Nonprofit Industry Blog by Expert Nonprofit Consultants in Los Angeles and New York

Do the Ham$ter!

Written on Friday, August 25, 2023

A motivational message for all you tired fundraisers out there... We’ve all heard the news by now: charitable giving was down in...

Can Community-Centric Fundraising save our Development Directors, and maybe even bring some back?

Written on Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Fundraising Is Not Sales: Things we learned and re-learned from Envision’s Development Roundtable Earlier this year, Chronicle of Philanthropy set off alarm...

Middle Management March Madness

Written on Thursday, March 24, 2022

Middle Management March Madness Here at Envision, we have front row seats for The Great Reshuffle, and boy oh boy is this...

Six Ways to Rekindle Your Relationship with Your Board

Written on Monday, February 14, 2022

Six Ways to Rekindle Your Relationship with Your Board (After Two Years of Pandemic Zooms) This Valentine’s Day, as you pen your...

How Should Nonprofits Respond to The Great Resignation?

Written on Thursday, October 21, 2021

We’ve made some key observations based on what we’ve heard from the hundreds of nonprofits we consult and the talented candidates...

What Would it Take to Love Your Job Again?

Written on Tuesday, August 24, 2021

What Would it Take to Love Your Job Again? It’s here – the Great Resignation, the mass exodus of talent across all...

Your Real-World HR Questions Answered!

Written on Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Your Real-World HR Questions Answered! As we enter a new phase of the pandemic and workplaces are shifting again, many of us...

Fundraising with Fran Reilly

Written on Thursday, May 27, 2021

About Fran Reilly Fran Reilly is currently writing her first book on the importance of a free press through a personal...

Online giving was through the roof. Did you miss out?

Written on Wednesday, March 10, 2021

It’s almost Spring in a long-awaited new year, but there’s a part of 2020 we still need to talk about. Don’t...

You've been approached for a merger. Now what?

Written on Thursday, February 25, 2021

The phone rings, and a fellow nonprofit leader greets you on the other end of the line. After a few minutes...

You Called, We Listened.

Written on Thursday, January 21, 2021

Martin Luther King, Jr., once famously said, “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of...

Board Superheroes

Written on Thursday, December 17, 2020

Organizations everywhere have had to adapt to a new normal in 2020, making small to sweeping changes--impacting everything from operations to...

Making Lemonade: Lessons from the Pandemic

Written on Wednesday, November 11, 2020

As 2020 (gratefully) comes to a close, it’s easy to look back on this hellish year and see only the fire...

Nonprofit Trends: Envision’s post-pandemic assessment

Written on Monday, October 5, 2020

Surveys! They’re often mocked by Internet memes and GIFs as desperate attempts to verify customer satisfaction. But, if you’ve ever worked...

Mergers Shmergers: The Truth About STRATEGIC RESTRUCTURING

Written on Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Here’s a fun exercise to try at your next board meeting. Just for fun, use the words “merger,” “acquisition,” or even...

Ending Systemic Racism

Written on Monday, June 22, 2020

As nonprofit consultants, we’ve been paying close attention to the evolving national dialogue around police brutality, Black Lives Matter, and systemic...

A Few Silver Linings

Written on Friday, May 8, 2020

It turns out that we do have 5 things we can thank Coronavirus for. We know it might feel impossible to see...

When is it time to walk away?

Written on Tuesday, February 18, 2020

We’ve all been in romantic relationships that, no matter how hard we tried or how badly we wanted them to, just...

Envision Consulting's 2019 Year In Review

Written on Thursday, January 9, 2020

To be sure, 2019 was a year of expansion for Envision Consulting. We expanded the scope of our work, more than...

Our Favorite Things

Written on Wednesday, December 11, 2019

First, Julie Andrews famously sang about them in The Sound of Music. Then, Oprah commandeered the term and used it to...

Thank You, Executive Directors

Written on Monday, November 18, 2019

Many people associate Thanksgiving with family, food comas and football. We like those things, too, but we also love the meaning...

Urban Legends: The Founders Edition

Written on Thursday, October 24, 2019

It’s October, which means you can hardly walk down the street without seeing skeletons, ghosts and ghouls on front lawns and...

DIY your DEI in Recruiting

Written on Thursday, September 19, 2019

Most of us have seen at least one of the many “Do It Yourself” TV shows that, like Pinterest, are meant...

After the Hire, Now What?

