valued the Donors We Had Wouldn't we: Survey and/or interview them about what institutional attributes they find most important and impressive to ensure we hire fundraisers who embody them? Tell fundraisers their most important job is to perpetuate and deepen relationships with those assigned to their portfolios? Require fundraisers to demonstrate that they have studied donor profiles and developed engagement plans attuned to their donors' passions and sensitivities? Equip fundraisers with questions to ask so they can fill gaps in those donors' records to ensure they are managed well over time? Check in with those donors after a few months to make sure all is going well with their new development officer? Work with the development officer to learn what each donor does and does not want to receive knowing how many complain of being bombarded with information? Make sure any solicitation is well-thought-out and respectful as evidenced by the number of conversations preceding it and interest expressed by the donor in a particular initiative? Conduct annual stewardship interviews or surveys to make sure donors feel that their gifts have been well-stewarded and they feel respectfully treated, then compare results year over year to make sure gaps are not growing? Show fundraisers how they can help donors develop multiple connections to the organization? Yet, how often do we see fundraisers: Selected on the basis of bravado Pushed into the field with too little training and no review of their plans Expected to solicited after a set number of visits with no review as to whether what is being solicited aligns with donors' interests Not required to show evidence of relationship or affinity building Gone after two years so that donors not only experience giving fatigue but breaking-in-new-fundraiser fatigue So let's be honest. While many organizations have a stewardship office, few have anything that looks like an asset management plan or the awareness of how important one is. Despite what we give lip service to, is it not a fact that we care little about how positive an impression our fundraisers make or how well they treat their donors as long as they bring home some bacon? So here's the lesson that must penetrate or our thick organizational skulls: A stewardship office, no matter how good, cannot compensate for: Leadership attitudes that treat donors like cordwood Fundraisers who don't reflect values and ideals touted by the organization Fundraising imperatives that favor insensitive fundraisers or desensitize good ones Donors being made to feel like ATMs accessed by revolving fundraisers Inappropriate or inept solicitations Most organization leave much too much to chance. They need to build awareness around donors as invaluable organizational assets and, at minimum, hold themselves to ethic articulated in the Hippocratic Oath:  "I will do no harm or injustice to them."

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In fundraising, it is crucial not only to tell but show your donors how their contributions are making a difference within your mission and vision. You must communicate your organization’s impact to your donors regularly and effectively so they are more likely to encourage repeat donations. A donor impact letter is a key tool to accomplish this task. Check out my recent post on how and why you should build donor impact letters into your organization’s communication mix. https://lnkd.in/e_wt2iHK #fundraising #nonprofits

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"I hate boards." Boards, councils, advisory committees. Call them what you want. The truth is I have heard non-profit leaders express this sentiment of frustration time after time. And to be fair, there are some really terrible boards out there. But it doesn't have to be that way. Maybe the problem is, you aren't inviting the A Team to be a part of your committee. So why are you surprised when you don't get an A Team effort? My Co-Host Greg Jeffrey highlights five ways you can build an A Team of volunteers in this week's podcast episode. Check out the comments for the link. #justask #nonprofits #development #boards

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The full child care innovation summit is linked below

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I just want to amplify this new study. That’s being done around community centric fundraising and philanthropy. Are you using community centric fundraising principles? Have your lead fundraiser or your entire fundraising team sit down together and fill this out.

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Grants Simplified, Success Amplified With Instrumentl, your grant work becomes effortless. Prospect, track, manage and succeed – all from one user-friendly platform. https://lnkd.in/efwVPvGY

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When thinking back to my time as a nonprofit CEO, I recall many sleepless nights wrestling with funding challenges. Conversations often focused on writing grants, annual campaigns, and donor engagement, but the results stayed the same. It wasn’t until we started thinking differently that we saw real change. 🚀Imagine a nonprofit and philanthropic world where innovation drives fund development, creating sustainable impact within our organizations, where new ideas are celebrated, and risks are seen as opportunities.  🌟 In my latest Coaching Innovation Blog, Innovating Fund Development for Greater Impact, discover how embracing innovation can transform your organization's approach to funding. ❓How can nonprofits elevate their fund development strategies to create greater impact? 🧠 Cultivate a Culture of Innovation: Encourage an environment where creativity thrives, and risks are part of the growth journey. 🔍 How can you foster a culture of innovation? Reflect on your organization's openness to new ideas and discuss your risk tolerance and risk threshold. 💡 Innovation Pop-ups: Organize regular brainstorming sessions to bring together diverse perspectives and generate innovative new fund development strategies. When we create a culture of innovation that leverages technology and embraces diverse funding sources, we can transform our organizations and the communities we serve. How have you leveraged innovation to support fund development? 🔗 Check out the full article at www.Jordansydnor.com . 

