Monthly Archives: April 2011

Carrots and marketing to the poor

Posted on April 28, 2011 by

Baby carrots aren’t actually “baby carrots.”  They’re cut carrots that were originally “seconds,” carrots that were too small or deformed to meet supermarket standards.  One day Mike Yorosek , a carrot grower, had the clever idea of peeling and cutting … Continue reading →

Posted in marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Fundraising tip

Posted on April 27, 2011 by

Silence is your friend. When you’ve shared the great work that you’re doing, when the person across the table from you is clearly excited and ready to jump in with both feet, and when you’ve asked them to make a … Continue reading →

Posted in fundraising | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Enough with the bad news

Posted on April 26, 2011 by

You can subscribe to this blog using an RSS Feed (like Google Reader), or by signing up by email. I hope you do one or the other. (NOTE: for those who find the phrase “RSS Feed” terrifying, it’s actually very … Continue reading →

Posted in Feedback | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The list makes no sense without you

Posted on April 22, 2011 by

Try this: write down everything you currently do in your job.  Make a good, clear list with step-by-step instructions.  Imagine someone’s really going to read and use and follow this document. Could they do it?  Could they follow all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Linchpin | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Apply by Monday – looking for two great people

Posted on April 19, 2011 by

I’m looking for two great people to join my team, most likely in New York.  Both roles have incredible potential for impact. One person, for the more junior role, is a crackerjack writer, thinker, synthesizer.  He or she will have … Continue reading →

Posted in Acumen Fund | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The nonprofit chasm

Posted on April 18, 2011 by

Here’s how a former CEO (for about a decade) of one of a well-known, well-respected U.S. charity started his story about his time there: “It was a federated structure, so as CEO I raised only 20% of the money.  So … Continue reading →

Posted in fundraising | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Tax day

Posted on April 14, 2011 by

In the U.S., the taxman cometh tomorrow.  Most of us scramble to make the deadline, but we make it.  We get the forms signed, the extra work done, we dot our i’s and cross our t’s before time is up. … Continue reading →

Posted in shipping | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The story-reality gap

Posted on April 12, 2011 by

Whether or not you consider yourself a marketer or a salesperson, one way or another you’re telling stories all the time.  It happened the moment you traded in your college rucksack for that nice Kenneth Cole leather briefcase; it happens … Continue reading →

Posted in storytelling | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

PowerPoint 2007 trick – customize menu

Posted on April 11, 2011 by

(this post is an aside, but I was happy to discover this and thought you might be too.  HT to Jan Schultink, who has taught me a LOT more about effective presentations than this….but this little nugget will make me … Continue reading →

Posted in Work | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The spirit of service

Posted on April 8, 2011 by

Most people get into nonprofit work because they want – in some way, big or small – to change the world.  This spirit of service defines our missions, which are not vague platitudes about “delighting customers” or delivering “superior results … Continue reading →

Posted in Service | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments