Management Letters
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #64
January 2012
Management v. Leadership
Dear Friends,
It's a new year and for many, a time to think about the "big picture." Among the larger issues I am discussing with my students in the Nonprofit Management class I teach at Antioch University Los Angeles is the nature of leadership.
What is your view of leadership? I welcome your reflections. Please write to me any time at davidnorgard@od180.com or through Twitter @OD180.
Peace,
David
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #63
December 2011
Annual Meetings: The Good, the Bad, and the Necessary
Dear Friends,
Just returning from the annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles prompts me to reflect on annual meetings in general - the good, the bad, and the necessary.
I invite you to share a reflection on an annual meeting you have attended or led, whether good, bad, or indifferent. By doing so, you might just find some new insight about it.
Peace,
David
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OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #62
November 2011
From Big Idea to Little Thank You Notes
Dear Friends,
A friend and colleague has been contemplating a major restoration project lately and has talked with me in a preliminary fashion about managing a capital campaign. He posed a question I have never been asked before. Prefacing it, he said, "I know a feasibility study should come before a capital campaign." "But what," he continued, "comes before the feasibility study?"
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #61
October 2011
Four Principles
Dear Friends,
I have been working of late on a long overdue update of the OD180 website and it has proven to be an undertaking that is at once both reflective and creative for me. In particular, it has prompted me to review - and restate - the premises of all my work with nonprofit organizations.
I hope you find these assertions provocative and will let me know what you think. I welcome your objections, refutations, congratulations, salutations, observations, and implications. Write to me anytime at davidnorgard@OD180.com.
Peace,
David
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #60
September 2011
What Learning Might Best Prepare Nonprofit Leaders?
Dear Friends,
I was invited recently by some colleagues to join a conversation on community leadership. Focusing for a time on the nonprofit sector specifically, the conversation made me wonder: What learning would serve nonprofit executives well as they address the challenges they face in their roles?
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #59
June 2011
Who Can We Get?
Dear Friends,
"Who can we get?" There are two or three seats opening on your board soon and no one that you really want comes to mind. So what do you do? That is the question that prompts this month's topic: board recruitment.
Share with me your stories about board recruitment and I will share them with others in a future letter. Write to me at davidnorgard@OD180.com or connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter @ OD180.
Peace,
David
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #58
May 2011
State Your Case!
Dear Friends,
While many of us see signs that the economy is improving, it's not as if money is falling from trees for us to rake up at our leisure. Effective fundraising continues to require a comprehensive development plan (an OD180 specialty) methodically implemented, cultivating an appropriate balance of multiple sources and soliciting them appropriately. I have written about how to prepare such comprehensive development plans in previous letters but this month I address an even more fundamental question: What is your case for support?
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #57
April 2011
Oh my God! She/He is leaving!
Dear Friends,
Last month I shared a cautionary tale with you by Nat Eddy, a longtime friend, about the importance of understanding financial reports. Another dear friend wrote to thank Nat and me and then proceeded to outline his own story about "what to do when crisis strikes," specifically the departure of a key staff member. Again, his wisdom was so sound and widely applicable that I share it with you all. Thanks to David Cupps, a fine nonprofit consultant based in Lexington, Kentucky, for writing. (http://www.cuppsconsulting.com/)
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #56
March 2011
A Cautionary Tale
Dear Friends,
A longtime friend (and Yale Divinity School classmate) shared a story with me recently which was so compelling and valuable that I asked his permission to share it with all of you. My thanks go to Nat Eddy of Deep River, Connecticut who tells a cautionary tale to anyone who sits on a board of directors and wonders silently about what the numbers in those financial reports really mean.
OD180 Nonprofit Management Letter #55
February 2011
Top Ten Resources for Nonprofit Leaders & Managers 2011
Dear Friends,
As promised, I am happy to offer this month my personal "Top Ten List" of resources for 2011. The criteria for these selections were twofold: either I refer to it often or I consider it has had a major impact on my thinking. That being said, it is, of course, an entirely subjective list. When I compile the 2012 edition, it will be interesting to note what has been added and what dropped.
This year's list includes a magazine, a few websites/organizations, and several books. In different ways, they each offer uncommon value to nonprofit leaders and managers.
