Summer is my favorite season and the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. As a Navy brat, I shared many 4ths with other military families under an illuminated Washington, D.C. night sky; the glow of each explosion brilliantly reflected off of the marble monuments and served as bright dramatic reminders of the…
Category: Policy Commentary
A Word of Wisdom for Professors
The Chronicle of Higher Education- How to Help New Hires Get Research Money Karen M. Markin August 14, 2013 Advice Do your job better[1] A Reaction: I first came across this article in my Facebook newsfeed. As a knee jerk reaction (which I will explain later) I immediately gravitated to the title like a…
Facebook – What is it Good for? Part II
In “Facebook – What is it Good For? Part I”, I talk about the importance of Facebook in nonprofits as staff can use the tool to tell their organization’s story to the public. In this article, I will talk about the power of the “Like”. No, this is not a simile gone out of control:…
Facebook – What is it Good For? Part I
While I was in grad school I was prone to marvel about the power of social media. Historic events such as the political revolution in Egypt to less significant social flash mobs here in the states – we see the impact that social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, and simple mass texting programs) provides our…
Stereotypes Are Good
Have you ever stereotyped someone? The topic of stereotypes and their role in philanthropy is of special interest to me as an African American professional in this field; but the message ought to be equally important for anyone who communicates across generational gaps. You may be surprised to read the next sentence. I like stereotypes….
Don’t Trip Over The Fiscal Cliff
Don’t Trip Over The Fiscal Cliff The gap of the political landscape continues to increase months after a polarizing election. The fiscal cliff is a metaphor that both sides of the aisle use in a vain attempt to move the opposition to action. The Chronicle of Philanthropy (The Chron), the authority of nonprofit news, has…
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for More
A friend of mine recently forwarded the following blog link to me. The author dives into 8 of the most common, and perhaps most detrimental, mistakes a nonprofit development team can do with their donor relations. The author’s list concludes with an eight point that urges the reader to make a sincere thank you to…
Did you hear that?
I recently had a meeting with a potential client. The gentleman was passionate about his cause, frustrated with the red tape surrounding grant proposals and was eager to get more proposals out the door for sake of his client-base. During the meeting, which lasted for about 60 minutes, I probably got 5 minutes worth of…
Never Ask Again
If you ever donated to a nonprofit, the scene may be all too familiar: your one donation spawns a series of annoying repeat appeals…and makes you regret that moment of charity you succumbed to during the holiday season. Email, mail, telephone, and a combination of all three, are among the few tactics the insatiable development staff use…