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Reading an internal Seattle Children's memo today, I was struck by a rec to use sick time for mental health. Which really, I shouldn't be -- physical health *always* includes mental health. But it's still something we don't talk about enough in American workplaces. Knowing that I can take time off to focus on my mental health without any stigma is amazing. Whether it's taking a day to recharge, attending therapy, or simply practicing self-care, I feel supported and understood. #MentalHealthMatters #WorkplaceWellbeing #SupportEachOther

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If you're searching for top nonprofit talent for your organization, you'll want to follow these "5 Good Tips" from our newest guide: 1. Intentionally show off your good work to prospective employees. 2. Leverage your polished and professional brand in your search activities. 3. Be forthcoming about office culture, salary ranges, and employee benefits. 4. Find new and creative ways to share about the open position. 5. Consider hiring a Search Agency like Arthur Alley! Download your copy of the full "5 Good Tips" guide to learn more about each component of an effective recruiting process. https://lnkd.in/eAnn2QGv #EmployeeRecruiting #Hiring #Nonprofits #NonprofitJobs #SearchSolutions

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In a recent meeting with a client about strategies to engage major donors, they said "we don't have time to build relationships with funders!" I've heard similar responses over the years as a consultant, but for some reason this time it really hit me: this key aspect of development (especially major gift fundraising) is precisely the thing nonprofit leaders often just don't have time to do. In the frenzy and everything-is-a-priority aspect of our work, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we don't have time to nurture and build key relationships. But, given how important this activity is to the sustainability and success of your organization, finding time -- or maybe making the time -- is critical. I share more on how to make this time and to best use the little time you have in my April blog post on cultivating and forging strong ties with donors. https://lnkd.in/gqUrPcuU

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As fundraisers, whose job is it to be generous? Is it possible YOUR generosity might be as important as your donors'? Most of us in the world of philanthropy understand something about being generous with money. For a start, not everyone IS generous with money. Having money doesn’t mean people give it away. We understand that our best donors get that it FEELS GOOD to give. But recently, I’ve double-clicked on some deeper applications of generosity that have nothing to do with money and everything to do with feeling good. So, what does it mean to be generous – not just with money, but with your heart and spirit? Here’s an example from my life: For some of us, as our parents age, their commitment to the rules and details of reality wanes. And regularly I find that the rule follower in me jumps in to correct and to straighten out any confused details. I am helping to orient – or at least to un-disorient – right? But after, I feel icky. It never feels good to be *that* person, the stickler about details. And the word generous came up recently about these interactions … and has invited me to wonder if I might not actually find a more generous space – a place where I show up, give the gift of my attention and … play along. My partner Kevin shared a story with me about his own father, who died with dementia in 2020. One day during a visit, his father was telling him a story about killing a dragon. Hunh? It was disorienting, he recalled, because it was very detailed, and his father really believed it happened. Upon corroborating facts with his father’s girlfriend, he discovered that his father DID have a story: he had been out in the garden and got harassed by … not a dragon, but a dragonfly. Which he eventually swatted away. And Kevin had an "a-ha!": in an eroding memory ecosystem, an interaction with a large insect could easily morph into something more story-worthy. And he understood that a good story made his dad happy. So, then, it wasn’t hard for him to create that generous space and play along. And that’s a kind of generosity that is different from cash. Many of us get stuck in a world -where there are dragonflies, but no dragons -where we are attached to our reality, to the rules as we see them. Where we are so attached, in fact, that we can’t make space for someone else’s experience. Where rightness or sticking to the story feel more important than our own generosity. So, to my fellow fundraisers and humans, here’s an inquiry to help you transcend the world of dragonflies: How might you expand your definition of generosity in service of your own and your donors’ humanity? #fundraisers #fundraising #nonprofit #generosity #coachingculture #philanthropy

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It's time to REDESIGN systems of power and governance in philanthropy. Do you know any extraordinary board members, trustees, or HNWIs who have an inkling that this is true? 🤔 Philanthropy's status quo is an ill fitting governance system that wasn't designed for social change--it doesn't work well for anyone involved or the outcomes we seek. We need systems that work for the complexity and humanity of the world. The good news is, we can create them. Together. We've designed a highly supported experience to do just that! We're working with the brilliant teams at Intrinsic Labs and Radical Optimist Collective. Click through to see the profile of potential participants we're looking for to take part in Metamorphic Legacy, a bespoke leadership experience to redesign governance. Share this post/the 1 pager with 🦄 trustee unicorns 🦄 you know and reshape philanthropy with us! #philanthropy #leadership #governance #redesign #boardmembers #trustees #HNWIs #creativity #boards #grantmaking #innovation #crappyfundingpractices https://lnkd.in/dXz4zR8X One pager: https://lnkd.in/dR-hGN-T

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