Past Articles

Ethics

How Could This Happen to our Nonprofit? – Fraud Protection

If you Google the phrase “nonprofit fraud prevention”, you will get thousands of articles and presentations, primarily from the accounting world, discussing the far too often occurrence of fraud or embezzlement in nonprofits of all sizes.  These articles are full of excellent suggestions on how to prevent fraud, embezzlement, or theft by valued employees, yet there [...]

Capital Campaigns

Are You Serious About Conflicts of Interest?

Is there any issue that creates more consternation for nonprofit boards or management, than the presentation of actual or potential conflicts of interest?  In this day and age, it is fair to assume that most nonprofits, and virtually all 501(c)(3) organizations, have adopted some sort of conflict of interest policy, either as part of the [...]

Capital Campaigns

What is Happening With Religious Fundraising?

Am I the only one confused? On the evening of March 21, 2011, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, reporting from the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference in Chicago, released an article about one of the sessions at the conference, “Religious Fund-Raising Faces a ‘Crisis,’ Says Speaker” http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/religious-fund-raising-faces-a-crisis-says-speaker/29254?sid=&utm_source=&utm_medium=en.. The article begins by quoting one of the panel [...]

Capital Campaigns

How NOT to Fundraise: Lessons from the NPR Fiasco

Last month in this space Jeff Metz posted a wonderful blog titled Cultivating a Donor: Like Cultivating a Garden.  http://www.nonprofitwatercooler.com/2011/02/cultivating-a-donor-like-cultivating-a-garden/  
Too bad that NPR fundraising vice president Ron Schiller did not bother to visit the Nonprofit Water Cooler before he went to lunch with what he thought were representatives of the Muslim Education Action Center.  [...]

Ethics

Holiday Cheer, Business Ethics and Employee Receipt of Gifts

Once again the holiday season, the time for giving and receiving gifts, is upon us.  Does your nonprofit have a clear policy limiting or prohibiting employees from accepting holiday gifts from vendors? 
For a nonprofit employee a holiday gift from one of the nonprofit’s vendors can be viewed as both appealing and harmless.  Surely acceptance of [...]