Why Do Many Planned Giving Marketing Efforts By Nonprofits Fail?

Why Do Many Planned Giving Marketing Efforts By Nonprofits Fail?

By Norman Olshansky: President

NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.

Nonprofit fundraising, whether for annual, capital or endowment campaigns, is all about relationships.  This is one of the main axioms of fundraising.  (See Ten Basic Fundraising Axioms http://nfpconsulting.blogspot.com/2009/09/fundraising-axioms-simplified.html

Planned gifts are major gifts.  Like with other major gifts, they require proper prospect research by nonprofits related to the passions, interests and philanthropic goals of the potential donor, followed by a thoughtful cultivation process.

Since many planned gifts utilize giving techniques that can be technical or somewhat complicated, such as trusts, annuities, transfers of real property, insurance, etc., nonprofits have depended heavily upon the advice and input of financial services professionals (accountants, tax attorneys, investment advisors) for the development of their planned giving programs.  While financial advisors are a very important component within a nonprofit’s planned giving leadership, too often development professionals have focused too much on how to structure planned gifts rather than on how to engage qualified prospects to the point of willingness to consider making a planned gift.  As a result, marketing efforts have typically focused on charitable annuity tables, and a plea to “leave us in your will” rather than a focus on the interests and values of the donor.

The first step in obtaining charitable planned gifts is to identify prospects who care about your mission and have charitable intent.

The quality of a gift is directly related to the quality of the relationship between the nonprofit and prospect. Major prospects deserve personal attention. Your nonprofit’s relationship to the prospect has a direct impact on their gift. The more they know and trust the nonprofit and their representatives (volunteers and staff), the more comfortable they will be making a major gift. They need to know that they are getting accurate, current and reliable information about the organization and the impact of their giving. They also will be more comfortable knowing that the nonprofit, with whom they have a relationship, is  familiar with their background, interests and abilities than would a stranger. 

Planned giving is an opportunity for the donor to leave a legacy gift. 

The dictionary has two definitions for legacy.

1.  a gift by will especially of money or other personal property :

2.  something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past

As related to marketing of planned gifts, these definitions of “legacy” offer great input.  Why would a donor want to leave a legacy through a planned gift?  Is it the motivation for the gift to serve as appreciation for the work of the organization, or a memorial to a diseased relative, to honor someone, to set an example for others, to pass on their values of philanthropy to children and/or grandchildren, to sustain the organization about which the donor cares, to endow their annual gift, to fund a program or service or scholarship long term, to be recognized as a major donor while they are still alive, to thank the organization for its past service to the donor or a family member, to be able to make a more meaningful gift than they have in the past…. ?  The reasons may be different for each prospective donor.

Research has shown that the best prospects for planned gifts are:

1.    Long term donors and volunteers who have demonstrated a commitment to the organization (not gift size but more focused on length of giving)

2.    Those who are over 60 years old

Many of these prospects are living off of unearned income, have concerns about their ability to provide for themselves or other family members, long term. Their net worth may primarily be in property or other assets, which do not produce income or, at best, minimal interest. They are usually individuals who have been small or moderate long-term contributors to the organization.

While many charities have received bequests from individuals who had previously never made a gift to the charity, most donors of planned gifts fit the characteristics above when they made the decision to “plan” a gift.

Developing a “relationship” with the prospect so that conversations can take place that help the individual articulate what they care about, is the critical first step once they have been identified as a prospect.

Once the “solicitor” has acknowledged and demonstrated appreciation for their long term support, and has determined some of the potential interests and philanthropic motivations of the prospect related to your nonprofit, ask:  “If you were in a position to make a legacy gift to accomplish some of what you just mentioned, and you had the resources, would you want to make a legacy gift or gift in perpetuity to our nonprofit”?

Typically, they will respond that they are not wealthy or in a position to do so and don’t have the ability to make such a gift. 

Ask what they would want to accomplish with a major legacy gift to the nonprofit, if indeed they WERE in a position to do so.  Get them to talk about their passion for your nonprofit and their interests.

At the right time during that conversation, the solicitor can respond as follows:

“If we could show you a way that could enable you to make a legacy gift, without any cash out of your pocket and the possibility to receive income for the rest of your life greater than you are earning from some of your investments, would you be interested in learning more?

In most cases, long term supporters will be curious as to what you are suggesting and will be willing to learn more.

