Good decision-making requires good data. But most nonprofits never invest in the kind of tools that can allow them to capture and categorize their data to support better decision-making. The post Good data is essential for effective decision-making first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

I often encounter nonprofit leaders who tell me that they refuse to use a certain effective fundraising technique or channel because they “don’t believe in it” or they “don’t like it”. This is a telltale sign for me that the leader is more concerned with her or his own comfort than they are about achieving […] The post Mission Impact or Personal Comfort? You Pick. first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

Leader: Guard your tongue. It might feel good to yell at someone once in a while. It might feel good to engage in gossip or to verbally take down that annoying person in your office. But the minute you do that, you lose the trust of people throughout your organization, and you may never get […] The post Leaders: Guard Your Tongue first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

A mentor of mine recently asked me, “What’s the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn in your career?” That question stopped me in my tracks. There are so many lessons I’ve learned over the last 25 years in business. Some of them exciting and encouraging. Others not so exciting or encouraging. And some of the […] The post Leaders Must Learn Hard Lessons first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

I posted the following statement on LinkedIn and it got a TON of feedback. A lot of that feedback was negative, with people telling me that my idea was entirely wrong and exactly why the nonprofit sector is “broken” right now. Hey Nonprofit Leader: Do you understand who your customer is? If you’re funded through […] The post Nonprofits: Understand Your Customer first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

Nonprofits continue to struggle with fewer donors giving every year. The economy plays a part in that. But more than anything, our social contract with donors is broken. If your nonprofit wants to raise more money, you need to provide a better experience for your supporters. You need a better way to fundraise. If you […] The post Nonprofits Need a Better Way to Fundraise first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

There are so many fantastic and talented fundraisers in our nonprofit sector. What frustrates so many of them is that organizations often have outdated budgeting processes and business rules that can hold great fundraisers back from achieving the greatest mission impact possible. If we agree that we all need a better way to fundraise, we […] The post Your Business Rules are Hurting Your Fundraising first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

I once sent 60,000 pieces of one nonprofit’s direct mail to another nonprofit’s audience by mistake. As the head of annual gift fundraising at a children’s hospital I was an early adopter of text messaging, and invested $15,000 to promote giving by text. That program generated $480 of text message-based donations. We launched a campaign […] The post Use failure to create future successes first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

Culture is the most important leverage point for your organization’s growth. As a leader, if you embrace or simply allow toxic behavior to invade your culture, you’ll limit growth by chasing great people out of your organization. If you’re interested in talking more about this or have another collaboration idea, feel free to grab time […] The post Healthy cultures create leverage first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more

Hey Nonprofit Board Members: Your job is to set policy, help advance the mission of the organization through personal advocacy, volunteerism, supporting fundraising by giving and/or using your influence, and providing performance coaching and guidance for the Executive Director. Your role DOES NOT include daily oversight of the organization’s operations. If you want to chat […] The post The Role of Nonprofit Boards first appeared on Andrewolsen.net ..read more