by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Dec 17, 2019 | Own Your Message
In the world of philanthropy, all participants must own their message. Whether a nonprofit organization, a philanthropic donor, or a business with a budget for giving, all must understand and internalize their own logic model and develop appropriate messaging. What is...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Oct 19, 2019 | Tax Law
As nonprofit organizations look to end of tax year giving campaigns, whether an annual campaign or participating in an umbrella effort (e.g., “I live here, I give here”) it is prudent to take stock of donor giving history. Effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Aug 27, 2019 | Personal Connections
Stakeholders—from donors to service recipients to volunteers—have increasingly come to expect a more personal connection. While the nonprofit sector has made significant strides in the past decade, there still is insufficient attention to the personalization theme,...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Jul 5, 2019 | Linkages
A foundational marketing principle that tends to get lost in the bells and whistles of technological advances is the concept of personally identifying and developing ever-widening circles of potential support. This unfortunate yet easily corrected oversight on the...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | May 18, 2019 | Continued Learning
Typically, a nonprofit is birthed because a group of passionate people believes it can fill a societal void. That passion and infusion of time and talent will carry a nonprofit quite far through the infancy stage. However, the context for the nonprofit sector is...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Mar 19, 2019 | Nonprofit Life Cycle
There are over 1.5 million nonprofits registered with the IRS and each one is functioning in a different phase of its life cycle. Each would benefit from analyzing foundational principles associated with its current chapter. Too often, multiple spinning plates of...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Jan 2, 2019 | Logic Models
Logic Models used to be a discussion for academia, or for larger foundations. Now, the term is used across sectors and sizes of organizations. The diffusion is an excellent sign of the times, as Logic Model development will strengthen every single aspect of an...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Oct 8, 2018 | Board
While it seems commonsensical that a cohesive board is more effective than a board that is not, the term is both misunderstood and not given the weight warranted in the nonprofit sector. Cohesion is often mischaracterized as unified in perspective, with thoughts in...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Jul 30, 2018 | Fundraising
July launched a new fiscal year for many nonprofits. Hopefully, plans have been formulated about how to approach fundraising for the next year, including benefit packages, goals, and communication strategies. One reason why consultants can be helpful for facilitating...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Jun 1, 2018 | Strategic Planning
Life is so busy. Why should a group of professionals, already volunteering their time as board members, dedicate an entire day to strategic planning? A block of time is needed for big-picture, roll-up-your-sleeves brainstorming that allows everyone to see the forest...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Mar 29, 2018 | Nonprofit Sector
The mantra that trust is the “lifeblood” of the nonprofit sector has been consistent through the last few decades. There are many facets to this trust and if one of them is breached, then all of them might as well have been breached. The damage is done. As previously...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Jan 29, 2018 | Tax Code Change
As predicted in late fall 2017, the changes to the US tax code are substantial and the nonprofit sector is significantly impacted. The National Council of Nonprofits has a helpful checklist to apprise nonprofit organizations of the largest issues of which they need to...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Nov 30, 2017 | Charitable Giving
The end of a calendar year is a time of increased focus on charitable giving as well as planning for the upcoming fiscal year. When a donor’s primary objective is leveraging donations for the greatest benefit, rather than simply a tax deduction, research is in order....
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Sep 27, 2017 | Paying
When to Pay for Expertise? Despite the quest to keep operating expenses low, it is often best to avoid the inherent risk of utilizing key services of companies/individuals who are not licensed in their field. Time, expense, and even litigation can result from...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Jul 29, 2017 | Volunteers
For many nonprofit organizations, assistance from volunteers is critical to mission achievement. Whether the need is sheer manpower or expert knowledge and advice or creativity, unpaid labor is invaluable. Not only does volunteer assistance allow a nonprofit to keep...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | May 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
If you spend much time on professional media platforms you are likely to see the oft-quoted declaration, “The most dangerous phrase in the language is ‘we’ve always done it this way’,” attributed to Rear Admiral Grace Hopper. Frequently, this contention is made within...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Mar 27, 2017 | Marketing Audits
Marketing used to be a controversial idea for nonprofits and it is remarkable the degree to which marketing is not embraced today. The primary concern seems to be diverting dollars away from direct services. Other criticisms of marketing in the nonprofit sector are...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Jan 17, 2017 | Lobbying
Advocacy Demystified Since the 85th Legislative Session began last week in Texas, now is the perfect time for a reminder to nonprofits to not be fearful of “lobbying” for your cause. There is a pervasive misconception that nonprofits must stick to service provision...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Nov 1, 2016 | SWOT Analysis
Ideally, an analysis of your organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats (SWOT Analysis) is conducted as part of a larger Strategic Planning process. Strategic Planning is critical for the most effective and efficient...
by Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick | Sep 17, 2016 | Uncategorized
Often funds go begging for a recipient organization because prospective donors are not convinced that they should give. People give for very different reasons yet donors are often treated like they “should” give simply because the nonprofit is worthy. Think about...
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