If the solicitor is a planned giving professional they can continue the

conversation.  If it’s a volunteer or a staff member without significant financial services knowledge, they should ask if it’s ok to have one of the

organization’s advisors set up a time to discuss with the prospect some of the ways they can make a legacy gift and also receive income and significant tax advantages.

The next step or meeting, once their interest has been established, would be to determine what are the primary assets of the prospect (residence, collectibles, life insurance, other appreciated assets, etc). Use of appreciated assets for gift planning offers the donor additional advantages.  In addition, a determination should be made regarding investments in low performing instruments. (money market funds, CD’s, bonds, etc.) With that information, the professional/advisor can suggest some of the techniques that might best fit that individual. (Gift annuities, trusts, life insurance, bequests, stock transfers, bequest, etc.)

It is important to encourage the prospect to engage their own financial advisors to make sure what is being discussed is appropriate based on more detailed knowledge of their unique financial situation and needs.

The nonprofit’s representative should offer to contact the prospect’s financial advisor once the prospect has had a chance to initiate the discussion with their advisor.

Marketing for planned gifts is primarily a one-on-one engagement of the prospect, their financial advisor and in many cases, their family. 

Establishing legacy societies and ways to recognize those who sign letters of intent to leave a bequest by will, or have committed to a planned gift, are critical components of a planned giving program.  The more planned gifts are recognized for the reasons the gift was made without emphasis on the amount of the gift, the more such recognition will encourage others to consider planned gifts.  

However, emphasis on marketing should primarily be on ways to identify and engage those who fit the legacy gift profile.  Brochures, emails, gift tables seminars and engagement of financial advisors, while helpful, are not sufficient for the development of a successful planned giving program for your nonprofit.  The key to marketing your planned giving initiative is to get good conversations with appropriate prospects started, which is all about “relationships”.

How would you rate the marketing for your nonprofit’s planned giving program?

Everything Starts With Leadership

By Norman Olshansky: President

NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.

I’ve often been asked, “what is the most important ingredient that makes for a successful nonprofit”?   I have a simple answer,  “everything starts with leadership”.

Nonprofit organizations are typically created by an individual or group of founders who have a passion for a cause and who want to “make a difference”.   It is usually a long and bumpy road from initial concept to operational implementation and sustainability.  How well a new organization is able to navigate the normal stages of development depends on the quality of its leaders both volunteer and paid.

Organizations go through stages just as individuals go through stages of growth and maturity.  The Founder of an organization is typically a passionate and driven person.  He/she has a strong commitment to an idea or vision for what they want to accomplish and they feel a responsibility and ownership for the development of the organization.  Without these driven and passionate “founders” most nonprofits would not be in existence today and able to provide important services and benefits in our communities.

However, in order for an organization to be sustainable long term and to grow, it must adapt to the various stages of organization development and change.  What may seem like normal processes can be challenging for some organizations.  Some examples of change and challenge are:

A.     How an organization adapts from being all volunteer led to having staff.  

B.     When a new organization moves from operating out of someone’s home to a building or office space.  

C.     How existing leaders handle the loss or addition of volunteers or board members 

D.    The need to use/obtain technology and be able to communicate with large numbers of people

E.     Other factors such as fundraising needs, legal and compliance issues, competition, relocation, relationships with funders, or rapid growth/decline in the number of people seeking services, can all pose major challenges for organizations throughout their development. 

The quality of volunteer and staff leadership determines how well these and other issues are handled. 

True leaders share similar characteristics.  They are enthusiastic, positive, committed, lead by example, are driven and demonstrate a passion for the mission of their organization.  They engage and involve others. They are able to work with teams.   They are good listeners and consensus builders.  They are engaging and decisive.  A good leader is a reasoned risk taker and is constantly looking to the future.  Often neglected but very important, a good leader develops others to carry on their work and eventually transitions out of leadership in order to sustain the organization long term.

Too often passion can interfere with good leadership.  I’ve never met anyone involved with nonprofits who had bad intentions.  However, the way some “leaders” handle issues and relationships can become problematic as a result of their strong feelings of what they think is best for the organization.  No one person “owns” a nonprofit.  By their very nature and legal status, nonprofits are the responsibility of a board of directors.  When a board relegates its authority to the “founder” or largest donor, or even to a staff person, problems eventually follow.   Each entity is important and has an essential role to play as leaders within a nonprofit.  However, leadership is not absolute.

