Articles by CharityChannel Members
CharityChannel members who have years of experience in their field may apply to join a Contributor's Panel. Once accepted to a panel by the panel's editor, the member will work with the editor to determine article topics and to prepare an article that is ready for publication. With tens of thousands of colleagues in the CharityChannel professional community, this is a key opportunity to give back to your profession by sharing your hard-won expertise and wisdom.
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Capital Campaign Budgeting: Beyond Construction Costs Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyTuesday, April 10, 2012 (42 days ago)
If you and your nonprofit are considering a major capital initiative, such as a renovation or construction of new facilities, one of the first things to do is to develop a realistic budget, which you can use as a beginning basis for developing your campaign goal. Nonprofits usually start the process of budgeting by....
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How Well is Your Board Handling “Risk” in Your Nonprofit Organization? Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyFriday, October 01, 2010 (1 years 234 days ago)
When was the last time a discussion of risk management took place at one of your board meetings? When was the last time your board made sure your organization conducted a serious risk management process? While many of the prime areas of risk are related to finances, personal injury liability, and unforeseen disasters, there are many other areas of nonprofit operations and governance which can create risk for an organization, and for which the board is ultimately responsible.
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Tips on Volunteer Leadership Succession for Nonprofits Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, June 02, 2010 (1 years 355 days ago)
Leadership succession planning in nonprofit organizations is a critical and high stakes endeavor. Too often nonprofit organizations struggle to fill vacant top leadership positions. The consequences of poor succession planning can be devastating....
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Major Gift Prospecting and Prioritization Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, February 17, 2010 (2 years 95 days ago)
One of the most important activities a nonprofit needs to undertake prior to initiating a major gifts campaign is the identification and prioritization of prospects. Some organizations spend a lot of money, time and human resources on prospect mining and research. Others try to identify pockets of wealth in their community and then determine what is the best way to contact and solicit those individuals.
For many organizations, I recommend the following simple and inexpensive technique to identify and prioritize major gift prospects....
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Why does your nonprofit organization need a gift acceptance policy? Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, January 06, 2010 (2 years 137 days ago)
Decisions related to acceptance of out of the ordinary donations and pledges can be among the most challenging issues nonprofit professionals and leaders have to address, related to fundraising....
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Ten Basic Fundraising Axioms: Simplified Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, December 16, 2009 (2 years 158 days ago)
Yes, science, technology and skill sets are necessary to be successful as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations. However, there are also several very basic axioms which, if followed, will greatly increase your success....
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Before You Start A Fundraising Campaign: The Pre-Campaign Planning Study Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, October 14, 2009 (2 years 221 days ago)
All too often, nonprofit organizations jump into fundraising campaigns without proper preparation and without a well thought out campaign plan. Initial volunteer passion and enthusiasm frequently results in a “ready-fire-aim” mentality. To achieve goals and “hit your targets,” it is critical to take time to properly....
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Ten Tips for Major Gift Solicitors Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, September 23, 2009 (2 years 242 days ago)
Here are 10 tips to help you in making the ask. Here's the first one: Do your homework....
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Best Kept Secret: CharityChannel Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, September 23, 2009 (2 years 242 days ago)
It seems strange to me that one of the best resources for nonprofit leaders and professionals, has such a low profile...
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Professional Development Through Peer Engagement Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, September 09, 2009 (2 years 256 days ago)
True professionals are always looking for ways to improve their practice, to be more effective and to keep abreast of new trends which could affect their work. Nonprofit professional work can often be lonely, with few opportunities to exchange ideas with others who have similar backgrounds and responsibilities. While there are many online networks and professional associations, they are usually accessed from a “distance” and opportunities to attend conferences and seminars, for face to face exchanges are often limited due to distance and cost.
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Marketing Planned Gifts Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, September 09, 2009 (2 years 256 days ago)
Nonprofits are facing increased competition for and more challenges related to annual fundraising for operations. Organizations that have strong endowments have been able to weather the storm. Today, forward-looking nonprofit organizations are looking to develop endowments. Those that have had the most success have demonstrated that endowment fundraising is more about long-term relationships and stewardship than advertising and print marketing.
