Brian Sooy's Blog, page 8

What Should You Know Before Joining A NonProfit Board?

If you received a call asking, "Would you be interested in joining our board?"—how would you answer?

Ten years ago, I received a call asking, "Would you be interested in joining our board?" It would have been helpful to have a list of questions to ask current board members and the executive director before I began this journey.

Now as I prepare to exit the board, I often jokingly remind our executive director that she told me "we only want you for your brain." I chuckle, because not only have...

What You Should Know Before Joining A NonProfit Board?

If you received a call asking, "Would you be interested in joining our board?" How would you answer?

Ten years ago, I received a call asking, "Would you be interested in joining our board?" It would have been helpful to have a list of questions to ask current board members and the executive director before I began this journey.

Now as I prepare to exit the board, I often jokingly remind our executive director that she told me "we only want you for your brain." I chuckle, because not only...

Four ways to stay ahead of nonprofit trends

Stay on top of trends: there are many ways your association and members can effectively use design-driven communication to more effectively advance your mission.

After two days of listening and learning from state nonprofit association leaders at the National Council of Nonprofits’ 2015 Learning Confab, I came away with information overload, and a heightened awareness of the work being done at a national and state level on behalf of the sector.

What I learned will help me in my work as a board...

Remembering Hermann Zapf

Hermann Zapf, a master of typography and legendary type designer, passed away on June 4, 2015.

I first met Hermann Zapf in 1988 at a calligraphy conference in Washington DC, within a few years of receiving a design degree, and early in my career as a designer and lettering artist.

He astounded us by drawing the most exquisite alphabet composition — on the blackboard with a piece of chalk — something he did multiple times for students around the world.

For the last 35 years, his influence upon...

Why your volunteers matter

Volunteers are connected to your cause and mission, and deserve respect and recognition for what they do.

Every month, individuals volunteer between 800 and 1000 hours at our local food bank. Volunteers staff information desks at local hospitals, help churches carry out ministry, and support the mission-critical work of many nonprofits.

Volunteers are connected to your cause and mission, and deserve respect and recognition for what they do, no matter what it is they do.

I’ve collected a few ar...

To Tweet or to Lead?

A colleague recently asked — should the leader of my organization be on social media?

Is he or she the face of the organization?

Is he or she the voice of the organization?

What is their role? To tweet, or to lead?

The leader should focus on creating a culture of communication.

If they have time after that, and it's appropriate to their role, then It's up to them to be participating in social mediaon behalf of the cause, and only if it's a good use of their time.

It could be a waste of time an...

What line will you cross to begin a conversation?

Where’s your “do not cross” line in corporate social responsibility? What taboo would you break to begin a conversation?

Two weeks in, and amid the din of criticism, it appears Starbucks is ending its attempt to start a conversation around race. Deep pockets afford the opportunity for Starbucks to useits venues as a national forum. After the initial splash of activity, look for a sustained phase while the company continues to attempt to engage its customers in a conversation it considers cruci...

The Alumni Letters, Part One

If alumni are important enough to ask for money from, are they important enough to your college to know how they feel?

With graduation coming, it’s time to start thinking about the millions of donors—that is, alumni—entering the workforce and about to be added to mailing lists.

Don’t forget that these recent students may be loaded with college debt and looking for their first full-time job. Making a donation to their alma mater is likely the last thing they’re thinking about.

“You never call,...

How are you using the Cause Manifesto?

How are you using the Cause Manifesto in your work? How three of your peers are using it to transform their organizations.

I've been collecting comments from individuals who have discovered The Cause Manifesto, and how they are using it in their work.

Three responses are particularly significant. The first is from the executive director of a community foundation; the second from the marketing director of a corporation with tens of thousands of employees; the third from the principal of a consu...

Where does your cause fit in?

Think of all of the causes with which you are familiar. Where does yours fit in?

Think of all of the causes with which you are familiar (and with which your organization competes for funding and resources). In the broadest sense, causes fall into two categories: those in which your audiences are interested emotionally (what inspires us with compassion, what appeals to our hearts) or rationally (what informs us, speaking to our minds).

There are many reasons that motivate your audience’s intere...