Often “Founders” have difficulty with transition.  After all…..it’s their baby and it’s hard to accept when a child is growing up and no longer wants or needs to be completely dependent on their parent.  However, good parents work hard to help their children become independent and at the same time maintain a strong relationship with each other.  Good leaders are able to make that transition.

So what if you are lacking good leaders in your organization?  Does the culture of your organization encourage good leadership qualities?  Have you thought about what you can do (with others) to change the culture or your organization and help existing leaders to better appreciate, understand and implement their roles and responsibilities?   Do you have a good system of recruitment of leadership, orientation, training, mentoring, recognition, term limits, etc?    Do you have an active governance committee that reviews performance of leaders and makes recommendations on ways to improve leadership?  How effective is your succession planning?  Do you have good role models and examples of best leadership practices within your organization?  Is leadership development built-in as part of your overall strategic planning?

There are ways to change organizational culture and develop quality leaders.  What are you doing to improve leadership within your organization?   In the end as in the beginning, ……it all starts with leadership.

For more ideas on ways to recruit, retain and sustain leadership, get a copy of “You and Your Nonprofit” (CharityChannel Press) and check out other articles at www.nfpconsulting.blogspot.com .

Nonprofit Organization Culture

Organization Culture Within Nonprofits

Norman Olshansky: President

NFP Consulting Resources

Leaders of nonprofits understand that organizations must incorporate both science and art to be successful.   Science includes best practices, policies, procedures, regulations, business planning, accounting, marketing, finance, fundraising, programming, service delivery, etc..  It is “what” the nonprofit does to conduct its “business”.  Art focuses on “how” we implement the science.  It relates more to the process than to the task.   Much of what we refer to as art is what establishes the culture of an organization.

Wikipedia defines organization culture as the “organization’s values, visions, norms, working language, systems, symbols, beliefs and habits. It is also the pattern of such collective behaviors and assumptions that are taught to new organizational members as a way of perceiving, and even thinking and feeling.  Organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders.”

I’ve worked or consulted with many nonprofits, which have similar missions, budgets, and community demographics but are VERY different from each other when it relates to organization culture.  The culture of an organization is a major component to how it is perceived by internal as well as external sources.  The culture of an organization can change dramatically over time with changes in leadership, both staff and volunteer.  Sometimes the change is deliberate and other times not.

One such organization with which I worked had passionate leadership who loved to debate issues at meetings.   No matter how well a committee had presented a proposal, members of the board felt that they had to weigh in on every detail and come up with its own recommendations.  Meetings lasted forever.  Tempers often spilled over.  The chairman of the board often lost control of the meetings.  The board was divided, without direction, and had difficulty attracting new members as terms expired.   Staff was not professionally trained nor were they able (or willing) to change the dysfunctional  “culture” that had evolved.    Fortunately, a new chairman was recruited who, from the start, expressed displeasure at the way meetings had been conducted and the lack of respect board members showed to each other and to staff.  He indicated that the only way he would accept the chairmanship was with an understanding that board meetings would be kept to a strict agenda with timelines and that he would not allow discussions that were not on subject.   Initially, he was seen as a bit stern but he was able to use humor to soften the impact when he cut people off or moved the discussion back to relevance.  After a few meetings, there was a noticeable change in how the board members related to each other and the quality of board meetings.  He insisted that the board would not conduct committee work at board meetings.  Gone at board meetings were the discussions about decorations at events.

In another organization with which I was involved, it’s history and culture had been stable for many years.    A lot of attention was given to succession planning for leadership and key staff.   By the time a leader moved up the ranks to the board or executive committee, they had been fully acclimated to the organization’s operations.   The culture of the organization was buttoned up.  However, the culture also became very formal and so “businesslike” that few people involved knew anything about each other outside of the time they spent together working on issues related to the nonprofit.   At one of the strategic planning meetings it was noted that while the organization was successful, the environment was a bit cold and not as enjoyable to be a volunteer or staff person as existed in other local organizations.  A task force was given the responsibility to work with staff to address the concern and within a few months there were social opportunities for board members to get to know each other better and staff planned occasions for families of volunteers and staff to visit the nonprofit, enjoy each other’s company and socialize.  The nonprofit became part of each family and many participants developed special relationships with each other outside their work within the nonprofit. 

A strong culture flourishes when clear values and norms guide the way a nonprofit operates.

