There is a limit to human compassion. Understanding the hows and whys can help nonprofits raise revenue.

Let’s assume a LOT of people suffer from the condition your nonprofit exists to fix. Will that big number help in your copy for your appeals, or even your website?

No.

Volunteering on a local nonprofit board has changed my perspective on some things I used to say with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY, and with a microphone. As an example: “The federated model is inefficient. All organizations are on the path to single corp, without exception.”

Here’s where the federated model works brilliantly. Because the national organization is protected by a separate 501c3, they don’t mess with us.

Turnkey recently completed the search for the Chief Development Officer for The ALS Association. Patrick Reedy enters the role with deep experience at a range of nonprofits including Shatterproof as Chief Development Officer and JDRF as National VP of Leadership Giving, among other experiences.

Turnkey recently completed the search for the President and Chief Executive Officer for ZERO Prostate Cancer. Courtney Bugler, CFRE will assume the role in August 2023.

Bugler said of her new role, “I am truly honored and humbled to have been chosen to lead this organization. I have been preparing for years to do this job, and every aspect of my experience has given me skills, experiences, and a network to impact prostate cancer patients and their families.”

The low-dollar donor is becoming an endangered beast. In and of itself, the loss of immediate revenue is a problem. But the larger problem will show up later. Most sustaining, major, and legacy donors “started with one small introductory gift years ago,” which means fewer major hitters will appear. In addition, many people won’t be there to support our legislative and program activities. They’ll be missing because they, too, came from the small donor ranks, the rapidly declining largest part of our pipeline. The worst pain is yet to come—but there is something we can do to change this future.

On July 1, 2023 Stacey Murrell will become Turnkey For Good Chief Executive Officer. Founder and CEO for 34 years, Katrina VanHuss, will transition to Founder and continue to work inside the business.

Ian Joyce showed up at Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation after a robust and distinguished career in corporate marketing and communications. He brought that mindset to his new work in social good. But he found there was a missing piece—a pipeline.  

A Desire Path, according to Merriam-Webster, is “an unplanned route or path (such as one worn into a grassy surface by repeated foot traffic) that is used by pedestrians in preference to or in the absence of a designated alternative (such as a paved pathway).

Desire paths are everywhere if you know what to look for. It’s what we do with them that speaks volumes to our non-profit culture.

Turnkey recently completed the search for the Chief Global Advancement Officer for Pencils of Promise. Brad Wisdom will lead advancement at the organization under the leadership of Kailee Scales, CEO.

Turnkey recently completed the search for the Chief Development Officer for Pencils of Promise. Julie Baker will assume the role under the leadership of Kailee Scales, CEO.

An authoritarian mindset is most often the reason volunteer systems fail. Here we examine the impact of the authoritarian mindset on leaders and followers.

First, authoritarians have good intent. It is true, however, that they operate using a method that often impacts others both significantly and negatively. It’s who they are, and because authoritarianism is held by many in poor regard, most don’t want to see themselves this way.

Who should pay for a board member’s expenses in serving? Tricky question.

Board Management is a big part of a CEO’s job. Sometimes the details can get in the way of a great relationship. For example, managing the expenses around board members attending board meetings can be tricky. Here is how multiple organizations manage this conversation with sometimes policy, sometimes art, sometimes psychology.

We want to talk about writing. Words. Language. The melodic string of letters and symbols pieced together to form coherent, crescendoing thoughts.

Written words are the transfer point for your passion—for your mission. Words encapsulate all your work, ideas, meetings, ponderings, agonies, and thoughts. They are the filter through which your work must go to get into the world.

Words have power. So we’re saying the quiet part out loud—you need a good copywriter.

When it’s not working, it can sound like this:

“I don’t know how to prioritize my time.”

“INSERTNAME is not a team player.”

“It doesn’t feel like we are moving the needle.”

Building a culture of teams within your organization who are strong decision-makers takes work. And it all starts, you guessed it, with a solid strategic plan.

I use an analogy that no one gets. It is this, said in conversation when I am trying to make sure someone is telling me exactly what they want, “Ok, I have moved the couch a couple of times, and the couch is heavy. Can we agree where the couch should go before I move it again?”

Let me describe the largest couch I have been asked to move: when a board hires a new CEO.

Three years ago, we were in Russia. How the world has changed.  

We traveled to Russia for ten days to teach social fundraising to Moscow-based nonprofits and promote the release of the Russian translation of our book, Dollar Dash. We left with new friends and the expectation that we would return someday soon. Many of our Russian friends have now fled the country. They live in Lisbon, Istanbul, Tbilisi, and elsewhere, unsure of their futures. 

What a whirlwind 2022 has been! Our team at Turnkey has helped a virtual cornucopia of clients with various challenges this year, so we want to reflect on some of our projects and share a peek behind the curtain.

Joan Salerno Russo has been named Senior Director of Private Philanthropy at USA for UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. Joan’s deep experience spans organizations addressing cancer, education, diabetes, and more.

Our Turnkey team was with 100-ish nonprofit professionals this past week at the NonProfit POWER Conference in Philadelphia. I gave a presentation on how one’s identity is strengthened by being part of a community — how engaging with like-minded community members is validating and rewarding, the reason people seek out communities to be a part of.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Turnkey’s Katrina VanHuss & Otis Fulton, Ph.D.’s new book Social Fundraising: How to Mine the New Peer-to-Peer Landscape, we are giving you a sneak preview of one of our favorite topics; Recruiting (and Keeping) Volunteer Leaders & Fundraisers.