Virtual Cocktail Hour Invite!

Battling with the Board? Frustrated by Fund Raising? Join me for a Zoom Executive Director Cocktail Hour at 5pm Eastern on Thursday, December 20. Bring your own wine and hors d’oeuvres.  I’m your host. Ronald Dale Tompkins. As with all good cocktail hours, I’ll have questions such as who is the most interesting person you… Read More

ED Holiday Cocktail Hour on Zoom

It’s almost impossible to lead a nonprofit! You know what I mean if your December fund raising is less than target. Low margins and not much access to capital markets make a day by day challenge. The burden of organizational success becomes concentrated in the Executive Director with little money left to hire appropriate expertise… Read More

Are You Driven by Capabilities or Circumstances?

Many nonprofit leaders focus on the problems of their organizations. And yes, we all have problems! Scaling Up framework focuses on building capabilities. It will change your mood and the mood of the staff team. It leads to the Deep Work that Cal Newport writes about. It brings happiness to doing good things. Which way… Read More

Why You Are Frustrated as a NonProfit Leader

If you lead a nonprofit, you already succeed at a harder job than your friend Susan who directs a forprofit company (ABC Motors) of similar size! You may notice that you have unique pressures that Susan does not face at ABC Motors. She seems to have more cash and less regulation while you try to… Read More

Drinking From an Atlanta Firehose

Why There Are Summits Verne Harnish collects thought leaders twice a year to help businesses and nonprofits who want to grow. Scaling Up philosophy is that to 10X your business, you have to 10X your people. And to 10X your people, you have to 10X yourself. Summits are two days of nonstop quality ideas –… Read More

990 Snooping – 990s Reveal Term Limits on ?

What is the effect of a long-term CEO and management team on a nonprofit? What is the effect of a board with relatively little turnover? The 990 reports the name and position of each board member and senior manager annually. Let’s compare the lists over a 4 year period (2013-2016). Unfortunately, the truth is a… Read More