Charity Rating Services Change It Up
Right when you think the Covid-19 Pandemic hasn’t changed everything; well add, CharityNavigator to the list of things that have changed. This article from Non-Profit Times outlines some of the changes CharityNavigator is undertaking to ensure that participating organizations can at least have the chance to maintain their star-level rating. Through the new system, any nonprofit that is at risk of a downgraded star-level rating, they will have a chance to appeal the decision and provide narratives on how the agency is holding up through the pandemic.
These rating services (CharityNavigator is probably the most well known) can play a useful role for showing new donors how well an organization is run. However, I personally question how useful they are in attracting new donors. I have been here this organization for nearly seven years and never once have I had a donor reach out and say, “Man, your CharityNavigator rating is great. Where do I send a check?”
Rather, the utility is being able to show new or continuing donors how well you are being stewards of the donations you are receiving from them. If I can tell a donor through a thank you letter that we are good stewards, not only by the stories we tell, but by the stories others tell about us (like these charity rating services), it only strengthens the relationship.
Speaking Up For Philanthropy
This was a great blog post put out by the Center for Effective Philanthropy. The post, authored by a Ph. D.-level researcher in Philanthropic Studies from the University of Kent was a deeply personal piece outlining the value of the philanthropic sector as in important part of societies.
And I want to add it’s not just part of modern, Western societies as well. I remember learning that charitable giving is a foundation of nearly every society that ever existed; even the Ancient Greeks knew and practiced philanthropic giving.
But we are in a weird world where there are messages that philanthropic giving can’t be trusted because it’s not meeting today’s felt needs. I can understand that argument to a point. But, the root of philanthropy is the individual’s desire to make a change in the world. And whether that change is $1 or $1,000,000,000, a philanthropic give is still causing change. Philanthropy is one part of a larger puzzle, along with the private sector and the government sector that is creating a future society.
Elon Musk Lays Down the Gauntlet
Well, last week, the leader of the United Nation’s World Food Program, David Beasley went on television and basically stated that world hunger could be solved by $6 billion and that certain billionaires should just sign a fat check over to him to feed the world.
Well, one of those billionaires heard the message and came back with a counter-proposal. Elon Musk, of electric vehicles and space travel fame, pretty much said, “Show the world how the money is spent and I’ll write you a check”.
Mr. Beasley followed up by saying that the $6 billion wouldn’t solve world hunger, but it would solve global political instability, mass migration and save 42 million people from starvation.
The lesson? We need to be careful in how we craft our stories. Do we need resources to do our work? Absolutely. But, we can’t prop people up to be potential heroes when they are with our cause and then brand them as villains when they don’t have the same passion we have.
Furthermore, donors are becoming increasingly more aware of our work. Transparent organizations that can demonstrate the good work they are doing in the community will fare better than those that don’t. It should not have come as a shock to Mr. Beasley that Mr. Musk wanted to know how his donation was going to be spent; smaller non-profits deal with that every single day.
Local News You Can Use
The Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for their Cheryl Stiefel-Francis Award for Non-Profit Excellence. Individuals nominated for this award should be recognized for their leadership; cannot be elected official; must serve the Piqua community and have a positive impact on our citizens; the individual should have a reputation for integrity when dealing with clients, volunteers, staff or other individual/groups. This award is presented to an individual that exemplifies excellence and Innovation and programs, projects and partnerships. You can download a nomination form here.
What I went as for Halloween (and didn’t even realize it)
Apropos of nothing, I went to the local deli to pick up a half-pound of Colby Jack cheese on Halloween. The guy behind the counter asked if I went as this guy for Halloween. I guess I did. (The video is 3 seconds and well with your time)
Why Mission Statements Suck (or an inside view of How the Sausage Is Made)
When it comes to videos on some of the nitty-gritty on nonprofits, this one here is one of my absolute favorites. It’s one that I love watching every so often because it is absolutely relatable. For all those about ready to go through the process of developing a mission statement, or if you are a consultant working with a group about ready to go down this road, watch this video. You’ll thank me for it.
An Excerpt from our “Tips, Tools and Tricks”
The Pinnacle Solutions, “Tips, Tools and Tricks” newsletter comes out every Tuesday and is available for a paid subscription for as little as $7/month. Here is an excerpt from our last version:
To some of us in the nonprofit world, we look at that and might not see a glaring problem. I take a look at it and while the agency might look like a Porsche, it probably has an engine from a Pinto. It might look great, but it’s not exactly built to last.
And the problem is, we have all been here. Especially if you are working with smaller and/or newer non-profits. Our efforts are always into proving the value of our work to our community and constituents and we naturally pour a lot of time, effort and resources into mission delivery.
But, what if I told you that mission delivery is just a small part of the overall staffing needs of any non-profit? Would you believe me? Maybe, maybe not.
If you are searching for good information that will help you manage and lead a non-profit agency, please subscribe to the “Tips, Tools and Tricks” newsletter! And of course, as a huge “thank you”, all of our paid subscribers will get a special gift.
What do you want to know?
One of the things I would like to add in these weekly emails is to take some time to answer YOUR questions about the non-profit world; fundraising, leadership, tools, whatever is on your mind, let me know. I’d love to dig into it! Send me an email to: pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com!
Other Ways to Connect
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