After two years of serving as a Major Gifts Officer for an institutional global nonprofit, I was let go yesterday, at 1pm, after I spent more than half my day doing what I thought was actively contributing to future work. I was hesitant to take the job two years ago, when I was operating as an independent consultant, but the recruiter talked me in because the mission was just too phenomenal to pass up. After working crazy hours, traveling all over, and spending an uncountable amount of time with my director of development, I was let go within a 1 minute script with no explanation other than it’s not personal and we’d love to have you back in the future. If anything I’m relieved I no longer feel like I have to walk on egg shells and it’s time to rebuild that consultancy but man am I tired

Hi Everyone,

I am the ED of a national charity in Canada, something that I co-founded at 16, and this year is our 20th Anniversary! (I feel so old)!

We have "always" been a completely virtual organization - long before COVID - but as we have been growing - both in staff and volunteers - we were thinking it's time to crew a guide or manual for our staff about Working from Home - with Policies around that... I thought before I start from scratch, does anyone have their own that they'd be willing to share (you are also welcome to email it to me - just DM me), so we have a few examples of what other organizations have included in theirs etc.

I have always thought that - if we can share material within the sector - why not do that first, and save another organization time - same goes for when others are looking for resources or vendor feedback!

Have a great weekend!

Hi everyone - I've been in the non profit development field for a couple of years now, mostly in coordinator roles or small/mid-level donor engagement roles. I enjoy the work and supporting a cause bigger than yourself, but one of the things I'm noticing is how much work there is for development teams at whichever organization I'm with...it seems like there are just too many donors to connect with than there are development officers. My question is: does anyone else have this experience?

This seems like a huge issue as I know donor retention nationwide is already not at optimal levels, but also the fact that donors definitely want a human connection and to know that they are appreciated/apart of your org. Any insights here would be appreciated thanks!

I’m a marketing professional hoping to branch into nonprofit program management. I currently work with several nonprofits as part of my agency work. To facilitate the transition to program management, I have been considering two certificate programs:

UNC Greensboro

https://www.uncg.edu/degrees/nonprofit-management-p-b-c/

Pros:
- Offered through grad school
- I could use the credits towards an MPA, if I decided to
- Might offer a deeper dive into the topics

Cons:
- Juggling graduate level classes with work
- More expensive / superfluous academic red tape

Elon University

https://next.elon.edu/product?catalog=CertNonprofitMgmt

Pros:
- Affordable
- Self-paced
- Covers a variety of topics

Cons:
- May not be as intensive as an actual graduate certificate program
- Could be perceived as less impressive

Which would help me make the jump from marketing to program management? Or should I just skip both and look into some volunteering/board work?

TL;DR I’m considering two nonprofit certificate programs: Elon and UNC Greensboro. Can’t decide which to pick, or to do it at all.

I've been thinking about how much nonprofit visibility depends on platforms that organizations don't control — social media algorithms, search engines, advertising networks, and increasingly fragmented local media.

For smaller organizations, it seems particularly challenging.

Are any of you working on more collaborative approaches to audience development, such as shared directories, cross-promotion networks, or community publications?

I'd be interested to hear what's working and whether these efforts are sustainable.

I work in nonprofit fundraising (mostly admin) and the money is terrible for the work I do, especially where I am now. There is a position I am qualified for at a local foundation that funds my current workplace annually. Would it be bad form to apply or would it reflect badly on my organization?

I don’t want that, they do great work, but we’ve had two scheduled cost of living raises walked back and I have no upward mobility options (it’s small) and I’d love to continue using my 5 years of industry experience if possible. Thx!

Would love to hear your experiences on this topic. Seems to me many "stock picking" advisors seldom beat the market, plus you have their fees. What about using a small group of index funds and rebalancing? Would love to hear your experiences and arguments pro and con?

I'm dealing with a very small, local nonprofit. I don't want to give too many details for privacy reasons. The board has 4 members. In addition to the board, there are about 40 volunteers that make up the nonprofit. Over 30 of the volunteers want the president and secretary of the board to resign due to the organization loosing a substantial amount of money from the board's inactivity and poor leadership. The board is refusing to disclose the organization's bylaws.

My questions are: 1) do bylaws usually contain info about term limits for board members (or anything else that could be relevant for removing a board member)? And, is it legal for a nonprofit board to not let its members view its bylaws?

I have a few issues that I am looking for help on.

1. I am wondering how to handle board members that want to be involved in day to day activities, but they do not have the relevant skills or experience in the field to do so. I am in a position as the president having significant skills in the field that our nonprofit is focused on, dealing with board members that want to be consulted on day-to-day activities and want their opinions heard and considered even though they are frankly ignorant on the workings of nonprofits and our mission. I am finding that I have to justify every decision that I make to them, which is causing conflict and confrontation.

2. Half of the board is like the above, but the other half are completely absent with regards to emails, fundraising, etc. These members do not donate to the organization and do not try to fundraise at all. Unfortunately, the bylaws were written before my time and do not outline any requirements so I am not sure that I have any recourse here. But it is bringing the organization down.

