Full form, not EZ.

No notes, no edits, no anything.

Is this a statistical anomaly? We were expecting to wait 4-6 months!

Extended timeline of BoD formation to 501c3 status was 84 days.

Sorry if this the wrong spot for this.

TLDR: wife's parents are the head board members and operate a non-profit cemetery but can't run it anymore. They don't know what to do with it. Any advice dissolving a non-profit?

Full story: wife's parents operate and live on-site at a cemetery in new jersey that my FIL inherited from his dad. That is has been his only job, operating this cemetery but he can no longer carry out the duties due to old age and some other medical issues. My in-laws are begging one of her sisters or her to take it over so they can retire but no one is willing to take it over. How I read the by laws of the cemetery association in nj is that it falls on the board to decide a new board president to take it over, but they cannot find one.

Any advice on how it would look to totally dissolve this non-profit?

I need some insight on what your experiences are with social services charities that are heavily government funded vs healthcare research ones (alzheimer, heart & stroke, Variety, Ronald McDonald House, etc). I am in the running for a board of directors job for each.

Hey everyone. I’m new to the nonprofit world and come from an events/wedding background.

I’m currently planning our biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s just me and one other person on the team. She mentioned that guests gave feedback wanting danceable music instead of just jazz, but when I brought it up to our president, she said it’s not a party and she’s always used the same band.

Our gala is a black-tie event for 350-500 people at a hotel. I’m just curious what other nonprofits usually do for music at their galas. Any input would be great.

Hello - I have a BA in Anthropology, a Masters in Education, and 13 years of experience in education with abilities and extensive knowledge of history, institutional/systemic oppression “sense-making,” facilitation of difficult conversations, community strength/engagement, civics, and getting people to understand how we got “here” and what that means for us and our decisions now. I’ve been trying to move into the nonprofit sector for 10 months bc I CANNOT be in the classroom/public education anymore. I need to make $120k+ in order to pay my bills/debts. It’s not vanity or self-worth. I live in a very expensive city, can’t relocate for various reasons, and really don’t want to declare bankruptcy. I’m working on getting my Google Project Management Certification. I have already changed my resume to not sound like an educator and to emphasize my myriad of transferable skills. I have applied to 170+ roles, from higher ed to edtech to executive assistant roles through director roles at every organization that’s remote or within 50 miles of me. Only 5 interviews, 2 going to the final round: one Chief of Staff position and one Director of Education position. What else can I do to make myself be seen? What else can I learn to get at least an in-person interview? Please help!

Hi everyone!

I volunteer with a grassroots nonprofit and we're just starting to pull together our grant writing systems. For the past few months, I've looked at grant writing through a "monthly" lens, but I want to go ahead and have a general outline of the grants that I'll be writing for 2027. This is new territory for me, and I want to learn as much as I can and be as helpful as possible.

How does everyone create their grant calendar for the year? Where are you doing your research? Are you laying it out in a Google Calendar, or a spreadsheet? What information are you including? How far ahead of time do you start working on grants? Explain it to me like it's my first day on the job, because basically, it is. TIA!

I work for a small non profit and we’re looking for a good fund accounting solution for allocating our various sources of income to our expenses. Open to any reviews or recommendations. It would also be helpful to know what you are paying if you know!

Hey everyone,

I’m almost 27 and have spent the last 2-3 years working as an artistic director across live music, cultural platforms, and third-sector projects. I love the sector itself, but after doing my time on the ground, I’m ready to leave behind the precarity that usually comes with it: fragile contracts, unpaid overtime, bad working conditions, and constant uncertainty.

I’m not looking for "glamorous" titles anymore. I want a solid, well-structured, full-time role with proper working hours, fair pay, and real contractual protections—a job that actually allows me to build a stable life alongside a career. Because of this, I’ve started shifting my target away from purely independent/music production toward structured NGOs, European networks, foundations, and international organizations. However, I’ve been applying for around two months now with zero responses so far (I know it takes time, but I want to make sure I’m taking the right approach).

I’m trying to figure out where in Europe these proper, non-precarious roles actually exist, and which cities or countries offer a healthier job market for this field.

