Last Note

As I sit here at my desk on my last day as the executive director of NCNA I am finding it hard to walk out my office door. When I do walk out I will be known as the “former” executive director of NCNA and I don’t like the sound of that.
For the past nine [...]

Public Confidence – A Matter of Concern

I received a call from a reporter recently asking me about my reactions to the results of Paul Light’s latest Organizational Performance Initiative survey indicating that the public’s confidence in the nonprofit sector was declining. The survey has not been officially released but was reported in an article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy (Public Confidence [...]

Whom can we trust?

Whom can we trust? The cynicism and suspicion of the American public has grown to the point that this question is being asked. As terrible as this might be today, it has even harsher long-term implications for our children’s futures. Whom can they trust as they become leaders? How does this lack of trust affect [...]

What Do Nonprofits Have To Do With Building Civil Society?

We have all heard the comments about the importance of nonprofits in helping to build, strengthen, or support a civil society. In the past, I had not really understood what that meant exactly, but it sounded good. I did not have time to give it much thought until I was asked to speak a conference [...]

A Unified Vision: The United Strengths of America

NCNA is offering the world a unified vision and collective voice for many who serve their communities. The vehicle for this vision and voice is the Nonprofit Congress. Our motto: ”many missions, one voice.”

The Nonprofit Congress’ mission is to inspire more confident and effective advocacy for our vision of an American society that is quietly and caringly [...]

Letting Judges Define Nonprofits–A Very Bad Idea

When I first heard about the case Under the Rainbow Day Care Center v. County of Goodhue ruled on by the Minnesota Supreme Court recently, I thought this case had broad and profound implications for the nonprofit sector. I then read an article by Rick Cohen, The Case of Under the Rainbow Child Care Center vs. [...]