Learning to Lead for Impact
leadership insight from Tom Okarma
the latest and greatest…
Nonprofit Resources: 3 Free Downloads to Make Your Agency Better
Managing nonprofit resources can be one of the most difficult and yet rewarding experiences for a leader. There are numerous demands on your time, and some days the problems and challenges can seem endless. Today I want to help make your life easier, by providing...
Ready for Change: The Role of a Board of Directors
The role of a Board of Directors has remained the same over the years...for the most part. A board sets the direction, raises funds, provides financial and program oversight, and ensures all laws and regulations are followed. However, what has changed is the level of...
Nonprofit Leadership: The 11 Characteristics You Need for Impact
Is Your Nonprofit Leadership the best it can be? In my experience in working with leaders, there are a few characteristics that I have found to set a great leader apart from the rest, as well as predict their likelihood of success. I call these the 11 Characteristics...
Great Nonprofit Leadership: Do You Have What it Takes?
Great Nonprofit leadership comes into play in every aspect of your day, as it's essential to your team's success. When I took on a role as CEO, it seemed my team frequently faced some important and complex matters. Many of these involving our clients, team, or...
Step 1 in Leadership Development: Know Yourself
When we think Leadership Development, we often think of others first... But sometimes we over look a critical element -- knowing ourselves... When I first became the CEO of an organization, I was very excited and confident. I knew what needed to be done and was quite...
2020: New Year, Bigger Nonprofit Impact
Will 2020 be a success for your agency? With 2019 quickly coming to an end, most of us are tying up loose ends and putting the finishing touches on our 2020 plans, goals, and budgets for nonprofit impact. Maybe you're even making a couple of last minute phone calls...
leadership
Nonprofit Resources: 3 Free Downloads to Make Your Agency Better
Managing nonprofit resources can be one of the most difficult and yet rewarding experiences for a leader. There are numerous demands on your time, and some days the problems and challenges can seem endless. Today I want to help make your life easier, by providing...
Ready for Change: The Role of a Board of Directors
The role of a Board of Directors has remained the same over the years...for the most part. A board sets the direction, raises funds, provides financial and program oversight, and ensures all laws and regulations are followed. However, what has changed is the level of...
Nonprofit Leadership: The 11 Characteristics You Need for Impact
Is Your Nonprofit Leadership the best it can be? In my experience in working with leaders, there are a few characteristics that I have found to set a great leader apart from the rest, as well as predict their likelihood of success. I call these the 11 Characteristics...
Great Nonprofit Leadership: Do You Have What it Takes?
Great Nonprofit leadership comes into play in every aspect of your day, as it's essential to your team's success. When I took on a role as CEO, it seemed my team frequently faced some important and complex matters. Many of these involving our clients, team, or...
Step 1 in Leadership Development: Know Yourself
When we think Leadership Development, we often think of others first... But sometimes we over look a critical element -- knowing ourselves... When I first became the CEO of an organization, I was very excited and confident. I knew what needed to be done and was quite...
2020: New Year, Bigger Nonprofit Impact
Will 2020 be a success for your agency? With 2019 quickly coming to an end, most of us are tying up loose ends and putting the finishing touches on our 2020 plans, goals, and budgets for nonprofit impact. Maybe you're even making a couple of last minute phone calls...
board development
Four Ways Board Training Can Help Your Nonprofit
Why do some boards demonstrate a culture of excellence year after year, while some seem to struggle with getting directors to show up for meetings or to make important decisions? Why do some agencies have a waiting list of board candidates, while others (maybe yours)...
Dealing with Problem Board Members
Leading a board would be so fulfilling, so rewarding, and so cool if it weren’t for those problem board members, right? True confession time: You’ve definitely had these thoughts. I know you have...I’ve had gallons of coffee (and an occasional scone, or two) with so...
5 Reasons Why Board Training is Critical to Nonprofit Success
Why is it some boards demonstrate a culture of excellence year after year while some seem to struggle just to get a majority of directors to show up for meetings or to make important decisions? Why do some nonprofits seem to show up everywhere in your community while...
5 Reasons Why You Need a Board of Directors (Besides the Obvious)
More often than not, I can tell when an executive director is preparing for a board meeting. He or she is usually a little on edge and short on patience. The team may be a bit "amped up" with people running around creating reports, copying documents, preparing talking...
