Nonprofit Training Resources And Blog Posts
 

I have a confession to make: when working as a frontline fundraiser, I sometimes failed to appreciate “small” gifts. That’s not to say I didn’t get excited any time I saw a contribution come in, but generally, the more zeroes I saw in a contribution amount, the more excited I got. I suppose this is natural in a profession where our performance is so often tied to the bottom line. If we’re working hard to hit a goal, we’re going to get excited about the things that move us cl

In fundraising, the dollars raised are the metric that typically gets all the attention. It’s the headline number in annual reports, board meetings, and campaign wrap-ups. But if we only measure our success by the total amount of money raised, we’re missing the bigger story—and potentially risking our future. Take a look at the latest numbers from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project. On the surface, the headline looks positive: Total dollars raised are up 3.5%. But dig a li

Symposium Team Kat & Mouse had the incredible opportunity to attend this year’s Florida Blue Foundation’s Community Health Symposium and Sapphire Awards. What is it? The Symposium is an inspiring two-day event that brings together thought leaders, nonprofit changemakers, and community partners from across Florida. Each year, the focus is on addressing critical health issues and exploring local solutions to improve well-being at the community level. This year, over 650 people.

HOPE was born Many years ago, a baby was born in New York. Her parents gave her a fairly common first name for the times—but for a middle name, they gave her something more powerful. They gave her a mantra. In case I’ve never mentioned it: my middle name is HOPE. And it has served me well my entire life. Now, I often say HOPE is not a strategy… but it is a steady burn in your soul that whispers: this just might be worth it. A Lesson in HOPE Back in the early 1990s, the rea

I was meeting with a client recently and we were discussing the need for an increase in managing a complete donor cycle with their individual donors. Too many are falling through the cracks – and the DOD (Director of Development) spends so much time on event planning and sponsorship deliverables that they aren’t focusing on prospecting to grow the pipeline of individual donors. The DOD’s idea … “we need to use a bigger spoon.” My response, “we need to use more spoons!” Then

At Team Kat & Mouse , we’re no strangers to external turmoil disrupting the nonprofit space. We began working with organizations in the...

"Spreading the Risk: When One Basket of Eggs is Not Enough" webinar. LINK to watch!

Last Sunday afternoon, my husband and I were sitting around doing a whole lot of nothing. Mitch had played Sunday softball with his friends of 20+ years, and I had taken a strength class at the gym. We had taken the dogs out for a game of fetch and gone grocery shopping. My stillness (or couch potato-ness) left time for me to start feeling anxious about the week ahead—a busy schedule filled with calls, appointments, billing, and the excitement of my daughter's upcoming bridal

One message that is consistent in Team Kat & Mouse’s training sessions is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ for a non-profit’s donors...

I could probably write a book with odd things I’ve seen in grant applications. From strange forms to even stranger submission methods...

I received a call from a partner of one of our clients. She had a problem. Our foodbank client was giving her whole chickens to distribute…. my initial thought (quietly to myself) was, That’s cool! One chicken can feed an entire family, and there will even be leftovers! But then she explained that the people receiving the chickens didn’t know how to cut them or prepare them for cooking. And that’s when I remembered. Years ago, while working with The Walt Disney Company/Radi

Last week, we received a call from an individual representing a new non-profit organization looking for fundraising support. Excited...

Last week, one of our Team Kat & Mouse client partners called to share that he had secured a first meeting with a potential partner and funder. I joined in his celebration and complimented him on his persistence in achieving his goal of meeting with this individual from a large corporation. Back in my sales days, I had a boss whose favorite question was, “Did you get the order?” While this question made perfect sense in a transactional business, it was both offensive and d

This quote, often used in the context of parenting, is something I can truly relate to as a mother of three. My granddaughter, not having a good day. While I wouldn’t say I’m overly invested in their emotional lives, it’s impossible to be cheerful when one of them is struggling. As a parent, it’s natural to feel that deep connection to your child’s experiences, and their pain often becomes your own. When a child shares their suffering, there are three possible ways to respo

Over the last few weeks, the nonprofit sector has been abuzz about a pause in federal grants and the ripple effects funding disruptions...

No one likes being “ghosted.” No one enjoys leaving 150,000 messages only to get no response. Yet, this often happens when leaving...

I spent this morning with a family friend who recently celebrated her 93rd birthday. Her continued good health is a blessing to everyone who knows her. Although her mobility is impacted—she uses a walker—she remains spry and undeterred by her age. She applies her makeup each morning, enjoys playing BINGO, and loves having lunch with her friends. Last year, after much consideration, her family made the difficult decision to move her into an assisted living facility. Despite he

Any of us who worked in the nonprofit sector during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic learned a quick, career-altering lesson in...

My social media feeds have included a lot of pictures of former President Jimmy Carter this week. Interestingly, many of these pictures also featured my former Habitat for Humanity colleagues. I am deeply invested in creating sustainable non-profits that engage their partners in shared successes. President Carter’s longstanding commitment to HFH and his public engagement with their work will be part of his legacy. Witnessing the ongoing legacy of such an influential figure r

The fundraisers were nestled all snug in their chairs, While visions of large donations danced in their heads. Our CEO in her logo...