Success Tips for Working with Volunteers

Welcome to Hardy Smith’s blog, where he shares experience and insight learned through decades in the corporate world and advocating on behalf of nonprofits and associations across America.

Hardy’s mission is to help maximize the performance of nonprofits and associations and their essential leadership teams.

If you’re seeking to triumph over communication challenges, bring meaningful and manageable solutions to, and realize measurable results of your organization, this blog will give you more than ideas — it will maximize your team’s performance like never before.

Success Tips for Working with Volunteers

Volunteers are the heartbeat of many nonprofit organizations, associations, and chambers of commerce. When engaged effectively, they extend an organization’s reach, deepen community impact, and

Why Board Members Disappoint

In my Chamber Pros Online Conference  interview with host Frank Kenny , we explored one of the most persistent frustrations chamber, association, and nonprofit executives

Futurism Thinking for Nonprofits

With increasing demands for service and rapidly diminishing resources for responding to those demands, nonprofits must find new approaches for making their mission happen. Throw

Hardy Smith’s Recommended Reading for Nonprofit Leaders

Books: These are books that I have personally read and recommend as being beneficial to anyone working with nonprofits, associations, and volunteer-based organizations. Some are considered classics by nonprofit professionals and others reflect the most current trends affecting nonprofit performance. I’m an avid reader and new titles are added frequently!

Is Your Next Board Chair Prepared?

Research from BoardSource and others shows there is a significant gap in next board chairs being adequately prepared. To address this missing leadership preparation, I

Great Nonprofit Board Teams

To say Don Yaeger is a best-selling author, would be a huge understatement. He is a master writer and story teller who has published dozens

In Crisis, Engage Your Board

During a crisis, it’s critical to make sure your nonprofit’s board is fully engaged. A crisis is not an excuse for a board to ignore

Success Tips for Working with Volunteers

Volunteers are the heartbeat of many nonprofit organizations, associations, and chambers of commerce. When engaged effectively, they extend an organization’s reach, deepen community impact, and

Why Board Members Disappoint

In my Chamber Pros Online Conference  interview with host Frank Kenny , we explored one of the most persistent frustrations chamber, association, and nonprofit executives

Futurism Thinking for Nonprofits

With increasing demands for service and rapidly diminishing resources for responding to those demands, nonprofits must find new approaches for making their mission happen. Throw

Hardy Smith’s Recommended Reading for Nonprofit Leaders

Books: These are books that I have personally read and recommend as being beneficial to anyone working with nonprofits, associations, and volunteer-based organizations. Some are considered classics by nonprofit professionals and others reflect the most current trends affecting nonprofit performance. I’m an avid reader and new titles are added frequently!

Is Your Next Board Chair Prepared?

Research from BoardSource and others shows there is a significant gap in next board chairs being adequately prepared. To address this missing leadership preparation, I

Great Nonprofit Board Teams

To say Don Yaeger is a best-selling author, would be a huge understatement. He is a master writer and story teller who has published dozens

In Crisis, Engage Your Board

During a crisis, it’s critical to make sure your nonprofit’s board is fully engaged. A crisis is not an excuse for a board to ignore