Where Is Your Nonprofit at Mid-Year?

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.

Recommended Reading for Nonprofit Leaders

Investing time in reading should be a priority for every nonprofit, association, and chamber of commerce leader.
Here’s my latest list of recommended reading to help leaders improve their skills.

Four Strategies for Nonprofit Success In 2021

Nonprofits spent most of 2020 in a reactive mode caused by pandemic induced disruption and uncertainty. Those same difficulties will continue well into the new year.
Resolving to take intentional action rather than being stymied by constantly reacting is how organizations can proactively keep their mission moving forward despite the
challenges being faced.

COVID-19 Resources for Nonprofits

Nonprofit and association leaders are certainly in an unprecedented time and the situation is rapidly changing. In many ways, you’re asked to be the calm in the storm. To assist you with the challenges this worldwide pandemic is creating, and to help you guide your ship to safety, nonprofit and association thought leaders are sharing the following resources.

Are Nonprofit Best Practices Stupid?

Nonprofits share many problems. Issues such as donor retention, volunteer turnover, and board member engagement are just a few that plague nonprofits on an ongoing basis. And, not by coincidence, nonprofits also share frustration because common approaches fail to yield positive results. Why continue to invest limited time and resources doing what doesn’t work? Perhaps best practices that don’t produce positive outcomes really are stupid. Speaker colleague Stephen Shapiro has some insight on the matter and shares his solid advice.

Nonprofits Must Adapt

Is your organization willing to honestly assess its performance, challenge current practices, and take action on changes needed for a sustainable future?

Is Nonprofit Planning an Oxymoron?

Audiences of nonprofit leaders indicate that few of them engage in strategic planning, yet they know the benefits. Why? It’s a puzzling situation. My own experience that planning is a mission tool in the nonprofit tool box and its reinforced by two significant reports.

Can (or should) small nonprofits compete with the big guys?

Nationally known charities and causes can have a public relations or fundraising blitz that dominates all publicity outlets. Thousands of volunteers respond and huge amounts of money are collected. Meanwhile a local nonprofit with a purpose that is equally worthwhile can struggle to get the support it needs just to keep going.

Recommended Reading for Nonprofit Leaders

Investing time in reading should be a priority for every nonprofit, association, and chamber of commerce leader.
Here’s my latest list of recommended reading to help leaders improve their skills.

Four Strategies for Nonprofit Success In 2021

Nonprofits spent most of 2020 in a reactive mode caused by pandemic induced disruption and uncertainty. Those same difficulties will continue well into the new year.
Resolving to take intentional action rather than being stymied by constantly reacting is how organizations can proactively keep their mission moving forward despite the
challenges being faced.

COVID-19 Resources for Nonprofits

Nonprofit and association leaders are certainly in an unprecedented time and the situation is rapidly changing. In many ways, you’re asked to be the calm in the storm. To assist you with the challenges this worldwide pandemic is creating, and to help you guide your ship to safety, nonprofit and association thought leaders are sharing the following resources.

Are Nonprofit Best Practices Stupid?

Nonprofits share many problems. Issues such as donor retention, volunteer turnover, and board member engagement are just a few that plague nonprofits on an ongoing basis. And, not by coincidence, nonprofits also share frustration because common approaches fail to yield positive results. Why continue to invest limited time and resources doing what doesn’t work? Perhaps best practices that don’t produce positive outcomes really are stupid. Speaker colleague Stephen Shapiro has some insight on the matter and shares his solid advice.

Nonprofits Must Adapt

Is your organization willing to honestly assess its performance, challenge current practices, and take action on changes needed for a sustainable future?

Is Nonprofit Planning an Oxymoron?

Audiences of nonprofit leaders indicate that few of them engage in strategic planning, yet they know the benefits. Why? It’s a puzzling situation. My own experience that planning is a mission tool in the nonprofit tool box and its reinforced by two significant reports.

Can (or should) small nonprofits compete with the big guys?

Nationally known charities and causes can have a public relations or fundraising blitz that dominates all publicity outlets. Thousands of volunteers respond and huge amounts of money are collected. Meanwhile a local nonprofit with a purpose that is equally worthwhile can struggle to get the support it needs just to keep going.