Posts Written By Sonia Saleh

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” –Jane Goodall

Recently an Executive Director asked, “Why doesn’t anyone care about dying children?” He had been approaching various potential donors and kept getting NO. So frustrating and discouraging.

There can be many reasons why he kept getting No but what happened afterwards? How did the potential donor feel?

What if he turned it around so the potential donor walked away feeling fortunate that they had this exchange and will remember both him and the organization and may eventually want to do something for him or the organization.

In this video I show you how to change the NO into a mutually rewarding meeting that can make you and your organization memorable. It’s the kind of difference you want to make, even if it’s a NO.

Let me know what happens once you try this. As always feel free to share it with those you think might benefit.

In its 2016 Data Book the IRS reported that there are 1.8 million registered nonprofit organizations. And, that number just keeps growing. 86,915 were added in 2015; another 79,545 were added in 2016. This means more nonprofits are needing donor dollars. Every nonprofit leader is doing everything they can to optimize their organization’s revenue by differentiating themselves from the competition increasing.

Let me introduce you to Peter Miragliotta, Jr., he has a unique occupation in the nonprofit world, a specialist in understanding how nonprofits can attract more donors through Charity Watchdog profiles. Many nonprofits are missing this way to attract and retain donor support, optimizing their Charity Watchdog profiles.

“52% of donors said the presence of a charity watchdog seal would greatly or moderately increase their likelihood of giving; 84% said the absence of a seal would decrease their giving.” (July 2014 The Able Altruist newsletter survey of 3,861 randomly selected donors)

In this video Peter takes us through the various watchdogs, which ones you qualify for and how to apply.

After you’ve had a chance to watch, I’d love to know if this has motivated you to getting a seal for your organization. It’s another way to connect with donors.

If you want to connect with Peter for more information, pmirag@masstassoc.com

Excited to see your comments and thank you so much for reading, watching and sharing.

“Happiness, true happiness, is an inner quality. It is a state of mind. If your mind is at peace, you are happy. If your mind is at peace, but you have nothing else, you can be happy. If you have everything the world can give but lack peace of mind, you can never be happy.” –Dada Vaswani

In the nonprofit world, you are doing so many things at one time and can easily get discouraged. This fun video is about the value of a pleasure box. It can simply make your day brighter or it can get you through blocks, or more extreme situations. Recently I learned the value of having one, after going through a personal tragedy, it helped me find ways to get things done and keep moving forward.

The most important thing is that the Pleasure Toolbox is unique to you. In this short video, I give you suggestions on how to create one and what to put in it.

As always, feel free to email me your comments and questions. It’s always a pleasure receiving them.

We all get nervous no matter how many times we meet donors. I’m guessing that sometimes you feel a little insecure. No matter how experienced or accomplished you are, it’s next to impossible to completely eradicate feelings of self-doubt. Many people avoid speaking to donors because they are afraid of the response. While you have no control over their response you do have a choice of how you approach your donor.

Of course, the most important thing is to always speak from the heart. Yet sometimes we can say too much or too little or feel we haven’t covered all our points. Building self-confidence is a practice.

I invite you to watch this video of my 3 simple steps will reduce the jitters and keep you focused.

I know you can do this and reduce the jitters. Remember you have no control over their response, so just ask.

Gail Koelln, is my guest. She answers the many questions I get asked about grant writing. What’s unique about Gail is that she’s also co-director of a nonprofit, One Earth Conservation. Gail has more than 20 years’ experience as a grant writer in New York. Her ability to wear both hats gives her a distinct perspective and insight into grant writing.

After watching the interview, Gail and I want to know if there are any further questions we can answer for you on grant writing.

Knowing that I can support nonprofit professionals by bringing other experts into the conversation is very satisfying. I hope you enjoy it because I want to bring you more experts with various specialties. Suggestions on topics are not only welcome but encouraged.

My niece, a woman in her mid-twenties, is coping with her dying cat. It’s her very first pet and she’s had her for only 3 short years. My niece is an independent woman who does everything herself, I think it was a mantra for her. Her heart is obviously breaking. She has decided to seek support in this process. She has asked me to support her because I’ve gone through this sadly and lovingly many times.

What does this have to do with you? Well, it got me thinking about how we in the nonprofit world ask for help. Do we? And if so what are we asking for? This video presents a twist on the request. It empowers you to ask in an uplifting way.

I look forward to hear what happens when you try it.

I’ve found that most board members join with good intentions and they want to make a difference. And most nonprofits ask those to serve who they believe will make a difference. Yet there’s often a disconnect. So, what makes a good Board?

Planning an event is a lot of work!!! And so much time and effort go into it. In all this effort are you thinking about connecting with the donor?

See how events give you another opportunity to begin and/or continue to deepen the donor relationship.

Have you ever been stuck in your thinking? The same thoughts keep going around and around?
It happens to me, and I’m not always able to step away for an hour and come back to it.
When that happens I usually do this fun and quick break.It always broadens my perspective and refreshes me.

Your organization is a nonprofit, your mission is worthy and is front and center in everything you do, yet there is always the concern for money. Your personal feelings about money inevitably have an effect on the nonprofit.

This video is about realizing your own alignment with money.