As published by U.S. News & World ReportHere's what can lead to a decline in your 401(k) balance and how to avoid setbacks.By Rachel Hartman | Aug. 25, 2021, at 11:00 a.m.If you have made contributions to a 401(k) through your employer, it’s natural to be concerned about the plan’s performance. Like all investments, there are risks involved with setting aside funds for the future. While many 401(k) plans are Read More
What Your Nonprofit Endowment Needs and Why
“We don’t need any policies.” That was an actual quote from a nonprofit board member in response to whether the organization should establish an Investment Policy Statement to govern the organization’s endowment. A policy and procedure nerd like me was horrified at the lax approach to nonprofit governance. Policies can be interpreted as unnecessary, bureaucratic rules that limit flexibility, yet a clear and concise Read More
Demystifying Legacy Nonprofit Giving with Lori Kranczer
With so much uncertainty in philanthropic giving due to the pandemic, the Social Impact Advisory Group spoke with Lori Kranczer, the CEO and Founder of Everyday Planned Giving, about how legacy giving can broaden a nonprofit’s donor base and build stronger engagement with existing donors. Leveraging 20 years in the nonprofit space as an attorney and consultant, Lori has created and managed several substantial Read More
Three Questions to Optimize Nonprofit Cash Reserves
“We have cash sloshing all over the place.” That is how a nonprofit leader described the state of her organization’s cash reserves. While this might sound like a dream come true, nonprofits that rely on grants and major gifts that arrive with irregular timing often find themselves wrestling with the labyrinthine exercise of mapping numerous pots of cash to operations and programs as required. If a nonprofit is Read More
Social Impact Advisory: Trends in Nonprofit Philanthropy
At our monthly Social Impact Advisory Group meeting, we wanted to explore the impacts of the pandemic and racial justice movement in shaping the future of philanthropy. We invited moderator, Lisa Salomon of and panelists, Theary Chan, and Nicole Kyauk to discuss the range and nature of relationships funders want to have with the nonprofits they support. The following panel presentation was edited for length and Read More
What Is An Endowment and Tips Your Nonprofit Needs to Know
What is an endowment and should we have one? Nonprofit leaders frequently ask us these questions so we break down the details here. An endowment is the most recognized strategy an organization uses to invest a large donation typically restricted by a donor to support a specific program either over a set time frame or indefinitely. For example, a wealthy philanthropist could donate multi-year funds to their favorite Read More
How to Tell Your Nonprofit Story and Drive Action
With so much marketing going online in the aftermath of the pandemic, your nonprofit story needs to be even more potent than ever. We invited Jerri Rosen, founder and CEO of Working Wardrobes, and Katie Wagner, President and CEO of KWSM, a digital marketing agency, to talk about the key elements of an effective story to energize your donors and many other supporters needed to run a successful Read More
SPACs, Dogecoin, Meme Stocks: The Dangers of Social Media Investment Sensations
My middle school daughter assured me a boxslide on skis was a piece of cake. After all, she’d watched the pros do it effortlessly on YouTube. As we stood atop the snow park run, I convinced myself I had what it took to “stomp” the trick, having skied for over four decades. No matter that I’d never tried anything like this before. Or that I was super tentative approaching the box (I’m leaning so far back!). Or that I Read More
The Financial and Social Impact of the Un-Housed
Guest Blog for Fairlight’s Nonprofit Insights Series When I began volunteering with the Downtown Streets Team (DST) during the Bay Area Fall lockdown, I initially thought I would be engaging with homeless people on the streets of Berkeley and Oakland. While I have seen homeless people in San Francisco and Oakland over the years and occasionally handed out food, I did not understand the financial, social and Read More
Recruiting for Resilience with Sally Carlson
With things looking like the economy might turn a corner, effective nonprofit hiring and recruiting has come into greater focus. Sally Carlson, Managing Partner of Carlson Beck LLC, who spoke at the Social Impact Advisory/Thrive Alliance’s Managing for Resilience Speaker Series, discussed how effective hiring may require us to question our closely held beliefs about what job applicants are a good fit. Sally founded Read More