Written on Friday, August 16, 2019

You’ve gone through the careful search process for a new employee. You’ve hired the best candidate. Now you can relax, right?...

The Bully You’ve Created

Written on Tuesday, July 16, 2019

“Hello? Anybody home? … Think, McFly! Think!” Most of us remember that classic scene in Back to the Future where quintessential...

Who Hired That Guy?

Written on Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Pop Culture Pop Quiz: What do Michael Scott, Karen Walker, Barney Fife, and Homer Simpson all have in common? They’re all...

The Investor Who Got Away and Other Tales of Fundraising Faux Pas

Written on Wednesday, May 15, 2019

We’ve all been there. You’re invited to an event—in this case, a fundraiser. The invitation arrives in the mail. You check...

No Joke, Board Meetings Can be Terrible

Written on Monday, April 15, 2019

It’s Sunday night. You’re in bed taking a BuzzFeed quiz that will “Guess Your Secret Talent Based on Your Ice Cream...

Dirty Secrets Your 990 Might Reveal About You

Written on Wednesday, March 13, 2019

It’s tax season again; hooray! Much has been said recently about tax returns and what they may reveal about an organization...

5 Worst Fundraising Pick-up Lines

Written on Tuesday, February 19, 2019

“You must be exhausted. Because you’ve been running through my mind all day.” “Did it hurt? … When you fell from heaven?” We’ve...

Envision Consulting's 2018 Year in Review

Written on Wednesday, January 16, 2019

2018 was a year of significant growth for Envision Consulting. We brought in a new staff member (bringing our team to...

All I Want for Christmas is a Unicorn

Written on Thursday, December 20, 2018

Dear Santa, We don’t want a lot for Christmas; we are already really grateful for the work we do in our amazing...

I Wouldn't Post That If I Were You

Written on Tuesday, November 20, 2018

We’ve all been there. One minute you're minding your own business, the next you're joining the Facebook group for your 10...

Succession Planning: Face Your Fears

Written on Friday, October 5, 2018

We all love a good scare. It’s a little unhealthy really. Whether you pay strangers to jump out at you at...

The War Between Board and Staff

Written on Thursday, August 30, 2018

Nonprofits are weird. In no other industry will you find unpaid volunteers overseeing multi-million dollar budgets and staff. Not only do...

6 Reasons to Stay...Just a Little Bit Longer

Written on Tuesday, July 10, 2018

In our last blog we listed some signs you might be ready to move on from your current job – and...

Do Your Organization A Favor, And Leave

Written on Thursday, May 31, 2018

There’s this thought that’s been eating at you. “Maybe I’m the problem.” Things just aren’t going quite right. You’ve tried everything....

Dating, Romance and Nonprofit Board Recruitment

Written on Tuesday, April 17, 2018

One of the most frequently asked questions we revolve around is how to find passionate, engaged, committed nonprofit board members. We...

Playing Candidate Bingo?

Written on Thursday, March 15, 2018

One of the most wonderful (and terrible) things about recruiting for the nonprofit sector is that EVERYONE wants to work in...

We know your dirty secret.

Written on Tuesday, February 20, 2018

We spend a lot of time interviewing current and former Executive Directors and we’ve discovered a dirty little secret in the...

Envision Consulting's 2017 Year in Review

Written on Tuesday, January 9, 2018

2017 was a year of big things for Envision Consulting. We kicked off the year in our new office in Pasadena...

Bad Leadership Baked In

Written on Friday, November 10, 2017

Organizations spend a lot of time on job descriptions. TOO MUCH time. In any given five-page job description, there are countless...

We Swiped Left On Your LinkedIn

Written on Thursday, September 28, 2017

Here’s the good news: nonprofit leadership opportunities are opening up. Cue the bad news: we swiped left on your LinkedIn profile...

Chasing Unicorns is Killing Your Nonprofit

Written on Friday, August 11, 2017

Every day, we talk to nonprofit staff and board leaders who, most of the time, are certain about what their organizations...

Dear Candidates, You're Your Own Worst Enemy.

Written on Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Interviews are inherently no fun. While candidates can spend days worrying over the right outfit, the right answers, and the right...

Stop Paying Lip Service to Equity and Diversity

Written on Thursday, May 18, 2017

We haven’t talked about it much here, but an election happened in 2016. In the nonprofit industry, especially in California, we...

What Would You Say You Do Here

Written on Friday, April 7, 2017

Bad job descriptions are ruining everything. MAYBE it's because we're partners, consultants, and interviewers, or maybe it's because we just have the...

