Tag Archives: management

4 Reasons Planned Giving Is A Jealous Mistress

Bambulka courtesy of M.A.R.I.O.N, on Flickr
Planned Giving does not like to share its affection with other fundraising work. This job post from Twitter reminds me it troubles me to see Planned Giving as part of a split-job responsibility:

NEW JOB!! Development Assoc-Corp/Fdn Rltns & Planned Giving, XXXXX University, Somewhere, USA (bit.ly link omitted)

I’ve got 4 reasons why pairing Planned Giving with other fundraising responsibilities hurts your PG program:

  1. The “other” has shorter deadlines. Whatever it’s paired with, the other fundraising responsibility will have more immediate deadlines, like in the example above. That means PG doesn’t get the attention it needs. Promotion is ignored and relationships aren’t cultivated. The worst combination I’ve seen is with annual fund. In the fourth quarter, the goals are weekly. How much PG do you think gets done in those three months–and the hectic planning leading up to them?
  2. The “other” yields cash sooner. A planned gift nearly always means cash to your nonprofit at the death of the donor. The exceptions are IRA rollovers and the rare charitable lead trust. Take the annual fund pairing. Cash comes in the door often within weeks of a solicitation, and certainly that year. You can wait decades for money to come from the planned gift. If the fundraiser is evaluated on money raised in the year, will PG get much attention? The answer to this is balanced and sophisticated performance evaluation criteria. I haven’t seen it for split-job fundraisers.
  3. The administration deceives itself. Having declared Planned Giving to be in someone’s title, the administration and board are satisfied they’ve “got Planned Giving covered.” But because it gets short shrift (see 1 and 2 above), PG isn’t covered. It’s largely ignored.
  4. PG never gets its equivalent share of the title. If it’s half the title, as in Director of Major and Planned Gifts, it won’t get 50% of the fundraiser’s attention and time. I once saw “Director of Annual Fund, Foundation Relations and Planned Giving” at a college. That’s silly, for the reasons above.

I don’t presume every organization can afford an employee devoted to Planned Giving. Such a presumption would also be silly. But expectations must align with reality. I see gross misalignment, because administrators and boards don’t recognize the jealous side of Planned Giving.

Nonprofit Radio for March 25, 2011: I’m Looking and Back Office Blunders

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

You can subscribe on iTunes and listen anytime, anyplace on the device of your choice.

Paula Marks, President, Hire Resources; and Leonora Scala, nonprofit job-seeker.

I’m Looking: Savvy Strategies for Your Search:
  
It’s time to check in with recruiter Paula Marks and our nonprofit job seeker, Leonora. Take note because Paula’s advice works for your next search too, whether you’re in it now or it’s in your future.

  • Leonora’s resume is now revised. (You can view the old version here.)

Jeff Marston, Principal, Resource Center for Management

Back Office Blunders:
  
Stop squandering money on your back office costs; tricks to save BIG on supplies, phone, energy, desks, etc.

This segment is a repeat from the October 8, 2010 show.

  • Handout for Jeff’s session: Cutting Costs (an Adobe Acrobat, .pdf, file. – download the software here). You can also grab the file from the show’s Media page.

Top Trends. Sound Advice. Lively Conversation.

You’re on the air and on target as I delve into the big issues facing your nonprofit—and your career.

If you have big dreams but an average budget, tune in to Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio.

I interview the best in the business on every topic from board relations, fundraising, social media and compliance, to technology, accounting, volunteer management, finance, marketing and beyond. Always with you in mind.

When and where: Talking Alternative Radio, Fridays, 1-2PM Eastern

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“Like” the show’s Facebook page.

Here is the link to the podcast: 034: Back Office Blunders & I’m Looking
View Full Transcript

What Does Your Charity’s Conscience Say?

19th century charity board in the north aisle of St. Mary (copyright Richard Croft and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)
National Public Radio reporting confirms what I have believed for years: IRS does not have sufficient resources devoted to policing the nation’s charities. That means the community must keep itself clean.

In NPR’s coverage, I’m focusing on the blog page where the story is posted. Not the four minute story, but the blog post and its shorter audio interview. A former director of the Service’s Tax Exempt/Government Entities team explains nonprofit examinations and audits aren’t a priority because considerably more money can be recovered from taxpayers and businesses.

That makes all of us in the nonprofit community responsible for operating properly. The buzzwords like accountability, transparency and compliance are well known, nearly cliché, and most of us recognize donors increasingly demand clean operations. That in itself should provide sufficient motivation.

Fear also motivates. If you don’t fear an IRS review because you’re resting on favorable odds, recognize that other interests within government are looking over your shoulder. From your state attorney general and secretary of state to the Federal Trade Commission and Congress, there are ample institutions helping to make sure you do the right thing.

Do you honestly not know what’s right? Do you fear the things you don’t know or understand? Your employees probably know the way. (That’s what I’ve seen for 13 years.) Are you listening to them? (In my 13 years, probably not.) If you prefer, there are thousands of consultants, in all stripes, to help your charity find its course.

Ultimately, it’s a matter of conscience–your charity’s conscience. What does it tell you about the right way to conduct business, to keep its reputation, donors, employees and board out of trouble?

That message is stronger than any IRS can put out.

NextGen:Charity Interview With Adam Smolyar

As Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Adam herds cats. He’s got six areas of responsibility, including online relationship building and public relations. Those are the two he shared insights on.

Adam’s work is consistent with my radio show’s mission because he works for a large nonprofit and supports over 400 small and mid-size nonprofits. We’re both bringing big nonprofit ideas to the other 95 percent. Watch here.

News From Your Internal Revenue Service

The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Building is seen in Washington on September 20, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch Photo via Newscom

The IRS hosts free one-day seminars throughout the country for small and mid-size nonprofits to learn how to “keep their tax-exempt status and comply with tax obligations.”

The next one is in Phoenix on December 7 and 8, and it’s designed for “administrators or volunteers who are responsible for an organization’s tax compliance, as well as those interested in careers in the nonprofit sector.”

If you go, treat yourself to an overnight, a meal, or at least a drink, at the Arizona Biltmore. That’s my own endorsement. It’s not part of the IRS announcement. Wouldn’t it be a deductible business expense?

Would you like to see a draft of the 2010 Form 990? Here’s a copy from IRS. Spoiler alert >>>>>>>> Part VI, question 17, is still a Charity Registration disclosure.

I get this info from the Service’s Exempt Organization Update. You can get these emailed to you by subscribing.