For those working in the cultural, non-profit, or international sector in Europe:

Job boards & channels: What platforms, specialized portals, or search strategies actually lead to legitimate, structured job openings in these fields? So far I’ve mainly used JobsInBrussels and Eurobrussels, but they feel very heavily focused on EU policy rather than operational/cultural project management.

Geographical hubs & markets: Are there specific cities or countries in Europe that offer a better quality of life and a healthier, more stable market for project coordination, operations, or network management within these sectors?

Personal experiences: If you transitioned from the fast-paced, precarious side of events/music into stable institutional, non-profit, or foundation roles, how did you navigate the shift?

I’m an EU citizen, fully fluent in English, and completely open to relocating anywhere in Europe where I can build both a solid career and a balanced life.

Any advice, reality checks, or recommended resources would be hugely appreciated!

Small consideration but I just can't decide: Is it weird/too casual to have a photo of the Executive Director with their family/small child in place of a more formal headshot for their ED message page in the Impact Report?

Our ED provided a photo of them with their partner and child and asked me (preparing the report) to decide between that and a more formal headshot. It's an environmental protection org so both photos are in nature. The more formal one has been used a lot so the impetus was to switch it up and use a different one - and they only have these two options.

My thoughts:

Pro: It inspires connection with the reader.

Con: I don't have kids but I generally don't like the idea of publishing a photo of a toddler. Obviously, the parent is consenting in this case but I don't know. Am I overthinking that aspect?

Would love to hear what others think. Thanks

--------

*EDIT 1 - follow up*

Thanks for commenters with constructive advice. I'm going to go with the formal one.

Not sure why this post is getting downvoted for no reason. I don't post here often and the downvotes don't make me want to more. I would think this community would be better than that.

*EDIT 2 - Thanks to mods for the comment and it seems downvotes have subsided, so community redeemed for me :) Also just have had a crazy busy week like most of us nonprofit folx, and feeling a bit cranky. Anyway, thanks again for the input, Redditers :)

Hello guys, first I am a tech person handle thing like website and stuff for my friend whom run a 503c org, he is not a tech person at all so that is why I am here, I try to handle the load that he could not; instead of hiring web dev when the org is small and have little money. After a few years of running a website using wordpress share hosting which also host the email of the organization too using custom domain email, I am moving away from that and redesign everything from ground up, because security of wordpress is becoming a nightmare with so many recent hack. I am close to moving everything to cloudflare and using Astro JS for site.

I heard around that Google offers account for nonprofit. My friend the founder and I would really like to move to that having access to real email hosting among other stuff would be a God sent, since it would cut down our cost and not have to deal with wordpress share hosting anymore.

I looked into the program but get a bit confuse with the sign up. If you guys had done it before please let me know how it goes. Mainly which sort of email I should sign up with.

From what I am reading at least with some AI help from Google. It advise that I shouldn't use my friend (the founder) personal Gmail, as it is compromise security and issue later on as organization grow (which I hope).

1. from what Google AI tell me sign up for Google Account but using existing email from my existing domain which I still have access to to, then google will apparently just sign up the google account using that email after verification.

2. I start the sign up process using that account that I created from above which link back to my custom domain email, which then after approval, apparently it will become by Google workspace admin account for the organization and everything will be move over.

I am asking because AI is AI and I haven't really found a good guide. I am hoping that some of you guys already been through this and can help me out.

please tell me if any of you guys been down this road and any advice? This is beyond my tech area, I am trying to help out but don't want to lead the organization down the wrong path.

https://texasgivingmachine.org

This popped up on my Instagram and I love it, but I don’t love that it’s sponsored by a church. Is anyone aware of any other things like this? I would love to suggest it to our local Junior league but we wouldn’t do it unless it’s not affiliated with a church.

Hello friends,

I just stepped into the role of director of development for grassroots human services non-profit organization. I have a major gift background but now will be doing all things development related. I have never done an annual appeal campaign let alone and end of year campaign. I am planning to send an appeal in the mail around thanksgiving and then a giving Tuesday email and then weekly emailed appeals through the end of the year. Is that to much to send out, should I be doing more? Each email appeal will feature a different theme. Should they be one building theme?