How does your organization treat its employees? Value its volunteers and supporters?  Encourage transparency?  Engage those who may be different? Embrace diversity?  Think forward or just from crisis to crisis?  Encourage collaboration?  Provide ongoing training for leadership, volunteers and staff?  Is willing to take risk?  Provides a clean, safe and enjoyable environment for staff, volunteers, members, clients, consumers of service, funders, others?

When was the last time your organization took a look at its culture to determine what if anything needs to be reviewed, changed or enhanced?

Great new resource now available

Want to learn more about nonprofit leadership, management and fundraising?

Involvement with nonprofits, either as a volunteer, professional or donor, can be a very gratifying and life enriching experience. In organizations that are not well run, those experiences can be negative and stressful. Nonprofits are a special type of corporation. While they do not make money for stockholders or owners, they have to be run effectively and efficiently if they want to accomplish their mission, provide a community benefit, expand and retain staff and volunteers. Yes, while they are unique, they ARE businesses that require proper leadership, governance, operations and support.

If you are involved in nonprofits, or want to get involved…..either as a volunteer, leader or professional….a new book is now available that is just for you! “You and Your Nonprofit”, published by CharityChannel Press is a collection of short articles with practical advice from people who have been in the trenches. It is more than a “how to” book. Each article has been written with the goal of providing tools that can be easily adapted for use in your nonprofit. Over 50 contributing authors from the U.S., Canada, England and Australia have participated in this publication. All are seasoned professionals and nonprofit leaders who have learned their craft over many years “in the trenches” as well as from participation in professional educational programs. A unique aspect of the book is the ability to connect with each of the authors and establish a dialogue with them directly. Each article has a special email address through which authors can be contacted by readers.

The goal of the book is to focus on readers who are relatively new to the nonprofit sector. The editors asked authors to write for readers (professionals, leaders and volunteers) who have been in the field for less than ten years. They wanted readers to find the articles not only informative and interesting, but also practical examples of best practices. They wanted readers to be able to take ideas and suggestions from the articles and be able to implement them within their own organizations.

The editors wanted to create a book that would be more than just an anthology of essays, but, rather, a series of articles written by professionals who have real life experience and have been in the trenches of nonprofit work. They did not expect the book to be an all-inclusive book on nonprofit leadership, management and fundraising, However, they believe that the business of nonprofit management, leadership and fundraising is constantly improving because people like the authors (and hopefully the readers) are willing to challenge conventional wisdom and think outside of the box. They have succeeded.

Robert Carter, CFRE, Board Chair Elect of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Board Member with the Center for Philanthropy at Indiana University and Principal with Of Counsel Philanthropy made the following comments as part of his foreword to the book:

“I have just read the book I needed when I made the decision to try the business of fundraising decades ago. This book is loaded with excellent advice and counsel as to “why & why not” and “what” and “how to.” Fundraisers, volunteers, CEOs, and all who care about this sector’s capacity to meet the needs and seize opportunities to benefit our communities, nation and world should have this collection on their desks for handy reference and guidance. This is surely the book I wish I had decades ago.”

Readers will learn about planning issues in articles about governance, fundraising, administration and marketing. They will learn about leadership and other topics in many of the articles. The authors want readers to enjoy learning about nonprofit management, leadership and fundraising and in the process learn ways to add value to their own work as people who are, or will be, engaged in the nonprofit sector.


“You and Your Nonpofit”, has been nominated for the 21st Annual Terry McAdam Book Award of the Alliance for Nonprofit Mangagement and has been recommended by Charity Navigator and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

“You and Your Nonprofit” can be purchased at http://charitychannel.com/charitychannel-press/bookstore/productid/127/catreferrer/1420 or at your favorite bookstore.

How Well Are You Handling Risk in Your Nonprofit

How well are you handling “Risk” in your nonprofit organization?

By
Norman Olshansky, President: NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.


Over the past few years, increasing attention has been given to potential liability, mismanagement and ethical practices within the nonprofit sector. Whether as a result of the Sorbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or more recent high profile ponzi schemes and fraud cases, boards and executives of nonprofit organizations have begun to put more focus on risk management.

A formal definition of risk management is: “the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities”.

When was the last time your organization conducted a serious risk management process?

While many of the prime areas of risk are related to finances, personal injury liability, and unforeseen disasters, there are many other areas of nonprofit operations and governance which can create risk for an organization.

