Apr 19, 2020Using COVID-19 As An Opportunity for Much-Needed ChangeThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many unwelcomed changes. People are dying at rates much higher than expected, and the Black Community, as always, is being hit harder than most. We are sheltering in place (translation: on international lockdown); putting a premium on personal hygiene and cleanliness; canceling events; closing…Coronavirus3 min read
Mar 9, 2020In academia, there are very strict rules regarding citing sources of information.In academia, there are very strict rules regarding citing sources of information. …Nonprofit Management2 min read
Mar 9, 2020Case Study: A Youth Development Agency With Growing PainsYou are the newly-hired executive director of a community-based youth agency with a budget of $350,000. In this capacity, you would have 8 employees, including an administrative assistant, 2 program directors, a business manager and 4 case workers. …Nonprofit3 min read
Feb 25, 2020Whose Project Is It, Anyway? In Search of Equitable CollaborationWe read textbooks, scholarly journals and articles on best practices for collaboration, touting the benefits in great detail, and barely glossing over the down sides of collaboration. The “real deal” is often messy, and no one wants to be the one who shares all the gory details, for a number…Nonprofit4 min read
Feb 25, 2020DEI Starts With UsDon’t take away my Black card during Black History Month. Before you read what I wrote below, you should also know that I am one who has experienced and fought racism and discrimination in the workplace. I won some battles and I have lost some. It occurred to me, that…Diversity3 min read
Jan 8, 202021 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership-Reflections on the First 2 LawsWhen I read the first edition of John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership back in the late 1990’s, I was impressed by the fact that it was an easy read, and chock full of lessons on every page. Now that we in the Nonprofit Utopia community are “reading” the…Leadership3 min read
Oct 8, 2019What’s the Difference Between Programs and Services?The terms “programs” and “services” are so often used together, that we don’t often take the time to think about the subtle differences between the two. It doesn’t help that the terms are used interchangeably, either. Though the differences are subtle, the result of using the terms appropriately in a…Nonprofit Management2 min read
Sep 20, 2019What Do You Do When Politics Impacts Your Board of Directors?This is an original case study written by Valerie F. Leonard as an exercise in board development and training. You joined the board of directors of a community development organization 6 months ago. The organization is the faith-based affiliate of a local church. A total of 4 of the 11…Real Estate3 min read
Sep 9, 2019Take the 7-Day Streamline ChallengeThere’s a lot to be said for effective time management to help us get the most out of our days. Some recommend setting daily goals and assessing how much was achieved at the end of each day. …Business2 min read
Jul 30, 2019Selling Out Does Not Always PayI’ve seen it time and time again at the community level. Leaders pushing a community- driven agenda are often betrayed by members of their inner circle, who were promised “great things” for themselves in exchange for undermining community progress. In some cases, the people who sell out do go on…Community Development4 min read