Latest News
Demystifying Donor Advised Funds
A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a giving vehicle established at a public charity. It allows donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend grants from the fund over time. These contributions may include cash, stock, real estate, or other assets. While DAFs were first created in the 1930s, they began to gain popularity in the 1990s and today are philanthropy’s fastest growing vehicle, accounting for 3% of all giving. Enjoyed leading a webinar yesterday for Goodwill Industries International — Demystifying Donor Advised Funds — in which I discuss donor advised funds, how they differ from private foundations, tips for engagement, critiques and potential reforms.
AFP Fundraising Ethics Survey
Highly effective nonprofits embrace discussions about ethical leadership with Board and staff members. According to a recent survey from Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), 25% of fundraisers report confronting ethical dilemmas at least 6 times per year.
"From a list of common ethical challenges, respondents also identified ethical issues on which they need more guidance and resources. Donor control and restrictions on how gifts can be used was identified by almost half (48 percent) of respondents as a critical issue, followed by conflicts of interest (41 percent) and “tainted” money from donors (40 percent)."
If your team would like more information or training on navigating ethical challenges in fundraising, please reach out and let's work together to craft a solution that provides your team with the tools and resources needed to excel.
Evergreen Life Services Board and Staff Retreat
Evergreen Life Services changes lives for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Honored to be in Dallas this week facilitating a Board and staff retreat for this amazing team!
SeniorCare Experts Staff Retreat
The leaders of SeniorCare Experts are continually refining and reimagining strategies to enable seniors to live healthy, comfortable and fulfilling lives at home. Honored to facilitate their staff retreat and inspired by their commitment to the mission.
Board Excellence and Fundraising Effectiveness Workshops
Did you know that when fundraising expectations are clearly articulated during recruitment, 52% of CEOs report their boards are actively engaged in the organization’s fundraising efforts?
Enjoyed discussing this and more while leading 2 workshops in Miami this week:
From “Survivor to “Amazing Race:” Board Champions
Engaged Board, Effective Fundraising.
Talking Strategic Planning...
A strategic plan serves as a roadmap to enable an organization to set priorities and measure progress. It informs the direction, generates heightened engagement and ownership of the mission, and inspires staff, board, volunteers, and the community to envision bold possibilities. Thrilled to be a guest of Virtual Executive Director on her podcast to discuss the importance of people, purpose, and process in strategic planning. Give it a listen!
Cabbage Patch Staff Retreat
Honored to facilitate the staff retreat for the amazing Cabbage Patch team today!
For over 109 years, The Cabbage Patch Settlement House has been profoundly changing the lives of children, youth, and families. The Cabbage Patch team equips and empowers youth and families to be self-sufficient by helping them maximize their economic, educational, emotional, moral, physical, social and spiritual potential.
I am inspired by the passion they have for their mission and the love they have for one another as teammates!
The Value of Traditions
As summer turns to fall and leaves change, we have ushered in one of my favorite seasons of the year — college football season. In addition to the game itself, many are drawn to college football because of the traditions and pageantry that accompany rooting for your favorite school.
This past weekend, my family made our annual football weekend trip to Notre Dame. This is an extremely meaningful tradition for us, and one we look forward to every year. As we walked around campus, I was reminded of the value of traditions. From listening to the band play the fight song, to eating at a favorite dining hall, to donning your team colors, traditions bind us together. Likewise, traditions also hold special meaning for organizations and team members:
Traditions build a sense of belonging.
People possess an innate desire to be part of something larger than themselves. It compels each of us to serve in our own way, from Board members to staff members, volunteers to donors. Traditions cultivate that sense of belonging and higher purpose.
Traditions build bridges linking the past, present, and future.
Through the stories, rituals, and habits passed down over time, people gain a unique appreciation of an organization’s history, evolution, and vision as well as a connection to those who have come before, serve now, and will serve in the future.
Traditions both reflect and reinforce values and culture.
The primary way in which individuals experience the values and culture of an organization are through the actions of those they serve with. Traditions serve to illuminate these values and bring the culture of an organization to life.
Traditions hold space for reflection.
It is easy to get carried away with daily routines and challenges. Traditions provide an opportunity for each of us to pause and reflect, while reconnecting to our vision and the ideals that underlie our commitment to the organization and our teammates.
When was the last time you asked your team about the organizational traditions they value? What is the equivalent of the “fight song” and treasured campus memory for your organization? I invite you to reflect with me this month on the traditions that inspire your organization and team.
Is it Possible to Predict Generosity?
Is it possible to predict generosity? According to Nathan Chappell of Futurus Group, the answer is yes, and with the help of machine-learning and AI, your organization can better understand the motivations of your supporters and more effectively predict their likelihood to give. Nathan joins Greg on the latest podcast episode of Nonprofit Vision to discuss using machine learning to predict generosity and elevate philanthropy.
Lead With Your Values Workshop
Core values represent the cornerstone of any effective organization. Spent a great day with the leaders of CASA programs from across Kentucky facilitating our "Lead With Your Values" workshop. Special thanks to Kentucky CASA Network for convening this talented group!
