Category: Professional Education

Whether you’re just off the blocks with your fundraising plan or plotting next year’s move, at some point you’ll come up against the question, “Should grants be part of our plan?” The short answer: Yes, but with a caveat and some consideration. Here’s why it’s at least worth starting the conversation: $60 Million: The amountContinue reading 9 tips for writing successful nonprofit grants →

Stelter’s Senior Technical Consultant, Lynn Gaumer, J.D., is back with another blog on tax law. This time, she is here to answer all of your burning questions regarding the new tax law. (If you missed it, here is her initial blog on the charitable giving implications of the new tax law.) In her six yearsContinue reading New Tax Law: FAQ →

Another NCPP has came and went; and it did not disappoint. As always, it was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues from around the country and to recharge the ‘planned giving’ batteries before the year-end madness begins. Some of my personal highlights included, but were not limited to, the terrific conversations IContinue reading NCPP 2017: Top 3 Things You Need to Know →

It was an early Tuesday morning when a group of us bright-eyed development folks arrived at our “Mobilizing Board Members to Raise Money” workshop. Only we found ourselves with cold cups of coffee listening to a l-o-o-o-o-n-g morning presentation of chart and stats from someone whose delivery was eerily similar to this fictitious teacher fromContinue reading 3 Ways to Make Your Nonprofit’s Presentations Better →

Every year, our Stelter Wellness Committee plants a small (but mighty) garden behind our Des Moines office. They tend to it, chase away critters and share the herbs and vegetables with the rest of the Stelter crew. Between this little garden and the corn fields that line the back roads in Iowa, summertime always bringsContinue reading How to Plan for Your Nonprofit’s Growth →

It’s no surprise that your work in the nonprofit world demands that you wear many hats, and all with expertise and poise. A phone call from a donor might put your afternoon in a whole different direction, while a last-minute presentation may have you running out the door. More and more development departments are beingContinue reading Why You Shouldn’t Try to Be Perfect at Work →

“Does this make sense, and does it get us to the right place?” I hope you’ve asked yourself this more than once at work. (Some days, minute to minute?) It’s smart to engage the brakes from time to time, to pause to ensure that organizationally speaking, you’re headed in the right direction, with common causeContinue reading Is Your Nonprofit on the Right Track? →

Been there, done that, right? We’ve all marched through the interview process at one time or another, sitting at the table, suited up or asking the questions, gathering war stories to share. When you’re the one making the hire, what you ask is more important than what you say. Today, we offer a few keyContinue reading Hiring Smart: Strategies for a Better Interview Process →

Early on in my career I overheard a well-respected co-worker saying that he considered his day to be productive when he got one big thing accomplished, start to finish. “Just one thing? Easy stuff,” I remember thinking. Then I looked down at my to-do’s and realized that was easier said than done. Turns out heContinue reading Making the Most of Your 1,440 Minutes →

For golf nuts, life begins in April, the month of arguably the most prestigious golf tournament in the world: The Masters…Congrats to El Niño Sergio García! If you’re even a casual golf observer (or a self-proclaimed ‘social golfer’ like me), you probably know of some of the traditions of The Masters. The azaleas. Amen Corner. TheContinue reading 3 Nonprofit Lessons from The Masters →

How many of you had parents like mine? Beginning around age 10, for any money they gave me or that I made mowing lawns, my mom and dad made me save some, allowed me to spend some and made sure I gave some to the church offering. I was able to see how savings—even aContinue reading Being Literate with Money…and Giving →

Last week…February 16th to be exact…marked an important day for fundraisers and nonprofits everywhere! On this day, hundreds of nonprofit fundraisers, administrators and advocates from around the country went to Capitol Hill for the ‘100 Years of Giving DC Fly-In’! Why is this important to you? 2017 marks the 100-year anniversary of the income taxContinue reading SPECIAL UPDATE: 100 Years of Giving!! And Working Towards the Next 100 Years! →

It’s no secret that I’m on the road a lot. Most recently I’ve been up in the Northeast, down South and I even got to spend some time bouncing around the Midwest. When I get some extra time on the plane or in the hotel room to just sit back and relax away from theContinue reading Think big. Invest big. Be big. →

I was talking with a friend the other day who’s in a typical nonprofit situation—a one-person planned giving shop. He’s tasked with not only the important job of traveling and meeting with planned giving prospects and donors to close gifts for his great organization, but also managing the marketing efforts and trying to sort outContinue reading Listen and Learn: Using the ‘Tuesday Call’ →

As I sat down to think about what I want to accomplish in the upcoming year and what I want my New Year’s resolution to be, I stopped to think…how many people actually achieve their resolutions? With a little help from the ‘Google machine,’ I found that while more than 40% of Americans make resolutions,Continue reading 3 Reasons to Think Instead of Making New Year’s Resolutions →

As we approach the end of the year, I always find it a great time for reflection and renewal. But one thing I’m not doing in preparation for 2017 is updating my resume. I’ve been at my job here 16 years. I am passionate about my company, our great employees and this dynamic field ofContinue reading Want to Improve Your Nonprofit? Look for Passion. →

This fall I went to Plymouth, Wisconsin with a group of friends to take part in the 2016 Wisconsin Mud Run & Obstacle Race. It’s also known as Tough Mudder. My mission: complete a run through 11 miles of mud with 20+ obstacles unlike anything I’ve encountered; jumping into a dumpster of ice, running throughContinue reading Stuck in the Mud or Teaming Up to Win? →

For decades I’ve been among the hoards of die-hard Chicago Cubs fans. My family and I are now reveling in the glory of a shiny World Series trophy firmly in place in Wrigleyville. I still can’t believe I’m able to write that. And the tales I’ve heard of people crying (myself included…see above!)—tearing up becauseContinue reading What Can Nonprofits Learn from the Chicago Cubs? →

NACPG stands for the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners — a smart rebranding of the former Partnership for Philanthropic Planning, which has represented the charitable gift planning industry for nearly 30 years. Last week, I met up with hundreds of gift planners from across the country at the group’s national conference in Dallas. HereContinue reading Three of My Favorite “Aha” Takeaways from NCPP 2016 →