The following are a few of the more common areas of risk which can be assessed and addressed:

1. Availability of Information for Decision Making
2. Billing and Collections
3. Business Expenses
4. Business interruption
5. Cash Management
6. Continuity/Disaster
7. Contract compliance
8. Copyright infringement
9. Corporate Governance
10. Data Security
11. Donor/member records
12. Donor/member recognition and benefits
13. Emergency preparedness
14. Facility Management
15. Financial Reporting
16. Fraud & Ethical Behavior
17. Fund Raising
18. Gift Acceptance
19. Harm to clients
20. Human Resources
21. Insurance/Risk
22. Investment policies
23. IT Infrastructure
24. Litigation Risk
25. Misfeasance/Malfeasance
26. Malpractice
27. Operational Quality Performance
28. Personnel/Volunteer Behavior
29. Regulatory Compliance
30. Related Party Transactions
31. Special Events
32. Storm damage
33. Subcontractor Utilization
34. Succession Planning
35. Tax Exempt Status
36. Transportation
37. Unrelated Business Income
38. Use of intellectual property

As you can see from the partial list above, there are many areas of potential concern. In most cases, it would be cost prohibitive and next to impossible to attempt to eliminate all risks in a nonprofit. However, depending on the type of organization and its operating issues, there are usually several high priority potential problem areas which should be addressed. The cost of prevention is usually a fraction of the cost of correction after the fact. Typically, discussions related to risk management are first initiated by financial advisors and/or auditors. However, the scope of their concern if often limited to financial issues.

There are risk management tools that can be used as part of a nonprofit organization’s annual audit process. The assessment is typically a comprehensive problem solving process that starts with an analysis of needs, prioritization of areas of concern, a recommendation on how to address those concerns and measurement of progress. Progress is only possible if the starting point is identified correctly and candidly. Nonprofits are asked to provide data for the baseline assessment - the more accurate the data, the greater the prospect of substantial improvement.

The assessment is administered again annually in order to assess impact. The assessment should be conducted by an external assessor which is why doing so, as part of an annual audit, is advantageous. By comparing year to year results, nonprofits can observe their progress and continually reduce the extent of risk in their organization.


Most auditors will address issues such as separation of duties related to bookkeeping and accounting, or documentation which is required in personnel files. However, a more thorough risk assessment will also include a review many other potential areas of concern.

Consider some of the following questions:
When was the last time you looked at your facilities to determine if they are safe and secure, if data is protected, how to minimize damage in a storm or to determine if computers or other electronics are located under sprinkler systems. Does your organization have a published plan that is reviewed annually with staff and volunteers related to procedures should there be a natural disaster, bomb threat, or fire? Who is responsible for what when an emergency occurs? What type of reporting takes place when someone incurs a work related injury or has an accident on your property? What have you done to minimize risk associated with activities which could result in litigation against your organization? Is there clutter or areas of storage that are potential fire hazards? What have you done to educate your leadership, staff and volunteers regarding ways to avoid potential ethical or conflict of interest concerns?

Have you addressed the potential “Mack Truck” problem? This is when you have a key employee, volunteer or vendor who you rely on so much that if they were hit by a truck and were unable to continue their involvement, your operations could be significantly impacted. Do you cross train staff? Are you prepared for the “Mack Truck” incident that takes away the one person who knows everything about your accounting, computer systems or service delivery? What insurance do you need? (liability, business interruption, property, automobile, travel, health, equipment or other potential losses, etc.) These are some of the issues that should be evaluated as part of your risk management assessment.

The time to be concerned and take action around risk management is before you have the problem. As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention……….

Before you start a fundraising campaign

The Pre-Campaign Planning Study
By Norman Olshansky: President
NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.


All too often, nonprofit organizations jump into fundraising campaigns without proper preparation and without a well thought out campaign plan. Initial volunteer passion and enthusiasm frequently results in a “ready-fire-aim” mentality. To achieve goals and “hit your targets”, it is critical to take time to properly “aim” before initiating your campaign. Whether you are getting ready to plan your next annual campaign, special event, capital or endowment initiative, there are several critical aspects of any fundraising initiative which should be addressed in order to develop a useful and realistic campaign plan. Answers to the following questions can help provide important information you will need to begin the planning process.

Do you have a compelling case for support?Why are funds needed? What will be accomplished with gifts to the campaign? How will it improve your organization? Will it provide better service delivery, more clients served, better return on investment, improved facilities, opportunities for expansion, improved quality, etc.?

