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2020
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Online giving was through the roof. Did you miss out?
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 worry, it’s...
funders
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nonprofit mergers and acquisitions
mergers
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You've been approached for a merger. Now what?
The phone rings, and a fellow nonprofit leader greets you on the other end of the line. After a few minutes of friendly gallows...
You Called, We Listened.
Martin Luther King, Jr., once famously said, “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort...
Board Superheroes
Organizations everywhere have had to adapt to a new normal in 2020, making small to sweeping changes--impacting everything...
Making Lemonade: Lessons from the Pandemic
As 2020 (gratefully) comes to a close, it’s easy to look back on this hellish year and see only the fire (quite literally...
Nonprofit Trends: Envision’s post-pandemic assessment
Surveys! They’re often mocked by Internet memes and GIFs as desperate attempts to verify customer satisfaction. But, if you’ve...
Mergers Shmergers: The Truth About STRATEGIC RESTRUCTURING
Here’s a fun exercise to try at your next board meeting. Just for fun, use the words “merger,” “acquisition,” or even “strategic...
Ending Systemic Racism
As nonprofit consultants, we’ve been paying close attention to the evolving national dialogue around police brutality, Black...
A Few Silver Linings
It turns out that we do have 5 things we can thank Coronavirus for.
We know it might feel impossible to see any good coming...
When is it time to walk away?
We’ve all been in romantic relationships that, no matter how hard we tried or how badly we wanted them to, just weren’t going...
Envision Consulting's 2019 Year In Review
To be sure, 2019 was a year of expansion for Envision Consulting. We expanded the scope of our work, more than doubling...
Our Favorite Things
First, Julie Andrews famously sang about them in The Sound of Music. Then, Oprah commandeered the term and used it to set...
Thank You, Executive Directors
Many people associate Thanksgiving with family, food comas and football. We like those things, too, but we also love the...
Urban Legends: The Founders Edition
It’s October, which means you can hardly walk down the street without seeing skeletons, ghosts and ghouls on front lawns...
DIY your DEI in Recruiting
Most of us have seen at least one of the many “Do It Yourself” TV shows that, like Pinterest, are meant to inspire and empower...
After the Hire, Now What?
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
“Hello? Anybody home? … Think, McFly! Think!” Most of us remember that classic scene in Back to the Future where quintessential...
Who Hired That Guy?
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
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
It’s Sunday night. You’re in bed taking a BuzzFeed quiz that will “Guess Your Secret Talent Based on Your Ice Cream Preference”...
Dirty Secrets Your 990 Might Reveal About You
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
“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
2018 was a year of significant growth for Envision Consulting. We brought in a new staff member (bringing our team to seven!),...
All I Want for Christmas is a Unicorn
Dear Santa,
We don’t want a lot for Christmas; we are already really grateful for the work we do in our amazing industry...
I Wouldn't Post That If I Were You
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
We all love a good scare. It’s a little unhealthy really. Whether you pay strangers to jump out at you at an overpriced amusement...
The War Between Board and Staff
Nonprofits are weird. In no other industry will you find unpaid volunteers overseeing multi-million dollar budgets and staff....
6 Reasons to Stay...Just a Little Bit Longer
In our last blog we listed some signs you might be ready to move on from your current job – and we gave you the nudge to...
Do Your Organization A Favor, And Leave
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...
Dating, Romance and Nonprofit Board Recruitment
One of the most frequently asked questions we revolve around is how to find passionate, engaged, committed nonprofit board...
Playing Candidate Bingo?
One of the most wonderful (and terrible) things about recruiting for the nonprofit sector is that EVERYONE wants to work...
We know your dirty secret.
We spend a lot of time interviewing current and former Executive Directors and we’ve discovered a dirty little secret in...
Envision Consulting's 2017 Year in Review
2017 was a year of big things for Envision Consulting. We kicked off the year in our new office in Pasadena with two new...
Bad Leadership Baked In
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
Here’s the good news: nonprofit leadership opportunities are opening up. Cue the bad news: we swiped left on your LinkedIn...
Chasing Unicorns is Killing Your Nonprofit
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.
Interviews are inherently no fun. While candidates can spend days worrying over the right outfit, the right answers, and...