10 Ways to Deal With Difficult People in Your Nonprofit
On the surface, leading a nonprofit might look like a piece of cake. You assemble a group of people passionate about the mission, point them in the right direction and get out of their way. For the most part, there are no ego problems, no hidden agendas, and no one...
Better Board Meetings: 5 Questions to Better Engage Your Board Members
Who likes nonprofit board meetings? Please raise your hands... Board members often have a full-time job. They put in a long day, then skip dinner with the family so they can have cold pizza and room temperature soda, gathered around a conference table. You and your...
strategic planning
15 Ways to Turn Strategy into Action on Your Nonprofit Strategic Plan
Planning is Great but Execution Wins the Game! The best nonprofits — those that make the biggest impact — create and follow their strategic plan. Many agencies have recently spent significant dollars developing a new nonprofit strategic plan, or refreshing...
5 Nonprofit Challenges and How to Fix Them: #1 — Your Board
Challenge #1: The Failing Board I offer advice to many nonprofit leaders and board members each week. Over time, several common nonprofit challenges have surfaced from those discussions. This week, we will be taking a look at five of the most common challenges...
Nonprofit Trends 2017: Is Your Agency Future-proof?
Since 2014, we have seen the volunteer rate drop nearly 13%. Nearly 50% of nonprofit leaders report their organization has no strategic plan, yet nonprofit giving has increased over the last 4 years, and continues to grow. Nonprofit Trends 2017 -- What do these...
Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: 3 Ways to Make the Process Easier
How To Make Strategic Planning for Nonprofits Easier And More Successful Many agencies will shortly begin holding planning sessions, or retreats, for 2018. The announcement of these events is usually met with either groans or cheers, depending on how your past...
Where is Your Nonprofit Going?
Understanding the key role Mission, Vision, and Values play in moving an organization forward. These elements are probably some of the most important in your organization, yet they are often the most overlooked. They help guide decision-making, budgeting, and...
Even “Perfect” Strategic Plans Usually Overlook This Component
One of the most frequent assignments I am asked to take on when asked to work with a nonprofit board or its CEO is to help them get back on track, to help them get things going again. They contact me because they feel bogged down and unable to break through the...
everything…
Great Nonprofit Leadership: Do You Have What it Takes?
Great Nonprofit leadership comes into play in every aspect of your day, as it's essential to your team's success. When I took on a role as CEO, it seemed my team frequently faced some important and complex matters. Many of these involving our clients, team, or...
Step 1 in Leadership Development: Know Yourself
When we think Leadership Development, we often think of others first... But sometimes we over look a critical element -- knowing ourselves... When I first became the CEO of an organization, I was very excited and confident. I knew what needed to be done and was quite...
2020: New Year, Bigger Nonprofit Impact
Will 2020 be a success for your agency? With 2019 quickly coming to an end, most of us are tying up loose ends and putting the finishing touches on our 2020 plans, goals, and budgets for nonprofit impact. Maybe you're even making a couple of last minute phone calls...
Are Giving Trends Changing?
I recently read an article about giving trends in Giving USA stating that 2018 donations fell by an inflation-adjusted 1.7% over 2017. Without a doubt, $427.71 billion is still a whole lot of money for charity. However, no one wants to see backsliding in our levels of...
Nonprofit Governance: What Is It and Why Does it Matter?
Why are some nonprofit agencies so successful, how do they run so smoothly, and how does the board and staff work so well together? It begins with mutual appreciation and respect for one another, as well as excellent communication within the agency. In addition, the...
Is a Board of Directors Really Important?
Board of Directors Role: What Exactly Should Your Board Be Doing? Throughout my time with nonprofits, I’ve noticed that a board, along with its directors ability to fulfill their roles and responsibilities can be the difference between a high impact agency, a low...
Does Your Leadership Style Matter?
If you're like most nonprofit leaders, you've likely gone through your fair share of leadership skills training such as marketing, budgeting, goal setting, etc. However, you may never have made it a priority to look within...
Four Ways Board Training Can Help Your Nonprofit
Why do some boards demonstrate a culture of excellence year after year, while some seem to struggle with getting directors to show up for meetings or to make important decisions? Why do some agencies have a waiting list of board candidates, while others (maybe yours)...
Dealing with Problem Board Members
Leading a board would be so fulfilling, so rewarding, and so cool if it weren’t for those problem board members, right? True confession time: You’ve definitely had these thoughts. I know you have...I’ve had gallons of coffee (and an occasional scone, or two) with so...