Hunger is the most basic food issue. While not the flashiest, food shelves are on the front lines. Recently I visited the food shelf at Neighbors, Inc. located in S. St. Paul. Neighbors, Inc. is a relatively small organization with roots going back to 1972 when Swift and Armour closed their meat packing operations in S. St. Paul. Neighbors, Inc. depends on volunteers, many of whom are seniors who live in the community (they joke that the...

Food is big. There is widespread concern about hunger and malnutrition; obesity, in particular among children; access to healthy food; food waste; lack of healthy food options in schools, neighborhoods and restaurants; affordability of fresh produce; overconsumption of sugary drinks. The list could go on and on (as this one did). These issues don’t effect groups of people equally. Issues of food and nutrition are often seen through the lens of...

Today I’m going to talk about the exciting topic of tax forms.  Recently, the Star Tribune published a piece about why it is important for nonprofit organizations to do a good job in preparing their 990 form because it provides information to funders, donors, the media, charity watchdog groups.  (http://www.startribune.com/for-nonprofits-the-990-is-more-than-just-another-tax-form/339051401/) The 990 document can give either a positive or...

As an independent consultant who helps nonprofits secure grants and in my former career as an in-house lawyer, I’ve worked with a variety of clients. As an in-house lawyer, my clients were employees of the business (as was I), while currently I consult with organizations as an independent contractor.  I’ve found that in both situations, similar considerations contribute to a good working relationship, better value and best results. Here are a...

The Charities Review Council couldn’t have brought in a more appropriate presenter than Michael Faye to speak at its recent conference on Disruptive Philanthropy.  Michael is one of the founders of GiveDirectly, a private international development organization that gives cash to the poor in Kenya and Uganda via cell phone technology, no strings attached.  As Michael observed, giving cash to poor people-what a crazy idea! This is in contrast to...

In my work as a nonprofit consultant, I have the privilege of working and interacting with a variety of organizations.  While there are many factors that go into what makes an organization successful, it is apparent that effective leadership (at all levels) is one of the most critical.  It’s not easy leading a nonprofit, juggling lots of balls, usually with a scarcity of resources.  Recently one of my favorite blog posts, the Blue Avocado,...