CNE Blog

What We’re Reading

A Graphic Re-Visioning of Nonprofit Overhead

A strong organizational infrastructure is vital, but how do we communicate with donors about the importance of investing in it? This Nonprofit Quarterly article provides helpful graphics for rethinking the way…

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We get it! As a mission driven organization the ultimate reward is reaching your goal. Your team is equipped with necessary skills and tools. A dozen homes have been built. Several families have been fed. New opportunities…

What We’re Reading

How to Know Whether you’re Giving Your Team Needless Work

How do we ensure that we are not only keeping our team satisfied and engaged but leveraging the skills and abilities of individuals to their maximum potential?…

What We’re Reading

Accelerating “What Works”
How can the results-driven attitude of social entrepreneurship inform and influence how we craft more efficient and effective public policy? In this article for Stanford Social Innovation Review, Results for America founder Michele Jolin…

The Voices of CNE

We are always seeking ways to do good work better at CNE. And so we’ve decided to better our Blog.

It’s a nice blog. It features our newsletter Announcements and summaries of

What We’re Reading

The Connection between Pride and Persistence
How can managers foster a culture where employees take pride in their work, and why is it important to do so? This Harvard Business Review Article comments on the fruits of…

We Retreat, and Renewed, We Move Forward

CNE had the great fortune to meet at our Executive Director, Cristine Nardi’s, beautiful farmhouse in Nelson County for our staff retreat.

Flanked by rolling hills, wildflower meadows, rambling trees, and a couple of red…

What We’re Reading

When Innovation Goes Wrong
The best of intentions don’t always lead to the best of results. This Stanford Social Innovation Review article explores what factors undermine the impact potential of an innovation effort,…

What We’re Reading

Win Win Strategies for Parent Organization Dynamics

To transform steering committees, you need two basic things. First, you need a parent organization that understands the benefit of a strong committee and empowers the steering committee to play…

Fundraising Ramps Up as Summer Wraps Up

Isn’t August just so bitter sweet? We gaze up at the Perseid meteor showers, take one last day-trip to the beach, send kids to school with fresh back-packs, and return to fundraising as colleagues return from vacations. Trying to…

What We’re Reading

Perfect Often Enemy of Good in Fundraising

There are two words to keep in mind when a news story relating to your organization’s mission hits, according to Whitney Broadwell, of International Medical Corps: “Carpe momentum.” In this NonProfit…

What We’re Reading

How social entrepreneurs can solve the talent problem

What We’re Reading

Donor Retention: The Easiest Money You’ll Ever Raise

Donors can be fickle, and they’re fleeing our organizations in vast numbers these days. Your goal is to develop a loyal cadre of donors who you can count on year…

Got a Great Employee? Hold On to Them. . . Or Not!

As the Program Manager at CNE, I think a lot about why people should invest in professional development. A lot of my own professional development has recently focused on reading interviews and articles related to this topic. I’m also—along…

What We’re Reading

How to Make Your One-on-Ones with Employees More Productive

How powerful is a face to face meeting? This Harvard Business Review article by Rebecca Knight takes a step back from the digital age methods of communication and gives a…

Calling all Fledgling & Familiar Board Members

CNE has a powerful series of programs that can help to raise the bar on your nonprofit board. From philanthropy to strategic planning, sustainability to detailed processes, financial reports to annual meetings, our Governance Matters workshops…

What We’re Reading

How To Incorporate More Movement Into Your Nonprofit Training

This article by Beth Kanter recognizes the biological impact of instructional design that incorporates physical movement. The benefits, Kanter argues, enables active attention, retention, and better absorption of the information…

What We’re Reading

Why Individual Giving Strategies Often Don’t Work for Communities of Color

Is there a difference in contributions from individual donors in communities of color, compared to historically white communities? This npEngage article by Vu Le argues that there is….

We Have a Coach for Your Professional Growth

Are you an organization going through transition in leadership, management, or staff? Perhaps you are a nonprofit employee seeking to develop your professional skills? CNE is offering one-on-one support through our new individualized Coaching Program.

What We’re Reading

Is Pokémon Go The Latest Shiny, New Toy?

Pokemon GO has exploded in the weeks since its release, but what does it spell for Nonprofits? This NonprofitTimes article, by Mark…

What We’re Reading

Taming the Special Event Monster

Though creating successful Nonprofit events can be a very daunting experience, statistically it is one of the most successful careers in the United States!  This fundraisingcoach article by A.J. Steinberg highlights the five main…

What We’re Reading

Solved! The Nonprofit Data Mystery

How valuable is the seemingly useless data Nonprofits cast aside? This npEngage article by Steve MacLaughlin analyzes the bad habit of Nonprofits of ignoring email and address data, and how it can be applied…

Introducing: Pathway to a Healthy Organization

The well-being of your organization is very important to us. And CNE has the expertise to assist you in achieving maximum health.

In our new program, Pathway to a Healthy Organization, nonprofits will engage in an online…

What We’re Reading

Pokemon Go and Nonprofits

How can you make a huge cultural phenomenon work for you? This article by Beth Kanter explores the success of Pokemon GO and the creative contributions it can create for a Nonprofit’s brand strategy and…

Available Now: Updated Media Guide

We know positive media relations are crucial for nonprofits. That’s why we carefully compile and annually update the CNE Media Resource Guide. We want your organization to have the most up-to-date information. Spend your time highlighting your special events…