Resources

Looking for inspiration? This page includes links to resources I have reviewed and believe are helpful in the planning process. Some have also been reviewed in my blog posts. When this is the case, a link is provided.

Is there a resource you have found useful? Reach out with your recommendation!

Resources Related to Strategy & Trends

Marketing Management for Non-Marketing Managers: Improving Returns on Marketing Investments

Published by the American Institute of CPAs, this book was written for executives and managers who are not trained as marketing professionals and who are frustrated by what they see as poor returns on marketing investments. Filled with engaging examples drawn from the author’s extensive experience, the book reviews the three reasons most plans fail to live up to their potential, and provides practical advice to executives who want to improve and measure their marketing returns in financial terms.

You’ll Learn:
• Why market leaders achieve significantly greater returns on their marketing than others within their market.
• The 3 main reasons most marketing plans fail to live up to their potential, and the steps you must take to avoid these pitfalls.
• How to evaluate your marketing investment’s likely ROI before you invest the money.
• When and how to assess the financial returns of your marketing efforts.
• How well your own organization is performing in the management of its marketing investments.

The Book Includes:
• Case studies from companies of various sizes and in a cross-section of industries, including not-for-profits
• 4 tests to use prior to the approval of a marketing budget
• A marketing performance evaluation tool to assess and improve marketing management

Six Disruptive Demographic Trends: What Census 2010 Will Reveal

In 2010, University of North Carolina professors James H. Johnson and John D. Kasarda wrote about demographic trends that will disrupt business as we know it. These include: the changing ethnic mix of the US population changes in the prevalence of inter-racial marriages and multi-generational family living arrangements, the aging U.S. population, shifting geographic growth centers and the changing role of men in society.

I commented on this publication in my blog post entitled Game-Changing Macro Trends, on January 10, 2017.

Resources Related to Board Management

Board Size: Finding the Sweet Spot, by BoardSource

If you’re wondering what size your non-profit board should be, the answer is a definite “it depends.”  This document will give you important guidance on how to think through your board’s role and how that relates to size.

Resources Related to Financial Planning

What Board Members Need to Know About Not-for-Profit Finance and Accounting

Whatever your level of financial expertise as a board member, this free, informative, downloadable resource provides an easy-to-understand overview of not-for-profit financials. Published by Jacobson Jarvis & Co, a CPA firm specializing in the needs of not-for-profit entities, based in Seattle.

Resources Related to Fundraising

Toolkit for Measuring Fundraising Effectiveness

An Excel spreadsheet template, downloadable summary, downloadable guide for board members, and downloadable PowerPoint slide deck designed to promote constructive discussions of an organization’s fundraising mix with its board of directors. Developed by BoardSource, in collaboration with the Association of Association of Fundraising Professionals, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and GuideStar.

Reviewed in my blog post on January 25, 2016: This is Not a Perfect Tool for Measuring Fundraising Efficiency (But It’s Close!)