tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.comments2023-11-15T00:36:04.599-08:00Nonprofit CurmudgeonNonprofitCurmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09475141021855941809noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-6607993333260178562018-02-27T09:46:29.189-08:002018-02-27T09:46:29.189-08:00Generally, the world does not need more nonprofits...Generally, the world does not need more nonprofits. The world does need better nonprofits. With the inane, clunky, and often-mindless firey hoops one must go through for sustainable funding, it's logical to determine how one can best have an impact before just lurching ahead to create yet another 501c3 or NGO competing for the same money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-65011512666870005942015-08-16T07:26:06.278-07:002015-08-16T07:26:06.278-07:00Amen. I coach a lot of nonprofits and it amazes me...Amen. I coach a lot of nonprofits and it amazes me how many new non-profits do not have a sustainability plans championed by the BOARD. Too often what we see is founder-it is where the amazing and compelling vision of one or two founders /staff becomes the assumed strategy. When the founders want or need to move on... the board is just not ready to carry on and sustain the momentum - especially in revenue generation. It is a too-common and very sad story. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-62186184525593750892014-07-02T15:04:53.210-07:002014-07-02T15:04:53.210-07:00What makes this story scary??What makes this story scary??FamCarehttp://www.famcare.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-91052735383941638112013-03-11T03:09:51.473-07:002013-03-11T03:09:51.473-07:00It's good to know that there are still charity...It's good to know that there are still charity providing a <a href="http://www.aaflc.org" rel="nofollow">child rescue volunteers</a> for free.teresa bowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07534290439844564640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-75712971776923717852012-05-06T10:47:19.659-07:002012-05-06T10:47:19.659-07:00Thanks for articulating all the things that can ma...Thanks for articulating all the things that can make any workplace tough, annoying and intolerable. To me the gist of it comes down to self-responsibility and being respectful of others while doing the job you were hired to do. Thanks for sharing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-88095252223517070882011-07-19T11:17:04.147-07:002011-07-19T11:17:04.147-07:00Just discovered you and love the challenging point...Just discovered you and love the challenging point of view. After 30 years as a CEO in the nonprofit world, I've seen a lot of sacred cows go unchallenged and become silly, sacred practices. While not all will agree with you, the field needs your help to stay vigilant in separating myth from facts from faulty practices. Thanks!Judy Nelson, JD, MSW, Certified Professional Coachhttp://www,CoachJudyNelson.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-2216971936375721582011-06-02T19:10:43.631-07:002011-06-02T19:10:43.631-07:00"Well..If your broken leg needs to manage ove..."Well..If your broken leg needs to manage over 100 web pages, or you want your new leg to integrate seamlessly with a database, or you plan on using your leg to do more than just stand, sit and walk around, then I would suggest Drupal. Otherwise a traditional cast and an anonymous blogger account should do the trick" - Noah, Nonprofit Ambassador<br /><br />This article could easily be about me, since I work for a nonprofit-serving Drupal development firm and I advise NPO leaders on this very subject. Still,I really enjoyed reading this. There is a lot of truth to what you wrote.<br /><br />I'm actually a great counter-example to the person you described. My background is in nonprofit management, and the Drupal firm I represent has a very long service history of happy NPO clients. <br /><br />Over the years exclusive specialization in Drupal happened over time, we always looked at what the best tool for each job was, and Drupal gradually matured into the best framework for accomplishing the custom web programming we do. We routinely refer out web projects for which Drupal would be inappropriate. <br /><br />It's true, there are a lot of cowboys in the world of web developers, no matter what architecture they build in. It's an unregulated industry so finding responsible, experienced, and dependable developers can be a challenge. <br /><br />Yes, it can end in tears. We frequently get called in to rescue projects like this.<br /><br />Enthusiasm about Drupal isn't really the problem there, nor is the issue open source software zealotry. The real challenge isn't in identifying the right architecture (Drupal, Wordpress, etc.) it's in finding qualified and reliable developers; People you can trust. <br /><br />The lesson here is:<br />If your nonprofit needs something impressive built, make sure the builder you hire has built impressive tools before, preferably for other NPOs. <br /><br />Talk to your NPO peers and ask developers for client references. Remember just because a website design looks pretty doesn't mean it's easy for the NPO staff to update & use; Look at how recently the website content has been updated.Mr.Noah Kleimanhttp://www.opensourcery.