Raise the Bar Consulting

03/30/2026

We've been getting a lot of questions lately about fractional staffing.

What does it actually mean? Is it just a buzzword? Is it relevant for organizations our size? Those are great questions, and they deserve a straight answer.

This week Jennifer wrote a simple, honest breakdown of what fractional staffing is in a nonprofit context, what it isn't, and when it tends to make sense. No jargon, no pitch. Just clarity.

If your team is stretched and a full-time hire isn't the right answer right now, this is worth a read.

Link in the comments. And feel free to share with anyone navigating questions about capacity and staffing right now.

02/05/2026

A note for this in-between season of fundraising. - https://mailchi.mp/raisethebarllc/closing-the-year-together-with-gratitude-and-reflection-14600264

02/05/2026

By this point in the winter, are you finding yourself in an in-between season?

Year-end campaigns are behind you. Thank-yous are mostly out. Reports are getting wrapped up.

Some organizations are already sprinting toward spring events or giving days. Others are finally catching their breath.

Wherever you are right now, this moment still matters. Even though December is behind us, your donors’ generosity isn’t. They gave because they care about your mission. And that emotional connection doesn’t disappear when a campaign ends.

One thing we see consistently in our work is this: donors don’t drift away because they stop caring. They drift away when they feel unseen.

Donors who feel known come back.
Donors who feel appreciated stay engaged.
Donors who understand their impact deepen their support.

This in-between season isn’t about asking more. It’s about staying connected in simple, human ways. Small stewardship touches now can shape donor relationships for the rest of the year.

We shared a longer post with practical, manageable ideas for stewarding donors after year-end and through this quieter stretch. If you’re navigating this season and wondering what actually makes a difference, it may be helpful.

https://raisethebarllc.com/article/donor-retention-after-year-end/

01/23/2026

By now, we’re past the point in January when everything is supposed to feel fresh.

The goal-setting emails have slowed. Resolutions have already been tested. For some, January hasn’t delivered the reset or momentum it promised and instead, it just feels…off.

For many nonprofit leaders, that pressure to reset doesn’t feel motivating. It feels misaligned. And if that’s been your experience, you’re not failing. You’re responding honestly to reality.

This time of year is often framed as the moment to move faster and think bigger. But this January, I keep coming back to clarity.

Clarity about what’s still unresolved.
Clarity about roles and leadership in a rapidly changing world.
Clarity about mission, values, and how much time and energy you actually have.
Clarity about the decisions that were deferred because everything else felt more urgent.

At Raise the Bar Consulting, we’re approaching January as an invitation. Not to pile on new resolutions, but to pause long enough to ask better questions:
→ What are you still carrying that never quite got addressed?
→ What conversations keep getting postponed or recycled?
→ What would actually move your organization forward, not just keep it busy?

This is quieter work. It doesn’t come with big announcements or quick wins. But it’s often the work that determines whether the year feels grounded and achievable or reactive and chaotic.

You don’t need to sprint into 2026.

Give yourself permission to lead with steadiness, clarity, and intention even when the world insists otherwise.

If this resonates, you’re not behind. You’re paying attention.

— Jennifer Tersigni, CFRE, LCC, CIE

01/22/2026

Clarity as mantra for 2026. Here's to clearing out the old. - https://mailchi.mp/raisethebarllc/closing-the-year-together-with-gratitude-and-reflection-14600105

01/16/2026

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we talk about generosity and leadership in the nonprofit sector.

We are very good at celebrating major donors and large gifts. Those contributions matter and deserve recognition. But we talk far less about the people whose generosity shows up in quieter, steadier ways.

The person who gives twenty five dollars because it’s what they can afford.
The volunteer who shows up after work, month after month.
The community member who keeps supporting a mission even when life feels tight.

These acts don’t always come with naming opportunities or press releases, but they are often what sustain organizations over time.

I believe there is a missing middle in how we recognize generosity and impact. A wide group of people whose giving may not look impressive on paper, but whose commitment is deeply meaningful.

