Finance

11 Best Small Business Insurance Companies for 2026
…that wants other people to fund their good idea !! The email said: “We have started a NPO with the premise of completing a project to support a religious group. The project is a book we plan to market, with the profits going to that group. Our team consists of experts to write, design, produce …
Forming an LLC is a smart move to shield your personal assets from business liabilities, but that protection only holds if you keep your finances separate. One of the first and most important steps? Opening a dedicated business bank account. The choices you make early on can have a lasting impact on your business, and …
Tennessee’s vibrant mix of urban centers like Nashville and Memphis, historic small towns, and scenic rural communities means residents need banking solutions as diverse as their lifestyles. Whether you’re a music industry professional, a college student in Knoxville, a retiree in the Smoky Mountains, or a small business owner in Chattanooga, your bank should offer …

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I had a conversation, recently, with a board member of an organization – a type of “foundation” that raises funds to support activities designed to advance/sustain their profession, who indicated that the board was “disappointed” with the total dollars that have been raised over their first few years. When the organization was first created, they …
A recent email asked: “What is a reasonable goal to ask a development person to raise for a non-profit organization? “Our Executive Director, a former college president, expects me to raise 6 to 8 times my salary in new money, which was the expectation at the college. “Have you heard of that concept before? I’ve …
This time, calling it by it’s correct name !! As previously noted in these postings, “Development” has its focus on the relationships between the organization and its constituents/donors that can result in contributed income, “Fundraising” focuses only on the dollars. For a new nonprofit, immediate funding would probably be needed to ensure survival in the …
As noted last week: (1) The fundraising plan addresses (where appropriate) mass solicitation (mail, email, telephone), individual solicitation (major gifts), foundation applications, corporate solicitation and special events; and, (2) A fundraising plan, more than anything, must be a reflection of reality. In crafting a plan, “reality” derives from experience. For example, only if you’ve previously …
This is one of the most important aspects of a successful Development program, but it’s a subject that needs a lot more attention than it gets. An organization’s development/fundraising plan, once formulated, provides the map, the guidelines for doing what must be done to raise the funds an organization needs to operate/survive. Sticking with the …
Back in February, I posted a piece “Development As A Profession Vs. Development As An Activity,” in which I noted that the Development process includes the establishment of relationships with potential donors (individuals, foundations, corporations), with the purpose of learning their needs and how the satisfaction of those needs can/will correspond with the satisfaction of …
This is a follow up to last week’s post on “special event income.” The person who asked the question that engendered that posting didn’t provide enough information for me to be able to address her specific circumstances. So, I got another note, expressing disappointment … and maybe a little annoyance. This time my correspondent wrote: …