Case Study: Northern Dental Access Center
Case Study: Northern Dental Access Center Expansion through Service to “Competitors” This is one in a series of six case…
Read MoreNonprofit Reserves
Organizational Slack (or Goldilocks and the Three Budgets)
Organizational slack is an important concept in the management literature, but you won’t find it mentioned in articles on nonprofits. It has several definitions, but all boil down to extra resources or resources held in reserve. The difference between a hand-to-mouth organization and a vibrant one is slack. Think of slack as the financial aspect of organizational capacity.
Read MoreHow PRIs Work: A Basic Primer for Nonprofits
In addition to grants, foundations have been increasingly using Program Related Investments, or PRIs, to support nonprofits. PRIs can be a powerful tool to support foundation and nonprofit missions, but they only fit some projects. Understanding their value and uses can be useful for both foundations and nonprofits.
Read MoreKeeping It in Reserve: Grantmaking for a Rainy Day
Many nonprofits know that they should be building reserves over time, but find it hard to do so without hobbling their work. Perhaps with a better understanding of full costs, we should all be educating funders about their responsibilities in that regard. Here’s a way for readers to approach the endeavor.
Read MoreThe Looking-Glass World of Nonprofit Money: Managing in For-Profits’ Shadow Universe
Take the test below—but be careful; it is more difficult than it seems. Then, read for yourself how our shadow universe compares to the “rational” and “time-honored” ways of the for-profit sector.
Read MoreHow to Think Differently about Your Money: Capital Explored
When you use the word capital in the nonprofit sector, you must take the time to define your terms, because so far there is no thorough understanding of the structures of financial capital inside nonprofits.
Read MoreWhy Funding Overhead Is Not the Real Issue: The Case to Cover Full Costs
Big strides have been made recently in the acknowledgment that overhead ratios are poor indicators of an organization’s impact or financial efficiency.
Read MoreOperating Reserves with Nonprofit Policy Examples
These sample nonprofit operating reserve policies are provided to get you started, but keep in mind that no example will…
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