Volunteering is the heartbeat of community involvement, yet many nonprofits struggle with the challenge of maintaining a committed volunteer workforce. Understanding the complexities of volunteer engagement, exploration of the use of strategic and innovative leadership approaches can amplify lasting organizational impacts.

The largest decline in formal U.S. volunteer rates since 2002 occurred between 2019-2021, according to AmeriCorps and U.S. Census Bureau. A downward trend has created a serious strategic human resource management deficiency and reduced service capacities for many nonprofits. Economic downturns, like that of COVID-19, have shined a light upon the federal government’s reliance on the nonprofit sector. Given their inability to fund or facilitate all vital community support services, many nonprofits rely heavily on dedicated volunteers to carry out their mission. The importance of engaging the right volunteers also sets the tone for strategic development in mission pursuit.

One size does NOT fit all

By discarding the notion of cookie-cutter design strategies, we make room for flexible approaches that are tailor-made for success. Forming long-term volunteer relationships includes working through complex layers. It begins in identifying the…

The complex social issues nonprofits attempt to solve require a diversity of solutions. Funding those solutions will happen as nonprofits embrace the democratization of philanthropy. Philanthropy in the United States is intrinsic to democracy and freedom as it allows citizens to support organizations which form a civil society separate from government. Names like Rockefeller and Carnegie evoke the plutocratic era of philanthropy during the turn of the century. Plutocratic philanthropy exists today through names such as Bezos, Scott, and Gates but the vehicles used to democratize philanthropy are changing the giving landscape. The increase of giving through donor-advised funds (DAFs), crowdfunding, and point-of-sale fundraising allows philanthropy to expand beyond the ivory tower of traditional wealth. People with varied economic backgrounds united by the love (philos) of humanity (anthropos) are now invited to the philanthropic table through these new methods of giving.

It is essential that nonprofit leaders understand these increasingly popular methods of giving to strategically integrate these methods into their development plans. By understanding the donor landscape and the surge to democratize philanthropy, nonprofit leaders can implement practices to expand their donor base. Donor populations are shifting, and astute nonprofit leaders know that millennials now outnumber baby boomer donors. Nonprofit leaders must adapt their…

It has been a great joy and privilege serving to offer mindfulness tips, training and curriculum at Public Allies of Arizona this year. As I come to the closing of my term of service I’ve been invited to share some additional tips on how to address the implementation of mindfulness related practices within an organization. Here are 4 relevant aspects to consider when aligning with what mindfulness research is suggesting: 
 
 
1)   Mindfulness practices are not a fix-all for organizational issues, however the benefits can be a conduit to creating an uplifting work culture that also provides opportunities for healthier ways to reflect and acknowledge areas for improvement within the organization. Also a likely benefit is inspiring quality work, and improvement in the personal lives for your employees. 
 
2)   It is essential for an organization to have a genuine interest and intention to promote a wellness minded work environment. This means that from the top down that the workforce is proactive in supplementing parts of their workday or work week with taking adequate breaks, and efforts towards bringing balanced awareness to being present in the work that’s being done.  If an organization is actually open to promoting and adhering to work life balance, the result could be a positive outcome for workplace retention and improved employee satisfaction. 
 
3)   Know that stress is inevitable in work and peoples’ daily lives. And, that…

Most nonprofits rely on contributions to support their missions. Gifts from donors provide an organization with the opportunity to be innovative, administer programs and services of a high caliber, and sustain work not always supported by grants, corporate sponsors, earned income, and other more limiting sources of funding. Despite the need for individual donors, charitable giving has been on a continuous decline for a number of years. There are a few reasons for this troublesome trend, including inflation and high costs of living, a shift in participation, and failure to solicit contributions. Below are six recommendations for nonprofits to recruit individual donors.

Utilize multiple solicitation strategies

Donors can be contacted through a variety of mediums including in person, by phone, through email, on social media, and by mail. Studies have shown that direct mail is the best…

It is a common misconception in the nonprofit sphere that tax-exempt organizations cannot practice advocacy for causes and ideas. However, history shows that nonprofit advocacy is responsible for much of our modern legal system, and some in the sector say it’s a key way that organizations can fulfill their missions. Organizations like Citizens United and many large labor unions are tax-exempt organizations whose past advocacy has played a critical role in shaping the U.S. political landscape. From landmark Supreme Court decisions to organizing voters and communities, the history of nonprofit advocacy in public policy is strong and allows charitable organizations to advance their causes on a massive scale.

What is advocacy? 

Advocacy is taking a public stance on a social or political issue and engaging in…