Stop Paying Lip Service to Equity and Diversity
We haven’t talked about it much here, but an election happened in 2016. In the nonprofit industry, especially in California,...
What Would You Say You Do Here
Bad job descriptions are ruining everything.
MAYBE it's because we're partners, consultants, and interviewers, or maybe...
Strategic Planning, Taught by a Two-Year-Old
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
FEBRUARY 14th: The day when cupid strikes via the cheesy Valentine’s cards and 99 cent-priced bags of chocolate kisses that...
It’s Not Your Job, It’s You
Sunday morning: you feel like you've hit rock bottom and hit the snooze button one more time, not because you’re tired...
Top 25 Holiday Drives In Los Angeles
'Tis the season for not just giving, but giving back.
We've compiled a list of the top 25 Los Angeles holiday drives that...
7 Signs You Need To Fire Your Consultant
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
We’ve all been on THAT date before: The anticipation builds as you get ready to see that special someone, you put on your...
5 Signs You're A Victim of Founder's Syndrome
When it comes to nonprofit culture, no one is more loved or reviled than founders. Founders, for those of you unfamiliar...
Board Meeting Bingo
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
It sucks. You’ve sent out resume after resume and you can’t seem to get a call-in for an interview. Who do they even...
Gods, Martyrs, Interns and Bureaucrats (The Nonprofit Identity Crisis)
Unless you've hidden in an underground bomb shelter for the last few years,you've seen the memes about the "what my mom thinks...
So You Want To Transition To Nonprofit
We know it's alluring. You've been rescuing dogs for five years, working silent auctions on the weekends, and serving on...
10 Times Nonprofits Fooled Themselves
We’ll be honest and take the cat out of the bag (or rather, bunny out of the magic hat). We held a round table at the office...
Safari Field Guide To Nonprofit Management Pt. 1
Beware Of These 6 Types of Dysfunctional & Destructive Board Members!
We know that safaris are a little passé, but when...
5 Things You’re Doing To Help Us Steal Your Talented Leadership
We’re really enjoying nonprofit executive recruiting. We meet a lot of amazing, talented people and it’s been our pleasure...
The One Question That Stumps Most Nonprofits
Imagine you’re a nonprofit consulting/recruiting firm and you get a call from Anna at ABC Nonprofit. Anna would like some...
It's Time To Kill The Unicorn
We love you nonprofits. We do. We're here for you, we're committed to you, we want to see you grow and thrive and serve more...
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2015 Top 25 Los Angeles Holiday Drives To Participate In
'Tis the season for not just giving, but giving back.
We've compiled a list of the top 25 Los Angeles holiday drives that...
5 Reasons No One is Joining Your Board of Directors
It feels like the 7th grade social all over again. You get all dressed up, they bring in special snacks to the gym….er…Board...
donors
fundraising
stewardship
nonprofit horror stories
Nonprofit Horror Stories: The Mysteriously Disappearing Donor
Two weeks ago, we highlighted George, the non-entrepreneurial leader who led his organization to financial peril. These tall,...
development
nonprofit horror stories
entrepreneurship
leadership
executive
Nonprofit Horror Stories: George's Financial Peril
PREPARE TO BE SPOOKED WITH OUR REAL LIFE HORROR STORIES
We won’t bore you with talk of ghoulish haunted homes or creepy...
consulting
infographic
contracting
contractor
consultant
employee
employer
STOP HIRING CONSULTANTS*!
*when you should be hiring an employee
OK, so we know it might sound a little counter-productive for a consulting company...
marketing
social media
storytelling
facebook
Humans Of New York
HONY
Your Facebook Feed is Atrocious
You took advice from the marketing gods and you created a Facebook page for your organization. You’ve started posting regularly...
Nonprofits Aren't Like Netflix
But That's Not An Excuse for Bad Employee Retention
By now your Facebook has been inundated with about a thousand different...
The 5 Bad Behaviors of Nonprofit Boards
Poor Board Members. Here they are: generously donating their time, taking on personal responsibility and haranguing their...
nonprofit
fundraising
relationships
Merge Fields Make Bad Friends
Better leveraging technology for fundraising
Technology is a gift. And a curse. The same beautiful technology that allows...
nonprofit
donors
fundraising
My Donor Journey: Mary
No matter what your mission, your location, or the age of your organization, there is one thing that binds all nonprofit...
nonprofit
social media
infographic
101
facebook
basics
linkedin
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Social Media Basics
Love our blog and need help with your marketing efforts? We can help.