Strategic Planning, Taught by a Two-Year-Old

Written on Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Being a parent often involves learning mountains of information you never thought you'd need to know – from the names of...

The 5 Bad Board Members That Need to Go

Written on Wednesday, February 1, 2017

FEBRUARY 14th: The day when cupid strikes via the cheesy Valentine’s cards and 99 cent-priced bags of chocolate kisses that you...

It’s Not Your Job, It’s You

Written on Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Sunday morning: you feel like you've hit rock bottom and hit the snooze button one more time, not because you’re tired from...

Top 25 Holiday Drives In Los Angeles

Written on Tuesday, November 22, 2016

'Tis the season for not just giving, but giving back. We've compiled a list of the top 25 Los Angeles holiday drives...

7 Signs You Need To Fire Your Consultant

Written on Friday, September 23, 2016

Let’s play a little game of truth or dare. We’ll start-TRUTH: we hate it when you hire other nonprofit consultants instead...

How To Lose A Recruiter’s Interest in 6 Ways

Written on Wednesday, August 24, 2016

We’ve all been on THAT date before: The anticipation builds as you get ready to see that special someone, you put...

5 Signs You're A Victim of Founder's Syndrome

Written on Wednesday, August 24, 2016

When it comes to nonprofit culture, no one is more loved or reviled than founders. Founders, for those of you unfamiliar...

Board Meeting Bingo

Written on Thursday, July 7, 2016

Let’s play Board meeting bingo. Are you ready? We’re guessing it will take you about 7 minutes into your next meeting...

5 Totally Obvious Reasons You Aren’t Getting An Interview

Written on Tuesday, June 21, 2016

It sucks. You’ve sent out resume after resume and you can’t seem to get a call-in for an interview. Who do...

Gods, Martyrs, Interns and Bureaucrats (The Nonprofit Identity Crisis)

Written on Thursday, June 2, 2016

Unless you've hidden in an underground bomb shelter for the last few years,you've seen the memes about the "what my mom...

So You Want To Transition To Nonprofit

Written on Thursday, May 19, 2016

We know it's alluring. You've been rescuing dogs for five years, working silent auctions on the weekends, and serving on a...

10 Times Nonprofits Fooled Themselves

Written on Thursday, March 31, 2016

We’ll be honest and take the cat out of the bag (or rather, bunny out of the magic hat). We held...

Safari Field Guide To Nonprofit Management Pt. 1

Written on Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Beware Of These 6 Types of Dysfunctional & Destructive Board Members! We know that safaris are a little passé, but when was...

5 Things You’re Doing To Help Us Steal Your Talented Leadership

Written on Thursday, March 10, 2016

We’re really enjoying nonprofit executive recruiting. We meet a lot of amazing, talented people and it’s been our pleasure placing them...

The One Question That Stumps Most Nonprofits

Written on Thursday, February 25, 2016

Imagine you’re a nonprofit consulting/recruiting firm and you get a call from Anna at ABC Nonprofit. Anna would like some help...

It's Time To Kill The Unicorn

Written on Wednesday, January 13, 2016

We love you nonprofits. We do. We're here for you, we're committed to you, we want to see you grow and...

2015 Top 25 Los Angeles Holiday Drives To Participate In

Written on Wednesday, November 25, 2015

'Tis the season for not just giving, but giving back. We've compiled a list of the top 25 Los Angeles holiday drives...

5 Reasons No One is Joining Your Board of Directors

Written on Thursday, November 5, 2015

It feels like the 7th grade social all over again. You get all dressed up, they bring in special snacks to...

Nonprofit Horror Stories: The Mysteriously Disappearing Donor

Written on Thursday, October 22, 2015

Two weeks ago, we highlighted George, the non-entrepreneurial leader who led his organization to financial peril. These tall, but true tales...

Nonprofit Horror Stories: George's Financial Peril

Written on Wednesday, September 30, 2015

PREPARE TO BE SPOOKED WITH OUR REAL LIFE HORROR STORIES We won’t bore you with talk of ghoulish haunted homes or...

STOP HIRING CONSULTANTS*!

Written on Thursday, September 3, 2015

*when you should be hiring an employee OK, so we know it might sound a little counter-productive for a consulting company to...

Your Facebook Feed is Atrocious

Written on Thursday, August 20, 2015

You took advice from the marketing gods and you created a Facebook page for your organization. You’ve started posting regularly and...