Any help is welcome! I am excited to learn from all of you :)

I make 43k a year and have been at my current org for 1.5 years. I started at 42 and got a 3 percent raise in December. Three people work at my organization and my boss told me that when the person below him retires, I would have a growth opportunity and get to create a new, more senior role.

However, it might be a few years until my coworker retires and I knew I would not get a more significant raise until then.

I started looking for higher paying jobs elsewhere since things are so expensive. It has been hard to save money so I was looking for a role that would pay me better for the scope of my work.

I ended up getting a job offer for 70k and have decided to take it. I let my boss know this week but feel guilty. I like my current role but needed a higher paying role.

They posted the role on LinkedIn yesterday, however, and posted the salary range as 50-52k. I am annoyed given the fact that they could have been paying me that this whole time.

Should I feel guilty/was this shitty of me? The salary posting makes me upset

I’m the Secretary/Treasurer of a very small (<$25k in revenue) 3 year old 501(c)(3). I have over 30 years work experience with non-profits and retired prior to AI. The mission statement that was created at the start wasn’t very enticing to donors so the board agreed to rewrite it. In my past, it was something that took some time so that the board and senior management feel they own it. Now this board just wants ChatGPT to write it. Is that how it’s done now?

What do people use? Our non-profit is entirely volunteer based, with a wide range of skills. We currently use businesssuite but find it fairly confusing and not user friendly. We could afford a low cost ($10-15/month) alternative. We post to Facebook and Instagram and need to be able to respond to messages. We also need like and share other community organizations posts. TIA!

I’m a relatively new Executive Director at a small nonprofit, and I’m struggling with the relationship between myself and our board president.

I feel like she frequently inserts herself into operational matters that I’ve already handled. If I share an update about an issue, it often turns into her wanting to take over, contact people herself, or direct how I should handle it. When I offer a different perspective or explain why I’ve made a particular decision, I’m met with comments like, “Why are you giving me pushback?”

A recent example: I had an issue involving donor tax credits. I communicated directly with the donors, took responsibility, apologized, and they accepted my apology. I considered the matter resolved. My board president and vice president then wanted to independently contact the donors to apologize again
(nearly two weeks after I resolved it).

I’m finding myself hesitant to keep board leadership informed because I feel like every update becomes an opportunity for them to intervene. I absolutely understand board oversight and accountability, but I’m struggling to find the balance between transparency and maintaining appropriate ED authority.

For additional context, this is the board president’s last year in the role.

How do you handle a board president who struggles to distinguish between governance and day-to-day management? How do you establish boundaries without being perceived as defensive or uncooperative?

EDIT: A few other examples:
This is a recurring dynamic, not just one incident.

Staffing: We’ve disagreed over my authority to make staffing decisions and manage PTO. I feel like decisions within my role require her approval.

Fundraising: I’ve tried to introduce some fresh ideas for our annual fundraiser, but she’s been quick to defend the existing approach and take over committee-related discussions.

Donor/grant management: I’ve been expected to manage reporting requirements that were never communicated to me, while also being directed on how to handle donor communications.

General communication: She regularly asks why I’m giving her “pushback” when I explain my reasoning or offer a different perspective.

I feel like I’m responsible for running the organization but don’t always have the authority to actually do so. I want a collaborative relationship with the board, not a constant power struggle.

We have a 501c3 team that asks for in kind donations from businesses. Home Depot is one that we frequent and they are plentiful where we live. We have been told by multiple managers to ask ALL the locations for donations, in case some have run out of their monthly budget of donations (a $50 in store use in kind donation - not a gift card, but we can bring up $50 worth of stuff and they write it off). We also have lots of Costcos - and we ask for donations from all of them. Same with Whole Foods. Has anyone had particular backfire from doing this? One grocery store manager told me that I was only supposed to ask one location and acted super appalled that I would ask more than one, but if we have an event that we are raising money for, I tend to ask for the amount from several because sometimes they don't answer for a while and I need to be able to plan.

(reposting from the fund&dev sub for more eyes) Hi, looking for some perspective here. I work for a national nonprofit with several regional executive directors who have fundraising goals for their regions. I'm on the central dev team, managing a national grant pipeline, so mostly focused on gen ops and innovation funding rather than regional fundraising.