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-89527921308236975252011-05-17T08:47:20.775-07:002011-05-17T08:47:20.775-07:00I don't mind the alarmist tone because I think...I don't mind the alarmist tone because I think a lot of people do join boards without considering the liability issues. It doesn't mean that you don't join boards; it means that you join boards of organizations that you believe are worthy of your trust. <br /><br />When my son was three, we enrolled him in a Montessori preschool, but between the time that we enrolled him and the fall, when he was scheduled to attend, the school went out of business and was taken over by another Montessori preschool, who leased the facility and materials. They also agreed to grandfather in all enrollees, so we sent our boy to a school that we hadn't really signed up for. One surprise: The tuition was a quarter of what we had been planning to pay. A month or so in, we figured out that the new owners must be paying out one and a half times what they were bringing in each month. We knew the tuition, and, because we were friends with the previous owner, we knew what the rent was, and we could guess on salaries. So we crashed a board meeting, and made a lot of practical suggestions as to what they could do to recover. Their response? Begging me to join the board. I absolutely refused, telling them, get real about the financial situation, get out of debt, then we can talk. We pulled our son out shortly afterwards, and they didn't last the year, because the main 'force" on the staff insisted that raising tuition was out, and they could bridge the gap with more car washes and bake sales.<br /><br />I'm on the board now of a smart and effective non-profit with a very competent CEO and staff.Peter Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16276684049268624067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-16694981178153439572011-05-16T07:12:35.008-07:002011-05-16T07:12:35.008-07:00I suggest you, we take a deep breath. The another....I suggest you, we take a deep breath. The another. Then a third. The Board is not responsible to operationalize (sorry for the cumbersome term, but it works), it is responsible to create the overarching rules, expectations, and gross accountability for in this example, ethical behavior. <br />If any board candidate really knew what required of role, none would sign up? Gee, what about all those current board members that have served on other boards previously? Like me.<br />Is it a perfect system? No. But neither are for-profit corporations, organized religions or governments. TSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-42452631001099159702011-04-29T14:07:16.190-07:002011-04-29T14:07:16.190-07:00I think this cartoon is relevant:
http://www.dies...I think this cartoon is relevant:<br /><br />http://www.dieselsweeties.com/archive/2794<br /><br />"What if I just want to complain?"<br /><br />"Talk to someone else."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-62120468793284833082011-04-13T18:31:37.202-07:002011-04-13T18:31:37.202-07:00Your article manages to highlight a lot of the stu...Your article manages to highlight a lot of the stupid and pointless conversations that my colleagues and I have in the workplace. Is the upshot here that I should just keep my mouth shut?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-70404694427499769652011-04-13T18:27:50.867-07:002011-04-13T18:27:50.867-07:00It's better to give people a chance to lie bef...It's better to give people a chance to lie before you hire them and about things that are easy to vet, rather than waiting until after you've hired them and given them responsibility for tasks that are difficult to track.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-9506376473183226932011-04-13T18:25:57.807-07:002011-04-13T18:25:57.807-07:00I agree that a boss can make or break your job sat...I agree that a boss can make or break your job satisfaction -- in any sector, not just the nonprofit sector.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-33421576538458004112011-04-13T18:24:14.390-07:002011-04-13T18:24:14.390-07:00You've got it right about the "Mushroom A...You've got it right about the "Mushroom Award"! What is it about nonprofit executives that makes them so impervious to the value of transparency?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-20980856427959198262011-04-13T18:21:48.725-07:002011-04-13T18:21:48.725-07:00I'd like a break from both fundraising shoptal...I'd like a break from both fundraising shoptalk AND fundraising pitches.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-58047840317209542112011-04-12T14:37:30.220-07:002011-04-12T14:37:30.220-07:00This post is spot on why I'm leaving my NPO - ...This post is spot on why I'm leaving my NPO - I fall mostly under bullet-point #2, although elements of #1 and #3 also apply to me.<br /><br />I have to say, though, that the "change from within" pathway is only as clear as the senior management will allow. If you've already been branded a "troublemaker" because you're trying to change from within, you'll never get a spot on senior management to make the changes to begin with.