Nonprofits Aren't Like Netflix

Written on Friday, August 7, 2015

But That's Not An Excuse for Bad Employee Retention By now your Facebook has been inundated with about a thousand different permutations...

The 5 Bad Behaviors of Nonprofit Boards

Written on Thursday, July 23, 2015

Poor Board Members. Here they are: generously donating their time, taking on personal responsibility and haranguing their contacts for money; and...

The Great Tom Hanks Quiz

Written on Thursday, July 2, 2015

Merge Fields Make Bad Friends

Written on Thursday, June 11, 2015

Better leveraging technology for fundraising Technology is a gift. And a curse. The same beautiful technology that allows us to launch campaigns...

My Donor Journey: Mary

Written on Friday, May 15, 2015

No matter what your mission, your location, or the age of your organization, there is one thing that binds all nonprofit...

Social Media Basics

Written on Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Love our blog and need help with your marketing efforts? We can help. Need more Boardmembers who read our blog? We're matchmakers. Looking for...

we h8 our jobs

Written on Tuesday, April 7, 2015

1987 was a great year. We’re talking 61% overall job satisfaction and “Walk Like An Egyptian” topped the Billboard charts. Plus,...

#NoOneCares

Written on Thursday, March 5, 2015

(Don't ditch out on branding.) Nobody wants to be the "bad" brand. Bad brands end up at the bottom of life's laundry...

Show YOU The Money (Strategies for Cultivating New and Existing Donors)

Written on Thursday, February 19, 2015

You’ve been listening and working. You’ve been blogging, connecting on social media and networking and now, your efforts have finally started...

Bully on Board: Dealing with Board Members who Belittle, Berate and Break Non-Profit Organizations

Written on Tuesday, November 11, 2014

There's a lot of talk going on about bullying today, and while we tend to think of the schoolyard bully demanding...

13 Uncomfortable Questions You'll Wish You Asked

Written on Thursday, October 2, 2014

So your best friend, business partner or mother-in-law just asked you to join a Board of Directors for a non-profit organization....

Feel Like You're Just Treading Water?

Written on Friday, June 20, 2014

As nonprofit professionals, we're pulled in a million directions. Not only do we have an organization to maintain with all the...

We're Telling You Because We Love You

Written on Friday, May 30, 2014

(clearing up stubborn fundraising myths) So there is a lot of buzz about the ever-changing landscape of donor cultivation, retention and engagement....

The Call That Cost A Charity $25,000.00

Written on Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Can you imagine losing a $25,000 donation meant for your non-profit? The thought is cringe-worthy. In fact, it’s so uncomfortable you...

5 Things Funders are Tired of Hearing

Written on Monday, April 7, 2014

Writing a proposal for funding can be a tricky endeavor. Much like a publisher sorting through thousands of book proposals, program...

The politics of a nonprofit workforce

Written on Thursday, January 23, 2014

At some point, we all joined the nonprofit sector as a starry-eyed idealist. Take a second now and channel that spirit:...

Why aren't you doing a holiday campaign?

Written on Monday, December 9, 2013

As reliable as Black Friday brawls and overindulged relatives, it's not the holiday season until charitable holiday appeals start hitting your...

Are You Ready to Join a Nonprofit Board? (part 2 of 2)

Written on Wednesday, October 9, 2013

It's so easy to fall in love with any number of worthy causes these days. With the explosion of social media...

Are You Ready To Join A Nonprofit Board? (part 1 of 2)

Written on Thursday, September 19, 2013

FULFILLMENT. That's a pretty powerful word these days. Not only are we supposed to be successful, responsible, stable and creative -...

What You Can Learn From Lilly

Written on Thursday, August 29, 2013

What You Can Learn From Lilly(or, how Individuals are better than Nonprofits at Fundraising) A few years back we were interviewing candidates...

You're Talking, But Who's Listening?

Written on Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Our inboxes are consistently overflowing with information. We know yours are too. Everyone is trumpeting from the rooftops about the good...

We're so Over the Overhead Obsession

Written on Friday, June 28, 2013

So, it finally happened. Just a few short months after this book , and light-years behind this organization, the head honchos...

Fundraising 101 for Board Members

Written on Wednesday, May 8, 2013

With the nonprofit sector growing and expanding, odds are pretty good that you've been approached about joining a Board of Directors....

Social Media for Small Organizations

Written on Friday, May 3, 2013

Picture this, you're just about to wrap up a productive Board meeting when someone pipes in and asks "So whats going...