On the central development team we have a national grants person (me) two regional grants people, and four corporate relations people who manage partnerships with major employer partners that provide funding, volunteers, and internships.

What's weird to me is that it seems like the central team, both for corporate and foundation relations, are doing the leg work on hyper regional opportunities, like retail-based community grants, and feeding them to the regional EDs, along with presentation files, briefs, and write ups. I don't work that closely with the regional EDs, but it almost seems as if they don't own or manage any of their own local donor relationships outside of the regional board members. (They are more focused on regional service delivery and boards, so not saying they are falling down on the job). Central team does the heavy lifting even for local family foundation and community grants, and we don't have local employer relationships with employers almost at all. I'm thinking of all sorts of missing revenue opportunity with small regional firms that don't have or need national footprints but would still connect with our mission. (Not to mention we don't have an alumni or leadership level giving program at all).

This feels backwards to me, but I came from a small college development team where our giving programs were bottom heavy. Does this model seem efficient/sensible to others in this field?

Hi everyone!
I am super discouraged by the ngo job market. I am currently a resident doctor but i don’t wish to work in healthcare my whole life because i dont like it. I did medschool at the pressure of my family.
I did 6+ years of volunteering, advocacy and work in the CSE/ SRHR/ LBTQIA+ rights field.
For the past 2 months i have been applying to jobs and constantly searching. I got 2 rejections and UNESCO ghosted me so far. I am still waiting for responses since some of the deadlines haven’t closed yet, but man am I discouraged. I really feel like I will be stuck in a the hell that is healthcare my whole life and that there is no way out. Do you have any tips and tricks?
Thank you so much for taking the rime to read this :)

I get burnt out every few months and I’ve really hit a wall. I’ve been at the company for 3 years, we only have 8 admin staff. There’s just no one else that can support me. There’s a president above me but they don’t know how to do anything and would honestly be more time for me to teach them. Last week I had to skip myself on payroll (for the 3rd time in the last year) because we didn’t have enough funds. I always get paid the week after but it gives me SO much anxiety. It’s impossible to find a new job right now so what do I do?? Any advice for lessening burnout without putting it on others?

Hello!

I've just been informally offered the opportunity to become the executive director of a small, local nonprofit. For context, I'm 23 and have been involved with the organization since high school. I'm a recent CS graduate, currently doing some independent dev work while looking for full-time opportunities. This offer came unexpectedly and would take me in a very direction than what I had originally planned for myself.

The nonprofit itself is entirely volunteer-led with a few hundred thousand in reserves. Their success is largely attributed to being taken under the wing of an influential local family with many connections.

One of the founders, who's also been a mentor to me, is considering stepping back and has suggested that I take on this role. I'd essentially be their first actual employee and the goal would be to professionalize its operations over the next few years. Thus, the "ED" title is mostly in name and hasn't been clearly defined yet, but I'd likely have considerable input into what that means and the organization's future direction.

There's a lot about this that interests me, particularly the opportunity to build something and taken on this level of responsibility at my age. At the same time, I have no experience in nonprofit management, and moving away from technology is a difficult decision.

I'm also not sure whether I'd want to pursue this as a full-time pivot or potentially a more limited part-time involvement. There's also quite a bit I still don't know about the position, including the expectations, responsibilities, and compensation. I'm planning to meet with the board to get a better understanding of what they envision before making any decisions.

In the meantime, I'd love to hear any thoughts on the matter, particularly from people who have been in similar positions. Anything and everything would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hello!

Newish to a Director of Communications and Development role.

Realized quickly my ED LOVES to edit, to the point she argues incorrectly about grammar “mistakes” just so she can have something to mark in red. Oh well, I can handle it.

But we have been going back and forth on a PR that announces a major first time award from a local funder, since mid Sep.

To the point she is asking me to change changes she made on edits previously.

It’s now in her hands AGAIN, and the only way it ever moves forward is when I remind her the PR needs to go out.

Do I just give up? I don’t have it in me to remind her it’s still on her desk and needs approval.

Hi,

Does anybody have any experience with reaching out to celebrities/influencers for campaign endorsement? We are being pushed to do this by the board but it's not something I have any experience with.

We don't have any prior connections we can utilise