<br /><br />There's also another question of pay - I've been paid consistently $10K under what the most cursory survey of salaries for my position say I should be making. At some point, I need to stop considering the mission and start considering my retirement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-38544667788661193002011-04-10T15:48:03.968-07:002011-04-10T15:48:03.968-07:00The Broken Leg Award! It would go to nptech fanati...The Broken Leg Award! It would go to nptech fanatics who believe that their chosen platform can solve any problem -- including broken legs, regional warfare, homelessness, breast cancer, climate change, and (of course) techno-phobia.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-62579381306750380692011-04-05T21:21:17.206-07:002011-04-05T21:21:17.206-07:00It's interesting that you offer two lists of h...It's interesting that you offer two lists of how jerks behave in the workplace - one by the author of the ""No @$$hole Rule," and one that I assume you created yourself.<br /><br />The second list (the one you created) is right on point, at least for nonprofit workplaces. <br /><br />Feeling humiliated...being expected to lie...feeling that you have no knowledge or control over decisions that affect how you do your job - these are all things that I've experienced in truly dysfunctional nonprofit organizations.<br /><br />I agree with you that it's usually a mistake to stick it out in such a workplace in the hope that <br />"being sweeter, more hardworking, more productive, etc." will change a toxic environment. It almost never will.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-67962524024268632232011-04-04T20:17:49.567-07:002011-04-04T20:17:49.567-07:00I wonder how you happened to research how porcupin...I wonder how you happened to research how porcupines mate. On second thought, I don't want to know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-75575452112877056042011-04-04T20:15:32.200-07:002011-04-04T20:15:32.200-07:00Just a suggestion for the whiner who thinks that t...Just a suggestion for the whiner who thinks that the Curmudgeon has nothing to share:<br /><br /><b>The second that you think you're wasting your time, JUST STOP.</b><br /><br />Nobody is holding a gun to your head, forcing you to waste your life reading this blog. Just go do something else.<br /><br />Those of us who enjoy raging and laughing along with the Nonprofit Curmudgeon will stick around.<br /><br />Problem solved.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-12490837009156526222011-04-04T15:25:05.184-07:002011-04-04T15:25:05.184-07:00By "don't have anything to share" do...By <i>"don't have anything to share"</i> do you mean <i>"don't have anything <b>of value</b>"</i> to share? <br /><br />If so, the answer is <b><i>NO</i></b>. Nothing at all.<br /><br />As I have already explained, <a href="http://nonprofitcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2011/03/message-from-office-of-high.html" rel="nofollow">I write solely for my own amusement, and to blow off steam</a>. <br /><br />If you are seeking <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743234804/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0449911470&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0T054QVK8GSTMTMEQ96S" rel="nofollow">inspiration and uplift</a>, or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Succeed-Business-Without-Really-Trying/dp/0684800209/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301955277&sr=1-2" rel="nofollow">practical tips for career success</a>, you'll have to look elsewhere.NonprofitCurmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09475141021855941809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-9087479654828819492011-04-04T14:06:50.000-07:002011-04-04T14:06:50.000-07:00Wow.
I just wasted ten minutes of my time I will n...Wow.<br />I just wasted ten minutes of my time I will never get back reading this blog.<br /><br />You really don't have anything to share do you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-77711382134889876902011-04-04T13:51:21.322-07:002011-04-04T13:51:21.322-07:00Addendum: I just thought of an alternate title fo...Addendum: I just thought of an alternate title for this article. <br /><br /><b><i>"I can tell you're fundraising; your lips are moving."</i></b>NonprofitCurmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09475141021855941809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-18742878532493780492011-04-02T09:25:58.191-07:002011-04-02T09:25:58.191-07:00You're begging the question. Brace yourself fo...You're <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question" rel="nofollow">begging the question</a>. Brace yourself for a shocking revelation: <b><i>I love my job.</i></b> <a href="http://nonprofitcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2011/03/message-from-office-of-high.html" rel="nofollow">I write this blog because it amuses me and because I like to blow off steam</a>, not because I hate the nonprofit sector.NonprofitCurmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09475141021855941809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14963341.post-71883938103681583082011-04-02T09:15:49.581-07:002011-04-02T09:15:49.581-07:00Curmudgeon, I'm reminded of the old saying tha...Curmudgeon, I'm reminded of the old saying that the reward for a difficult job well done is another difficult job. Your reward for being a competent professional is to attract needy, vulnerable, and dependent co-workers who hope to be rescued by you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com