As I shape some new writing and conversations this year, I’m starting by listening.

If you’ve witnessed quiet, everyday generosity recently, I would genuinely love to hear about it. These are the stories that remind me why this work matters.

01/06/2026

The start of a new year has given me a moment to reflect on what it has meant to serve nonprofit leaders during a season defined by uncertainty, change, and extraordinary resilience.

From early on, it was clear this would not be business as usual for our sector. Shifting funding landscapes, staffing pressures, leadership transitions, and economic uncertainty asked more of nonprofit leaders than ever before.

At the beginning of the year, we gathered in response to unprecedented federal funding uncertainty. We created space to make sense of fast-moving decisions and to remind one another that we are stronger together. What began as a timely conversation became a deeper commitment for our team to keep showing up and supporting nonprofit leaders through whatever came next.

Throughout the year, our work focused on creating space for honest conversation, resource sharing, and real-time problem solving grounded in the realities leaders were facing day to day.

Along the way, we celebrated meaningful wins.

Clients secured transformational grants and philanthropic commitments, advanced capital projects, strengthened fundraising foundations, and made leadership decisions that positioned their organizations for long-term impact.

Most of all, I am grateful for the trust it takes to let someone walk alongside you in moments that matter.

With deep gratitude,
Jennifer Tersigni
Founder and Principal Consultant
Raise the Bar Consulting

12/31/2025

Before turning the page on this year, there is something worth naming, especially for nonprofit leaders.

You did not just get through this year.
You led through it.

Through shifting funding landscapes.
Through staffing pressures.
Through uncertainty that did not come with a playbook.

One of the clearest lessons this year reinforced for me is this: strong leadership is not about rushing forward with answers. It is about knowing when to pause, listen, and make thoughtful decisions, even when there is pressure to move fast.

Across the organizations we worked with, the leaders who navigated this year most effectively were not the ones who tried to do everything. They were the ones who:
• Created space to think
• Asked for support
• Adjusted when conditions changed
• Made decisions grounded in values, not fear

I hope you take a moment to honor what you carried and what you protected along the way.

Please know that your steadiness matters more than you know, and that you do not have to carry this work alone. Our team is deeply grateful for you and honored to support leaders like you as you step into the year ahead.

12/28/2025

This time of year always invites reflection, and one thing stands out to me again and again: Nonprofit leadership is carried quietly.

We see leaders who:
• Hold responsibility with care
• Make decisions without perfect information
• Balance urgency with humanity
• Keep showing up, even when the work feels heavy

That kind of leadership rarely gets spotlighted, but it’s what sustains organizations and communities.

At Raise the Bar Consulting, we don’t take lightly the trust it takes to step into your work, your strategy, and your mission.

Thank you for the work you lead.
Thank you for the communities you strengthen.
And thank you for continuing to show up in full and uncertain seasons.

12/22/2025

Looking for holiday break ideas? Our clients have you covered. -

Hi friend, As we head into the final stretch of December, we’re wishing you a warm and joyful holiday season—whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, or simply enjoying a well-deserved winter break after a full year of mission-driven work. We know this season can feel full in every sens...

12/19/2025

Mid-December is one of the most demanding stretches of the year for nonprofit leaders.

You’re closing out fundraising.
Keeping programs running.
Responding to donors and boards.
Showing up at holiday events.
And trying to hold space for your own life.

All at once. If you’re feeling stretched, you’re not behind—you’re doing the work.

Here’s the part I want you to hear clearly: You don’t need a big campaign to finish strong.

In these final weeks, we’ve seen organizations move the needle by focusing on just a few small, achievable actions:
• Send one short donor thank-you (no formal appeal)
• Add a simple P.S. to an existing email
• Share one behind-the-scenes moment
• Ask board members to forward one message personally
• Make one clarity pass on the donation page
• Plan January thank-yous before the calendar flips
None of this requires more hustle—just intention.

If no one has said it to you lately: you’ve already done incredible work.

Our entire Raise the Bar Consulting team is genuinely grateful to serve alongside leaders who keep showing up like you are.