Read our interview with Founder & CEO of The Color of Excellence®️, Brittany Gail Thomas, Esq.! Interested in gaining new skills and knowledge for your nonprofit organization? Join our Incubator Program (more information in the article)!
Through the nation’s history, nonprofits have emerged as key players in addressing societal needs and providing essential services to marginalized communities. But nonprofits have also had negative impacts on the very people they claimed to serve. We invite you to join us in learning more about the history of American nonprofits so that we can take these lessons from the past and apply them to the challenges that we face today.
Each Incubator cohort, we work to bring grant seed funding to one of our participants to elevate their organization's mission. This past fall, Period Kits Ohio received funding from our partners to further their work.
Fiscal Sponsorship Spotlight: We the Conduits
Do you have all of the documents and information funders are asking for? And if you do, when was the last time they were updated? Here are 5 strategies to build a grants-ready nonprofit so you can avoid unnecessary stress and exhaustion and always be ready to apply for grants, even if your nonprofit is busy or if the deadline is short.
Creating an accurate, achievable, and realistic budget for your nonprofit is incredibly important, as the budget creates the financial backbone of the entire organization. However, with so many ever-changing costs to factor in, plus the sometimes-unpredictable fluctuation of funding, budgeting can feel like a guessing game, and even the tidiest itemized spreadsheet can become an intimidating puzzle. Here are some tips to make the process easier and avoid the pitfalls that often come with creating a complex budget.
As your nonprofit progresses over time, stagnation becomes the enemy. To reach more clients, you’ll need to widen your net in a variety of ways: expand your reach, broaden your plans, and hire more employees. Before you can focus on these facets of your business, however, you’ll want to look closely at scaling up your budget.
As your nonprofit progresses over time, stagnation becomes the enemy. To reach more clients, you’ll need to widen your net in a variety of ways: expand your reach, broaden your plans, and hire more employees. Before you can focus on these facets of your business, however, you’ll want to look closely at scaling up your budget.
Each Incubator cohort, we work to bring grant seed funding to one of our participants to elevate their organization's mission. This past spring, The A&R Agency received funding from our partners to further their work.
We stay on top of pressing questions and industry trends to bring you fresh takes on growing and scaling the impact of your work.
Is there any topic you want us to write about? Let us know.
Read some of our latest thoughts below, or search by a specific nonprofit industry category.
After months of research, planning, and prep work, your organization’s shiny new database is up and running. Users are learning the ropes and beginning to plug data in. Your organization will develop its own rhythm of data entry and export, which will meet ongoing internal and external reporting needs. And eventually, there will be enough information available to tell the stories about your clients, services, and outcomes that you’ve been dreaming of since this whole process began.
Read MoreEjiro Ubiedi is one of Mockingbird's grant consultants and has worked on a variety of grants, large and small, on topics ranging from health care to at-risk youth to children with special needs. She has 11 years of nonprofit grant writing experience in Southern California.
Read MoreErick is the Business Development Manager at Mockingbird! He has worked in various non-profit and governmental roles since graduating from UC Berkeley in 2011. These positions have informed his understanding of domestic and international development processes, and continually inspire him to explore innovative solutions to society’s most pressing issues. Most recently, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Colombia, where he led projects to stimulate environmental stewardship and local economic development. Erick plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration from the Marshall School of Business upon matriculating in August 2017.
Read MoreSpring is here! Thinking about how to report seasonal results? In this blog we cover two crucial parts of reporting results - outputs and outcomes. Learn how these come together to create a compelling story of your impact!
Read MoreSurveys… We’ve all taken them at one point or another, but what makes a survey successful?
Read MoreEasy ways to gather useful data in everyday situations.
Read MoreWant to impress your donors? Catch the eye of your audience? This blog will help you effectively use infographics. Read more to learn different techniques to communicate your ideas visually!
Read MoreJackie is a Mockingbird board member who works in the intersection of urban planning and public health. She has a passion to improve the quality of life for the communities who need it most because she believes we all deserve to live a good quality of life, regardless of where we were born and live.
Read MoreAs a non-profit, wonder what resources the Internet holds for you? Read about a list of helpful websites here!
Read MoreSometimes when you strive to create positive change, your efforts can seem so small. However, can even the smallest of victories be a success? Jan Schwaid revisits the definition of success for non-profits.
Read More
Building a more meaningful nonprofit board is a critical task for organizations striving to make a lasting impact on their communities and causes. An engaged and effective board can be a driving force behind an organization's success. To help you navigate this journey, here are some recommendations on how to build a more meaningful nonprofit board.