How much do you need to accomplish your goals?What is your campaign goal? What are the components that contribute to the costs? Have you taken into account all of the projected expenses related to the project? (Staff costs, operations, administration, overhead, fundraising, marketing, events, recognition, reserves for uncollectible pledges, and if applicable, finance costs, capital costs, business interruption expenses, capital reserves, etc.)

Have you identified leadership?
Is your Board fully behind the campaign? Will they personally participate as donors and solicitors on behalf of the campaign? The key to success will be your volunteer and staff leadership. Do you have the right people in place to achieve your goals? Will they have sufficient time to devote to the effort? If you do not have the right leadership, what are your plans to identify and recruit additional leadership and/or staff?

Will you be able to engage and obtain support from your existing donors?
Do they know about your plans? Are they supportive of your case for support? How can you engage, cultivate them and create enthusiasm for your project? Have you identified new potential donors? If not, what are your plans to identify and cultivate new prospects?

What are the internal factors that could impact your success?
Do you have internal systems, staff and back office supports that will be required? Is your database current and able to support your efforts? Do you have the initial capital and cash flow to support your efforts? What have you learned from your previous fundraising activities? What are mistakes that have been made in the past that need to be avoided in the future and what needs to be done to improve on past fundraising efforts?

What are the external factors that could impact your success?What has been the experience of other nonprofits who have initiated similar campaigns? Are there other competing campaigns underway or about to begin that could negatively impact your efforts? What is the image of your organization in the community? What are potential issues that could derail your efforts?

Do you have a sufficient prospect base to achieve your goals?
Based upon your goal, how many prospects will you need at each level of giving to produce the results needed? What is your prospect base? Have you developed a gift chart/pyramid that reflects your goal? What percentage of your campaign will need to come from leadership gifts? Do you have a sufficient number of prospects to reach your goal?

What are the key policy and procedural decisions which need to be addressed early in the planning process, such as:
A. Governance and Committee Structure
B: Engagement, coordination and involvement of fundraising plans with
construction, finance/budgeting, and marketing
C. Recognition of donors and volunteers
D. Decision Making Process-Authority and Accountability
E. Gift acceptance
F. Methods of giving
G. Length of payout
H. Reporting and Accountability
I. Pledge/gift documentation, acknowledgement, billing, and receipting
J. Acknowledgement of in kind donations
K. Staff assignments and accountability

Have you evaluated and prioritized your plans based on the best return on investment of your organization's time and resources, both human and financial?
Fundraising is both art and science. Success requires both.

There are definite processes, sequential steps, ethics, legal guidelines, tax laws, accounting and other requirements that need to be followed to achieve success. This is the science of fundraising. Just, if not more important, is the art of fundraising which focuses on relationships, personality, leadership, engagement and follow through.

Best Kept Secret

Best Kept Secret in the Nonprofit Sector
Norman Olshansky: President
NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.

It seems strange to me that one of the best resources for nonprofit leaders and professionals, has such a low profile.

This resource was founded in 1992 by an individual who saw a need for nonprofit leaders and professionals to “connect, share and discuss pertinent challenges and issues”.

Even though over 100,000 people are subscribers today, few in our sector know about it. This resource has listserves, newsletters and courses for those who are interested or involved in nonprofit fundraising, technology, grants, boards, planned giving, foundations, governance, management, legal issues, major gifts, capital campaigns, consulting and more. Do you have an interest in nonprofit public relations, human resources, risk management, events, research, stewardship, accounting, or volunteers? You can connect with thousands of others who want to share ideas, answer questions, and provide support for each other. This is a resource where you will find newcomers and seasoned professionals.

If you are looking for reviews of new books related to philanthropy and nonprofits, they provide that too.

Do you prefer to chat online, communicate by video, or audio? You can do all three through this resource.

Looking for a career in the nonprofit sector? Yes, they have job listings too.

I have been an avid fan and subscriber for years and find it to be an excellent resource for those who are serious about their involvement within the nonprofit sector.

It started and continues today under the leadership of Steve Nill, lawyer, technology guru and nonprofit consultant. I still don’t know how they are able to provide such an extensive service at such a low subscription. They do not advertise broadly which is why you may not have heard about them.

Too good to be true? Not at all. Check out www.CharityChannel.com