Making a Merger Go Smoothly for Nonprofit Workers
IN THE TRENCHES By Marilyn Dickey When the American Cancer Society’s New England offices merged to form one regional division in the mid-1990s, every employee except the chief executive officer had to reapply for a job in the new organization. With everything up in the air, the merger’s leaders…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
After the New Economy Bust, Charities Report Finding Technology Workers More Easily
JOB MARKET By Marilyn Dickey Two years ago, when CompuMentor advertised to hire a technology consultant, the San Francisco charity was lucky to get 30 résumés. And of those 30, only about a half-dozen applicants were worth calling for an interview, says Mark Liu, the group’s program director for…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Tight job market compels charities to sharpen their search techniques As the demand for senior fund raisers increases beyond the pool of qualified candidates, charities are finding it harder and harder to fill open slots. As a result, many are turning to professional recruiters. But even those…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Former Ad Executive Promotes Charity Site
A new Web site called Charity Counts is on a $1-million advertising blitz to promote its shopping, auction, and donation features, all of which benefit non-profit groups. Charity Counts has taken out two full-page paid ads in The New York Times, put up outdoor posters in New York and San Francisco,…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Virtual Sidewalk Santas Carry On Charity’s Tradition
In 1902, Volunteers of America sent out its first Sidewalk Santas to walk through midtown Manhattan ringing bells, carrying miniature red-brick chimneys and asking pedestrians if they could spare a few coins to help feed hungry children. Sidewalk Santas still parade the streets of New York, but…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Site Arranges Gifts Made to Honor Others
A new Web site designed to let donors make on-line charitable contributions to honor friends, relatives, and business clients is quickly becoming a big hit. Since Charitygift started operating November 17, it has sold 10,000 cards to people making donations in honor of others. The company began to…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
On-Line Holiday Gifts for Charities and Donors
Numerous on-line companies are offering holiday promotions to benefit charities -- largely in the hopes that doing so will attract the attention of consumers and lead them to use Internet services to make financial transactions. Among the seasonal opportunities for charities and donors: * Yahoo, an…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
Trustees are still reluctant to evaluate a CEO’s performance, despite a call for measurable results The head of a social-service charity in Boston has no doubts that she has made a difference to her organization. ALSO SEE:Evaluating the Chief Executive: Resources for Trustees But she has never…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy
The Pitfalls of Mining the Internet
Internet makes research on donors easier, but charities don’t use it well The explosion of data on the Internet is making it easier and cheaper than ever for charities to obtain detailed information on people who have the potential to make big donations. ALSO SEE:Internet Sites That Click for…
Success of a campaign often depends on having the right mix in the budget A campaign budget can make or break a fund-raising drive. Yet for many charities, ALSO SEE:Costs That Charity Leaders Overlook in Planning Big Fund-Raising Drives the budget is a puzzle made up of pieces that rarely fit…
By Marilyn Dickey
Senior Editor, Copy