Imagine a typical Saturday at your nonprofit, your warehouse filled with energetic supporters sorting food donations. These individuals are the lifeblood of your operations, contributing their unique skills, passion, and time to keep your programs running smoothly.

If your nonprofit is feeling burned out, you’re not alone. In fact, the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s 2024 report revealed that 95% of nonprofit leaders expressed concern about staff burnout, and nearly 50% struggled to fill staff vacancies.

There's a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially revolving around helping staff teams with limited resources accomplish more. This article is written by Jordan Dwight, founder of J. Dwight Labs, which helps nonprofits leverage software to achieve their goals and further their missions. Jordan has worked in tech for 10+ years at Amazon and startups.

Nonprofit leaders often face the challenge of balancing ambitious missions with limited staffing and financial resources. Many organizations operate with small teams while responding to increasing community needs, expanding programs, and ongoing operational demands.

Most nonprofit organizations, with a few exceptions, are required to file an annual form with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The form is officially named “Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.”

Does your staff team know how to spot the difference between a legitimate email requesting payment for an invoice and a phishing scam that's meant to steal funds or data from you?

Think about all the digital tools that make your nonprofit’s work possible—from your website and constituent relationship management (CRM) software to the platforms you use to communicate with donors and run fundraisers.

Planning a successful event can be challenging. Your nonprofit has many balls to juggle and to-do lists to complete for everything to run smoothly. However, one detail that you should not overlook is accessibility.

As a nonprofit leader, you’ve spent significant time and energy planning for your organization’s long-term growth. To put those plans into action and maximize your impact, it’s crucial to prioritize your nonprofit’s financial future, too.

The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently published revisions to rules governing federal grantmaking to charitable nonprofits (as well as state, local, and Tribal governments) that will go into effect on October 1, 2024.

Major events, such as galas and auctions, bring in vital revenue for your nonprofit. However, in between these major fundraisers, you should look to diversify your organization’s revenue streams. By doing so, you can earn more revenue, remain afloat in the event a fundraiser falls through, and give supporters more ways to engage.

Every major gift your nonprofit receives represents hours of careful research, thoughtful stewardship, and meaningful solicitation work. As the largest contributions your nonprofit receives, these gifts have the power to truly drive your mission forward.

501 Commons encourages nonprofits to engage in GiveBIG, GivingTuesday, and the year-round Washington Gives program to reconnect with donors amid declining year-end giving trends. We're seeing the largest drop in donors, including those who donate less than $500 (which comprises 80% of donors).

Written by Vonnita Jones & Kai Dailey

Technology is foundational to helping nonprofits raise money, improve their productivity, measure program effectiveness, and communicate. Our newly revamped Plan IT program can empower you to make technology a more reliable partner in achieving your mission.