I realize that I can have the bylaws changed to include requirements for board members, but this requires a board vote which is a conflict of interest because those that are not involved are clearly going to vote that they do not want the bylaws changed so I am not sure what to do here.

Thanks!

Has anyone else noticed a massive increase in failed "donations" made by bots with stolen credit cards? I understand we are not being targeted by these transactions, and that it's bots testing card numbers to see if anything goes through, but we're going into EOY giving season and it gums up our work to receive 20+ fake donors/donations everyday. Not only that, but we're concerned our organization's name will be associated with the transaction and appear to be the bad actor.

We have reCAPTCHA, we require physical addresses, and we've limited the number of donations that can be made from an IP per day, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference. Tech support is troubleshooting, but unresponsive. Has anyone experienced the same thing? What solutions have you found?

Hey everyone,

I’ve spent my career so far specializing in web and digital communications. I’m exploring a pivot into a broader Nonprofit Communications Manager role to expand my professional options, and I want to figure out how to best position myself. In the nonprofit world, digital skills are obviously a massive asset, but I don't want to get pigeonholed as "just the website/digital person."

To any Communications Directors or hiring managers here: What are the top 2 or 3 attributes or skills you look for when hiring a communications manager?

If you saw an applicant with a heavy digital background, what would they need to show on their resume or say in an interview to prove they can handle the broader strategic piece (like donor comms, crisis control, or cross-department strategy)? What gaps do you usually see in people trying to make this jump? Thanks in advance for any insights or reality checks!

I am a voting member of a youth choir that my 11 year old attends and have some pretty basic questions about an upcoming 10 day tour that I have emailed the Executive Director about which she deflected to the choir director. It has been several weeks now and I have not heard back from either of them. Would anyone have any advice on what my next steps should be?

We’ve been working with BWF over a year, and honestly it’s been pretty frustrating. Wondering if anyone else has had the same experience or if we just got a bad team.

The biggest thing is it all feels copy-paste to all of their other clients. We are a smaller nonprofit and they're acting like our org is WAY bigger... The year-end plan looked nice but had no revenue goal and no real metrics, and the asks weren’t tied to anyone’s giving history, even though their own deck said they should be. There’s a lot of decks, dashboards, and calls, and I still can’t tell you what any of it is actually raising. Claude put it best "About 1,700 words across three documents, and most of it explains things BWF should simply do, without any mention of fundraising."

They've shorted us on services. When we asked about it, crickets for weeks, and then the reply was riddled ChatGPT.

To be fair, the creative is okay. But we didn’t really need help with creative.

Has anyone actually had a good experience with them? Or found a way to hold them accountable to results? Would love to know if this is normal for them.

Hello! Researching options for the first retirement option for a four-person org.

We are leaning toward a Simple IRA (probably form 5305) but not sure if there's a designated financial institution that can hit most/all of the below criteria? Perhaps we need to look at 403bs for this level of service but I want to make sure that there aren't any Simple IRAs that will fit our needs first:

• User-friendly employee portal and onboarding for team with mixed financial literacy-- this is super important to us. We can do some handholding with enrollment and are planning to do some education. But if employees are constantly needing to call or mail paperwork to manage things or need to have a lot of financial savvy to recognize issues or set things up it's not a good fit.
• Good investment options with low expense ratios and fees on the employee side.
• Lowish admin burden, ideally a payroll integration with ADP Run. Some we've looked into require mailed checks every pay period/month which is not a total deal breaker but kind of annoying/possibly issue-prone.
  • Ideally, user-friendly employer portal where we could see enrollment, confirm that contributions were credited to employee accounts, etc. Especially if we're mailing checks around.

(Note: we are aware of and are fine with the lower contribution limit and employer contribution requirement for Simple IRAs)

Anyone have any suggestions or insight? Thank you!

Hi all,

I am a development manager with over 10 years of experience in fundraising. I currently live in the DMV area and have been with my current org for over 3 years. I’ve applied to a few positions here and there with no luck the last year.

My spouse and I have the opportunity to move to the Seattle area and I am curious to hear from any of you who live in that job market what your experience has been trying to land a position. Obviously, the DMV and mid-Atlantic area have been deeply impacted by the current administration, and it’s not just nonprofits, it’s government agencies, too. And yes, I am aware that it’s hard for everyone right now regardless of geographic location.

Thank you for sharing your perspective!

Hi Reddit! I’m on the board of my local PTA and we’d like to legally add a dba so we don’t have to go by the lengthy name as tied to our state PTA. We are NOT currently incorporated. Yes, we should be, but that’s another topic entirely.

Anyway, I can’t seem to figure out how to add a dba without being incorporated. I’m in NJ and the online portal as well as paper form ask for the organization status and business entity ID, but there’s no option for an unincorporated non profit association with no entity ID.

Do I even need to go through the state or can I just lite it on our 990? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hello. I have a non-profit in the Midwest. We are brand new and will be hosting our first annual fundraiser. It’s a “Cowboys and Cocktails” theme

I am debating between, an open invitation with a grazing appetizer table, desserts and open bar with the option of “dinner” being a few food trucks on site that donate half proceeds to cost. Donations are at will and the silent auction.

Or.