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Return on Investment: Getting the Most From Your Fundraising Efforts Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, August 26, 2009 (2 years 270 days ago)
This may seem like blasphemy to some, but events should primarily be utilized to attract new donors, cultivate existing donors and volunteers, say thank you to your donors, volunteers and staff, or to provide community education. For most organizations, events (with a few notable exceptions) should not be undertaken if they are....
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Consultant-Facilitated Multi-Organization Collaboration Contributed by:
Norman OlshanskyWednesday, August 26, 2009 (2 years 270 days ago)
Multi-organization collaborations can be very successful, especially when planned and initiated with a well-thought-out and executed process led by an experienced professional.
CharityChannel's WE REVIEW
CharityChannel members who have been admitted to the WE REVIEW Contributors Panel are eligible to receive recently-published books from a variety of publishers (and some self-publishers) to review. Reviews are not limited to books published by CharityChannel Press, the publishing project of the CharityChannel professional community. If you are interested in reviewing books, you are welcome to apply. Note that, even though WE REVIEW has been publishing reviews for over a decade, it has recently been reorganized and re-launched. We took the opportunity to remove prior reviews, since our focus is on newly published books.
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Grantwriting Beyond the Basics: Understanding Nonprofit Finances, Book 2 Review by:
Norman OlshanskySaturday, January 14, 2012 (129 days ago)
Michael Wells provides a very valuable overview of nonprofit finance, accounting, and budgeting. While the book is written as part of a series for grant writers, it is also very applicable to others interested in the subject. He presents very technical subjects in a way that clearly delineates financial reporting in relationship to management reporting and the differences between the two. He provides extensive samples of financial statements with explanations, taking into account the differences based on the size of the nonprofit. For grant writers the book has several additional sections of added value relating funders and grant management.
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No Risk No Reward: Mergers of Membership Associations and Nonprofits Review by:
Norman OlshanskyFriday, October 07, 2011 (228 days ago)
The book addresses many issues such as creation of an exciting vision, building broad based board support, financial risk assessments, and negotiation of terms and transitions. It also identifies some of the typical obstacles faced by organizations going through a merger or acquisition process, such as....
CharityChannel Press Books
CarityChannel Press is the publishing arm of CharityChannel. Many of the sector’s most experienced, knowledgeable practitioners are part of the CharityChannel professional community. Because of its unique role in the nonprofit sector, CharityChannel Press enjoys a rich pool of prospective authors from which to draw. In addition, the CharityChannel professional community, consisting of tens of thousands of practitioners, forms a natural initial market for the books as does the greater third sector itself. Interested in writing a book or manual?
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YOU and Your Nonprofit: Practical Advice and Tips from the CharityChannel Professional CommunityEditors: Norman Olshansky and Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE
Would you like to learn more about the nonprofit sector or improve their knowledge and skills related to nonprofit leadership, management and fundraising? Peer-reviewed articles selected for inclusion in this book have been contributed by nationally known experts within the nonprofit sector.
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CharityChannel Press Blog for Authors and Editors
CharityChannel Press is the publishing project of the CharityChannel professional community. In this blogging feature, the authors and editors of our books and manuals share their thoughts, ideas, insights, and advice on topics of interest to busy practitioners. Reading their blogs is a great way to get to know them and to learn about their latest books and manuals. Be sure to jump in and add your comment to blog postings.
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My Improbable Journey to Writing My First Book Review by:
Norman OlshanskyMonday, January 09, 2012 (134 days ago)
Since this is a blog by authors and editors of CharityChannel Press, I thought it would be fun to write about the improbable journey that led to creating this book. Here is how You and Your Nonprofit came into being.
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New Resource: Learn about nonprofit leadership, management and fundraising Review by:
Norman OlshanskyThursday, July 28, 2011 (299 days ago)
If you are involved in nonprofits, or want to get involved either as a volunteer, leader or professional, a new book is now available that is just for you! “YOU and Your Nonprofit,” published by CharityChannel Press, is a collection of short articles with practical advice from people who have been in the trenches.
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Ask A Pro Review by:
Norman OlshanskyThursday, June 02, 2011 (355 days ago)
Our AFP Chapter has started a project called Ask A Pro. Several "senior" members of the chapter (that's experience...not just age) have agreed to participate in this project. Members submit questions related to their work which are answered by one or more of the "Pros." From time to time I'll submit our column, which appears in our monthly online newsletter. If you have additional comments or want to expand on the response given, please do.