Archer-Simons Consulting

10/27/2022

Dropping this for all of our AmeriCorps members!

Hoping today is meaningful & inspiring as you’re 🤩💪🏻

09/24/2022

08/07/2019

It is key that leadership of organizations (boards and staff) also understand the life cycles of nonprofits. Stronger organizations build capacity and lead structural change that betters the communities they serve!

Looking for a new addition to your summer reading list? We recommend taking a look at Nonprofit Lifecycles: Stage-Based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity. The author, Dr. Susan Kenny Stevens, showcases perspective on operational capacity and its relationship to increased organizational health. If you are a foundation seeking to understand the principles of capacity and capacity-building, this book is a must!

01/24/2019

Please join us on February 25th for a legislative forum on ALICE families in Connecticut. The discussion will focus on the struggles and immediate needs of ALICE families and strategies to help families achieve financial security. Presented by Connecticut United Ways and the Connecticut Commission o...

01/18/2019

Good basic article on succession planning. However the photo would be more powerful if it reflected the talent of diversity and gender that truly should be part 0f the process. Let's make sure we give development opportunities to all we manage. Don't let talent be missed!

The Baby Boomer generation (born between approximately 1946 and 1964) is retiring in rapidly increasing numbers. These retirements are creating dramatic gaps in leadership and…

12/13/2018

Story Telling Thursdays: In the world of nonprofits we deal with a variety of audiences. Some want more technical information about the organization. Some are looking for how you have impact on lives and the community. Some just want you to touch their heart in a meaningful way. The key is matching the story to the audience. In this article it does a great job in sharing how data and the story come together. Data, provides the "proof" or results, however the story brings data to light. Practice building your data and story together and you will find that your engagement of all audiences improves!

https://www.tableau.com/asset/data-storytelling-using-visualization-share-human-impact-numbers?utm_campaign_id=2017049&utm_campaign=Prospecting-CORE-ALL-ALL-ALL-ALL&utm_medium=Paid+Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_language=EN&utm_country=USCA&adgroup=SIM-Data+Storytelling&creative=C18viz-redline&dclid=CPLPj66Nnd8CFdNiwQodtuoDaQ

12/11/2018

Thankful Tuesdays: I have been reading some posts from nonprofit executives asking how much to spend on board thank yous. I am a believer that you should thank board members, however it is not about the amount, but the meaning and sincerity of the gift. And was the gift useful? A thought might be to choose a book about board service that would add value to the organization. Add a personal note that includes a request that at a future board meeting, they share a reflection about the most important contribution or effort they feel board members make to the organization. It can be one book (good one below) or several books given to different board members. This creates a learning opportunity where board members can share a thought from a chapter or an idea that they gained from the book. Being thankful can include creating opportunity for knowledge to grow. It is an investment that can add rich value to your organization and change the conversation for the better!

Praise for The Imperfect Board Member "Finally! A book about boards that isn't boring!"--Patrick Lencioni, author, The Five Dysfunctions of aTeam"Everyone wins with good governance--countries, corporations,and community groups. In a compelling style like no one before him,Jim Brown helps leaders ...

12/11/2018

Management Mondays: As a leader I was always asking myself, what could I do better to support my team, my organization. When you have a strong team that has a clear idea of what the priorities are and how you move forward together to achieve the best results for the mission of your organization, you are able to do more for those you serve. A couple of key factors are communication and trust. You need to have open dialogue about work to be done, how it gets done and a good feedback loop - even on your role with your managers. You also need to trust people to do their jobs. Research by Bridgespan on increasing executive team effectiveness highlights some strategies for being a stronger leader. It is worth the read!

A nonprofit executive team's effectiveness is essential for a nonprofit's success. Yet often these executive teams underperform for a variety of reasons. The five steps laid out here can help nonprofit executive teams move from underperforming to high-performing.

12/07/2018

Fund Friday - second nugget. Great article about donor engagement. So set aside time to think about how you are going to engage donors in 2019 and share your impact. You will see the results of the effort come back to your organization!

Social donors are generally not deeply committed to nonprofits yet those networks are critical to organizations being successful at events and peer-to-peer donation asks. The “social donors” also tend to write checks.

12/06/2018

Fund Raising Fridays: Good year end checklist to ensure success. Every fund raising effort is incremental steps to develop donor relationships, inform and engage, ask and thank. Take steps to stand out from all the other "usual" fund raising asks and you will see the results.

To make sure your year-end fundraising campaign stands out, you need to plan an integrated campaign. Follow the steps outlined in this in-depth checklist to create your most successful campaign of the year.