Ticket sales for individual seats and tables, with a plated dinner, open bar and silent auction with a “late night” food truck option -think formal wedding style

Thoughts. Opinions. Let’s hear.

I’m tasked with helping our ED pick a retirement plan for our org. We are leaning towards something that matches 3% of salary.

I’ve had a combo of IRAs and 403bs, but no real understanding of what the difference is.

What does your org use and what do you prefer as an employee?

Edit: this is for org with 2 staff

I'm currently in the interview process for a major gifts officer role I'm really hoping to get! I have had two great interviews with them, and a third scheduled at the end of the month. They've asked for my references, too!

Now, they're asking me to complete a (paid) assignment. First part is to create a 1–2-page doc that should serve as an intro and include a basic explanation of their work and role in the space for a new donor. Then, they want me to come up with a list of 5 potential major donors.

I have two questions for you all!

1. I'm experienced with writing grant apps and LOIs, but my major donor work has been done mainly with email through relationships I've inherited. What subsections should I be certain to include on the proposal doc? Does anyone have a template they like to use?

2. Also, identifying donor prospects without access to the group's existing lists is a challenge. They are really beginning to build out a major donor program, so I would kind of be starting from scratch. I found 5 individuals who have donated to similar orgs. I have emails for some due to my existing professional connections. Should I include those in the doc, or is that giving away too much info without being guaranteed a position?

For those of you who once worked in the non-profit world and have moved out, do you have advice for the kinds of positions where my skills might translate? I (26) have been in development in a couple nonprofits over the past 3-4 years and am finding that the mean-girl culture is too much for my mental health. While I hate the idea of leaving my organization, I need out and I don’t think non-profit is a good fit for me at this point. Any suggestions on what kinds of positions to look for? My experience is mostly administrative (processing donations, database management, drafting and sending letters, etc.)

Any advice would be very appreciated! I feel very stuck and disparaged right now.

I mean it’s not like I’m holding a can on the side of the road, but….fundraising definitely feels like that. Especially when trying to raise money with rich people they make it seem like you’re asking for an investment to a business pitch, and it’s like no we’re trying to feed some kids starving on section 8 in Detroit and actually develop proper structures. At the end of the day I never feel a way or take it to heart because you work hard for your money decide what you would like to do with it the only thing that really tipped over the scale for me was this one rich guy proposed he’ll give me a big donation I just have to send half of it back so he can still cover his own rear with his taxes and im like no you’re literally sitting on millions and you’re still greedy enough to try to be shiesty. But yeah that’s all I had to say it’s definitely energy draining.

After months & months of a truly toxic (I hate using that word, but there it is) dynamic between board leadership and the staff, I’ve finally come to the decision to resign. I think I’ll do it next week.

It’s taken a lot to get to this point and even still, I’m angry that I feel “forced” to leave an organization I’ve built up so much, but it must be done.

Any advice? I plan to notify the board and then immediately send out an email to contacts. I am mildly concerned about not being “first” to determine the narrative. Any advice re: that specifically? I know I’ll be painted in not a great light, so anything I can do to safeguard my reputation I’d like to attempt.

Hi everyone. I work in programs (amongst various other hats) at a very small nonprofit with a local home base but serving an international community. I’ve worked there for about 10 months. I genuinely care about the mission and absolutely love my team and culture.

We work from home completely with no office and have a separate space only for holding event materials. We hold occasional local events at our home base and around the country that require in-person support and occasional travel.

When first accepting the role, it was listed as “mostly remote” and my supervisor worked remotely, which gave me some hope about location flexibility. However, as time as gone on, I’ve seen the need for in-person support, which has been difficult, as I have postponed a potential move with my long-term, long-distance partner because of how much I love this new job that has been my dream job for years.

I have became increasingly depressed with the distance and my current location/living situation. Additionally, my partner and I’s circumstances are changing soon, and it makes most sense for me to move to be with them toward the end of the year. I would love to keep my job if possible.

Much of my work can be done remotely (at least 90%), and my supervisor already works fully remotely after the organization accommodated that arrangement. However, we’re a team of only four, and I’m occasionally needed for on-site support for events, networking, meetings, etc., so that remaining 10% of in-person work can be very valuable, even if it’s only occasional. My supervisor’s remote arrangement means there’s one less person available too, especially with limited staff already.

I’m trying to decide whether to ask for a remote arrangement with planned travel for major events, propose a trial period, or offer to remain remotely employed while they find and train my replacement if a permanent arrangement isn’t feasible.

My biggest concern is that I’ve only been there about 10 months, so I don’t want to overstep or risk losing my job before I have another one lined up. At the same time, I feel I’ve gained organizational knowledge and taken ownership of important programs and processes, so I’d love to find a solution that works for both sides.

I’m curious everyone’s thoughts on:
Is it reasonable to ask for the same remote flexibility my supervisor was granted, given the differences in our responsibilities and putting us down another staff member for last-minute or occasional on-site needs?
Would offering to work remotely during a transition period be a reasonable compromise?
Would you raise this now, wait until a performance review, or secure another job first?
Are there other compromises I should consider?
I’d appreciate any advice on how to approach this conversation fairly without jeopardizing my current position. Thank you in advance!