In the realm of social impact and nonprofit work, the quest for sustainable, innovative solutions to society’s challenges is ceaseless. As someone entrenched in the mission to address food insecurity, I have come to appreciate the indispensable role of intrapreneurship within our sector. This approach, which champions the spirit of entrepreneurship within existing organizations, is not just beneficial; it is vital for recruiting and retaining the talent that will drive our missions forward. I first learned of this concept from Professor Arthur C. Brooks’ nonprofit management course at the Harv ..read more

The low-code, no-code revolution has made it possible for anyone at your organization to create software applications without all the extra overhead of traditional software development. By leveraging low-code platforms, such as the Microsoft Power Platform, your staff members have a vast ecosystem of emerging technologies at their fingertips. Your “low-coders” or “citizen developers” can use technology to optimize the unique business processes they already know intimately. I’m a product manager, so I have the privilege of being on a team producing software every day. Unlike low-code, it’s a co ..read more

You know how important it is to manage your funds according to their purpose and source. That includes ensuring that you use restricted donations, grants, and other revenues in accordance with your donors’ and funders’ wishes. Plus, you need to report on these financial activities to various stakeholders, such as the board of directors, the government, and the public. Is your accounting system designed to handle these complexities? Or do you have to rely on manual workarounds, spreadsheets, and guesswork to track and report on your restricted funds? If this mess of circumvention sounds familia ..read more

Since she signed the Giving Pledge in 2019 and began her momentous campaign of organization-changing donations, MacKenzie Scott has given away more than $17.3 billion. All in unrestricted funds with no reporting necessary. While Scott is far from the first to focus on giving major gifts with no strings attached, the scale of her philanthropy is causing many funders to rethink long-held beliefs about what requirements should be paired with a donation. While nonprofits will hopefully see an increase in unrestricted funds—and a decrease in burdensome reporting requirements—as part of this and oth ..read more

Let’s face it—budget planning can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for nonprofits. Do we have the funds this year to maintain our programs? And what do we do if the answer is “no”? Most organizations face frequent budget cuts, which creates organizational uncertainty and a scramble for new funding options. But what if your organization could engage in a more thoughtful and systematic practice to build your organizations’ financial capacity without making this tradeoff? Building your organization’s financial capacity involves investing in solid financial systems, but also engaging in more stra ..read more

You’ve been grant shopping for some time now, but are you prepared for what’s next once you start to receive them? Many grants come with significant—and detailed—compliance requirements. To meet those requirements, you’ll need to be able to successfully track and manage your grants and effectively report on how you allocated these funds. If you are a grant-funded organization, it will be important to manage spending restrictions and meet reporting requirements. You will want to think ahead about being able to easily capture grant information, set up tasks and deadlines, and then run accurate r ..read more

Working in the nonprofit sector is hard. You and your grantees are driven by a passion for your mission that sometimes leads to burnout. And salaries in many nonprofit organizations can’t compete with the for-profit sector. According to The Council of Nonprofits 2023 Nonprofit Workforce Survey, almost three quarters of nonprofits that completed the survey have current openings at their organization. Hiring and staff turnover are common occurrences for nonprofits and grantmaking organizations. This can cause problems when tasks fall through the cracks or emails go to inboxes that no longer exis ..read more

Inspired by more than 40 years of collaboration with private school leaders, Blackbaud has created a track of sessions for ATLIS 2024, the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools’ annual conference. This curated track features members of Blackbaud’s K–12 Executive Advisory Board and our internal experts discussing how technology in schools has evolved, new best practices, and fresh ideas. Whether you’re interested in learning about responsible AI, cybersecurity, APIs, staff empowerment, or something specific about Blackbaud software, we’ve got a session for you. Blackbaud’s 20 ..read more

If you have donated money to a quirky aid event focused on snorkeling or a unique chess fundraiser, you know that fundraising events have evolved far beyond the typical 5K runs, cycling events, and charity walks. While traditional events still have an important place in the fundraising calendar, activity-based fundraising events now encompass a diverse range of experiences, from yoga to pickleball to kayaking and more. This evolution has been driven by several factors: The need for increased engagement A more personalized approach to connecting with donors The popularity of activity trackers ..read more

Have you ever been pulled into a meandering project with no clear direction or goals? Projects like these can drain resources, take more time than necessary, and quickly become your least favorite meeting on your calendar. You can save yourself the pain of a directionless undertaking by creating a project charter. Any major project—such as implementing new fund accounting software—needs a well-developed charter to keep stakeholders focused on the goals and desired outcome. What is a Project Charter? A project charter is a brief, formal document that concisely articulates the essential details ..read more