Asset Framing: Why Communication Matters
Syracuse has a new paper in town: Central Current is steadily establishing itself as a nonprofit, independent alternative for regional journalism. They see themselves as part of a national trend of emerging news outlets that are attempting to fill the massive gap left by the closure and decline of local newspapers across the United States. Although this position is challenging and the future unclear, Central Current’s leaders have found that the narrative around their mission and struggle is also one of their greatest assets.
Growing Capacity by Prioritizing Artists
Over the course of its history, Stone Quarry’s mission of providing outdoor access to contemporary art has remained relatively constant. Their story is a reminder that although an organization’s mission is unlikely to shift dramatically over time, the methodologies and structures that support that mission are always open to revision.
Leveraging Structure and Space
Pam Murchison is acutely aware that supporting her organization’s mission may not necessarily mean embracing tradition. As the Executive Director of Symphoria, she spends every day working to decipher what the role of orchestral music is in today’s world. When the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra went bankrupt in 2011, there was little doubt that a new model had to be found. This has meant engaging new audiences by updating the spaces where music is presented and enjoyed, as well as how their organization itself is structured.
Understanding Organizational Development
Ryan Williams is a trained Lifecycles Capacity consultant with experience working in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. He sat down with us to discuss strategies around organizational development and to set the record straight regarding common misconceptions that plague many nonprofits as they seek to strengthen and develop their impact.
Planting the Seeds for Organizational Growth
In less than three years, Salt City Harvest Farm has tripled their budget and been awarded tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of complimentary marketing materials including a state-of-the-art website redesign.
How did they achieve such a turnaround?
5 Takeaways from the Board Development Series
We recently collaborated with the Central New York Community Foundation to host a three-part Board Development Series, offered for free to the CNY nonprofit community.
For those of you who were not able to attend, or for those who would like a refresher on some of the materials covered, we created a recap of some of the major lessons covered during the workshop series.
Broadening Perspectives: How Boards Add Value
When it’s working the way that it should, a board of directors can be a dream come true: a team of dedicated professionals, from different backgrounds, who help keep an organization stable and headed in the right direction. And you don’t even have to pay them! It sounds like a fantasy. But anyone in the nonprofit world knows that it can also work in the opposite way: board members can be apathetic, they can be disconnected from the needs of the organization, and they can slow down its progress through poor decision making or by not making decisions at all.
How can you make sure that your organization’s board is adding value?
Making Hybrid Meetings Work For You
Nonprofit consultant Maria Fibiger has more than 15 years of experience in the field. Recently, she has seen many organizations struggle to successfully make the leap from in-person to hybrid – especially in the board room.
In this guest article, Maria explores the silver linings that come with hybrid board meetings and offers tips on how to grow engagement and set the stage for more impactful governance.
