For non-profit organizations to set a tone for ethical behavior, we see a comprehensive conflict-of-interest policy as a good place to start.  A non-profit is asked about their conflict-of-interest policy by the IRS when they are first forming.  If you don't have one, now is a good time to get one! It addresses expected behaviors …

  Appreciative Inquiry is gaining wide acceptance as a new resource for organizational development.  The emphasis is usually on the aspect of “appreciation” as a positive change model.  Appreciative Inquiry is indeed about looking at strengths in an organization instead of deficits.    But in the conversational (dialogic) life of organizations, A.I. is also about  …

  You may have heard about a small non-profit getting a “capacity building” grant.  Maybe you have wondered what that means?   Capacity building is increasingly in the conversation among both funders and organizations looking for funding.  Very simply, capacity building activities are those steps that make an organization more capable of carrying out its …

One of the greatest barriers we see in small non-profits inability to obtain grant funding is an unwillingness to collaborate. When non-profits are unwilling to share resources and information with like-minded community organizations, the chances for success in funding applications are slim! Believing in scarcity brings scarcity! Foundations are looking for non-profits that are open-handed, …