Need more Boardmembers who read our blog? We're...
job satisfaction
culture
autonomy
management
technology
nonprofit workforce
toaster strudel
we h8 our jobs
1987 was a great year. We’re talking 61% overall job satisfaction and “Walk Like An Egyptian” topped the Billboard charts....
nonprofit
marketing
branding
social media
analytics
content
strategy
consulting
fundraising
trends
#NoOneCares
(Don't ditch out on branding.)
Nobody wants to be the "bad" brand. Bad brands end up at the bottom of life's laundry bin....
funding
nonprofit
donors
strategies
communication
tips
marketing
Show YOU The Money (Strategies for Cultivating New and Existing Donors)
You’ve been listening and working. You’ve been blogging, connecting on social media and networking and now, your efforts...
Bully on Board: Dealing with Board Members who Belittle, Berate and Break Non-Profit Organizations
There's a lot of talk going on about bullying today, and while we tend to think of the schoolyard bully demanding lunch money...
nonprofit
board
governance
13 Uncomfortable Questions You'll Wish You Asked
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?
As nonprofit professionals, we're pulled in a million directions. Not only do we have an organization to maintain with all...
We're Telling You Because We Love You
(clearing up stubborn fundraising myths)
So there is a lot of buzz about the ever-changing landscape of donor cultivation,...
nonprofit
donors
fundraising
charity
donation
mistakes
relationships
The Call That Cost A Charity $25,000.00
Can you imagine losing a $25,000 donation meant for your non-profit? The thought is cringe-worthy. In fact, it’s so uncomfortable...
funders
grants
rejection
funding
nonprofit
5 Things Funders are Tired of Hearing
Writing a proposal for funding can be a tricky endeavor. Much like a publisher sorting through thousands of book proposals,...
nonprofit
charity
nonprofit board
politics
dynamics
transparency
staff
resources
workplace
The politics of a nonprofit workforce
At some point, we all joined the nonprofit sector as a starry-eyed idealist. Take a second now and channel that spirit: you...
nonprofit
fundraising
charity
holiday campaign
philanthropy
seasonal
Why aren't you doing a holiday campaign?
As reliable as Black Friday brawls and overindulged relatives, it's not the holiday season until charitable holiday appeals...
nonprofit
marketing
social media
fundraising
charity
nonprofit board
mission
stability
impact
Are You Ready to Join a Nonprofit Board? (part 2 of 2)
It's so easy to fall in love with any number of worthy causes these days. With the explosion of social media and some savvy...
nonprofit
governance
charity
nonprofit board
altruism
fulfillment
commitment
Are You Ready To Join A Nonprofit Board? (part 1 of 2)
FULFILLMENT. That's a pretty powerful word these days. Not only are we supposed to be successful, responsible, stable and...
nonprofit
donors
fundraising
charity
Field of Dreams
Kevin Costner
Lilly Bumpus
storytelling
trust
grassroots campaign
What You Can Learn From Lilly
What You Can Learn From Lilly(or, how Individuals are better than Nonprofits at Fundraising)
A few years back we were interviewing...
nonprofit
communication
marketing
content
strategy
trends
charity
solutions
You're Talking, But Who's Listening?
Our inboxes are consistently overflowing with information. We know yours are too. Everyone is trumpeting from the rooftops...
nonprofit
overhead
efficacy
efficiency
scalability
charity
cultivation
With Charity For All
Ken Stern
Charity Navigator
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
We're so Over the Overhead Obsession
So, it finally happened. Just a few short months after this book , and light-years behind this organization, the head honchos...
nonprofit
board
strategy
fundraising
nonprofit board
networking
altruism
Fundraising 101 for Board Members
With the nonprofit sector growing and expanding, odds are pretty good that you've been approached about joining a Board of...
nonprofit
board
marketing
social media
strategy
nonprofit board
email
direct mail
campaign
call to action
Social Media for Small Organizations
Picture this, you're just about to wrap up a productive Board meeting when someone pipes in and asks "So whats going on with...