Quick Stops Along the Way is a monthly collection of issues, challenges, and thoughts I think you’ll find helpful on the road ahead.
Uneven Lanes Ahead
At the conference table sat a donor, a university VP and professor, a private school headmaster and teacher, and a nonprofit executive director. The goal: discuss a donor-funded partnership between the school and nonprofit, with the university analyzing success.
The project thrived for a year—until leadership changed. The new executive director faced a tough question: Can they reallocate donor funds?
The answer: Yes, with board approval. But smart leadership consults donors first. The problem? No written agreement—just a handshake deal guiding the project.
Donor agreements don’t need to be long, but when funds support specific programs, a written agreement is crucial. It provides clarity for the board, executive director, and all involved. In partnerships, documentation is even more vital.
Who should initiate the agreement? Everyone. If the donor doesn’t, the nonprofit should. A philanthropy advisor can help create agreements and foster strong relationships.
How did this story end? With words no nonprofit wants to hear. The donor, frustrated, said, “Send the remainder of my gift to the private school. We’ll proceed without you.”
Reduce Speed in Work Zones
Questions belong at the center of all philanthropy and nonprofit work. Writer Warren Berger says, “Questions are sometimes seen as spades that help to unearth buried truths, or flashlights to shine a light on where you need to go.”
Whether your questions are a spade or a flashlight, use them liberally for a much better outcome. Questions slow you down—so you can go faster later.
Like it. Share it. Use it. Comment Below.