New Podcast Episode! Engaging NextGen Board Leaders
Highly effective Board teams are composed of a diverse group of talented and passionate leaders. Christina Carr joins Greg to discuss the importance of age diversity on nonprofit Boards and strategies to engage nextgen Board leaders. Click the button below to visit the podcast page or subscribe to Nonprofit Vision on iTunes, Google, or your favorite podcast app.
Camp to Belong Retreat
Exciting weekend in Minneapolis facilitating a Board/Staff retreat with the team of Camp To Belong. Camp to Belong is an international organization dedicated to reuniting brothers and sisters who have become separated in foster care through a week of camp in the summer and other events throughout the year. Exciting things to come from these talented and passionate leaders!
#Nonprofit #Board #Philanthropy #Charity #BoardChampions
Talking Fiscal Sponsorship
When approached thoughtfully, fiscal sponsorship can be an important tool that promotes collaboration and enhances impact. Enjoyed being in Nashville today leading a seminar on this topic for LawPracticeCLE.
#Nonprofit #Impact #Philanthropy #Charity #BoardChampions
Classics4Kids Board Retreat
Classics 4 Kids inspires children through the experience of music, generating creativity, academic success, and cultural understanding. Enjoyed a wonderful day facilitating the #strategicplanning kickoff retreat for their Board and staff team in #SanDiego with Janeal Ford of Fordable Fundraising. Exciting times ahead for this amazing team!
We're Growing! Announcing the Launch of Board Champions 🚀🏆
Last month, we celebrated the 1 year anniversary of the launch of Nielsen Training & Consulting. Over the past year, I have been honored to work with nonprofit organizations from New Jersey to San Francisco, Miami to Denver, and of course here at home in Kentucky.
As we begin year 2, I recognize that developing a highly effective Board doesn’t happen overnight, but is the product of intentionality, engagement, and effort.
That is why I am thrilled to announce the launch of Board Champions.
This is a year-round, fully customizable Board development program, designed to partner with you in building a Board team capable of translating bold vision into reality.
Flexible enough to meet the needs of your nonprofit, Board Champions begins with a customized Board Self Assessment and facilitated Board retreat and subsequently may include the following services:
CEO or Board coaching
Defining Board expectations
Assessing the skills and diversity of your Board team
Building an effective orientation program
Aligning committee engagement with strategic objectives
Click the button below to learn more or connect with Greg to set up a consultation. Let’s work together to develop your team into Board Champions!
New Podcast Episode! Elevating Philanthropy's Unheard Voices
While the perspectives and contributions of thought leaders with established platforms are valuable, we must continue to elevate the unheard voices in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership in order to deepen critical conversations and move the sector forward. Jen Bokoff, Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Candid, joins Greg to discuss her recent article and efforts aimed at lifting up philanthropy's unheard voices.
It is available here on the web site at https://www.nielsenconsults.com/podcast and also on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, and More.
Strategic Planning Article Published By Bloomerang
Honored to have Bloomerang publish my article on "3 P's for Nonprofit Planning Success." Proud to work with #nonprofits to facilitate processes that result in bold, actionable plans. Would love to hear your success stories and connect to discuss your organization's planning needs!
#Nonprofit #StrategicPlanning #Philanthropy
Championship Fundraising Board Workshop Comes to San Diego!
Calling all #SanDiego #nonprofit leaders! Pleased to share that I will be in San Diego on Monday, September 9. I invite you to join me as I co-lead a workshop entitled "Building a Championship Fundraising Board" with my friend and colleague Janeal Ford of Fordable Fundraising. Click the link below to check out the details and register!
#fundraising #philanthropy #Board
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07egi7yuav71f6e689&llr=e78ijryab&showPage=true&fbclid=IwAR1oOh9M4zYcUZ5d9EPHyVUt-bccYqPVVHJ_5z9MRicw7bllQ1mPCmkvrc0
Have You Checked Out Our Podcast Lately?
Nonprofit Vision with Gregory Nielsen presents informative and entertaining conversations spotlighting critical issues in nonprofit leadership and the visionaries who are addressing them.
Recent episodes include topics such as:
Program Evaluation
The Path to Grant Readiness
Walking a Mile in Grantee Shoes
Your Role in a Social Change Ecosystem
With even more exciting guests and topics to come, now is a great time to subscribe to the podcast. It is available here on the web site at https://www.nielsenconsults.com/podcast and also on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Anchor, and More. Would love to hear your thoughts or comments on any of the episodes as well as ideas for future guests and topics!
51% of Fundraisers Plan to Leave Their Jobs by 2021, Says New Survey
This article presents a challenge #nonprofit leaders are confronting now, and will likely continue to face in the future. Does this match your perception and experience? How are you addressing?
"The reasons the revolving door keeps spinning are numerous, our survey shows. But two findings stand out:
84 percent of fundraisers said they felt “tremendous pressure to succeed” in their role.
55 percent said they “often feel unappreciated” in their work."
https://www.philanthropy.com/article/51-of-Fundraisers-Plan-to/246857