April is National Volunteer Month, so I thought I would devote this blog to three great causes that I am volunteering for in some capacity. The Children's Room I serve on the Advisory Board of The Children’s Room, an amazing nonprofit that provides support and community to children, teens, and families who are grieving. Whether the loss of a loved one is unexpected or expected, either way it is incredibly...

Last week, the Nonprofit Consultants Network organized a meeting with the Chief of Policy for the City of Boston, Joyce Linehan. Joyce was invited to talk about Boston City policy and nonprofits since the beginning of Marty Walsh's term as mayor. She listed a few initiatives that she felt were of most relevance to nonprofits in Boston: Fighting Human Trafficking The city launched an initiative,...

Last week I attended a very informative meeting at The Carroll Center for the Blind that was organized by the Newton/Needham Chamber.  The subject of web accessibility for the blind was one that had never occurred to me, which, I'm guessing, is the same for most of us who are sighted.  One of the main reasons for the meeting was to educate folks like me.  Here are a few pieces of information...

With surprising regularity, we see videos that are using copyrighted music. We definitely could be wrong (it happens sometimes) but we're pretty sure that most of the time it's music that's being used illegally. We're not attorneys, so we can't give legal advice, but if you have a Justin Bieber song you're absolutely dying to use in your video, it's probably best to resist the temptation. Rachel...

Last week I wrote a blog in honor of International Women’s Day. This week, also keeping women in mind, I thought I would share an interview with Abbie von Schlegell on women’s philanthropy. Here are links to some Boston-area women’s giving circles, in case you are interested in learning more: Boston Women’s Fund Hestia Fund The Miriam Fund Womenade Boston  

International Women’s Day is coming up on Sunday, March 8th, so I thought I would use the occasion (a few days early) as an opportunity for Throwback Thursday. Back to the early 90s, to be specific. At that time, I was living in St. Petersburg, Russia, and, while there, I celebrated International Women’s Day for the first time. This holiday is a big deal in Russia. Among other traditions, it’s...

Last week I attended a panel presentation hosted by Women in Development of Greater Boston entitled, "To Give or Not to Give: How Do Donors Make Decisions About Their Charitable Giving?" Here are three takeaways I want to share: Are you being as inclusive as possible? Renee Burns from Merrill Lynch Wealth Management related a story in which one of her female clients was offended that despite...

We work with a variety of nonprofits, including some that help folks who are struggling with addiction.  I also used to work at the Department of Public Health in the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, so the topic is one of concern to me. Recent news about the surge in heroin overdose deaths across Massachusetts is very alarming.  As a parent of a pre-teen, I worry about whether my son will...

We've all heard it before: stories move people. We also know that a picture is "worth a thousand words." In the case of a young boy from New York City named Vidal, his compelling story, plus a picture, was worth a million dollars. For a couple years, I've been following a blog by Brandon Stanton. After losing his job as a bond trader, Brandon decided to pursue his passion for photography. He wasn't a...

Here in the Northeast, we've experienced, to put it mildly, a loss in productivity. In this interview with Lou Bergholz from Edgework Consulting, he talks about interpersonal productivity. Yes, the connection between loss of productivity due to bad weather and working more strongly together as a team is perhaps a bit tenuous, but better teams can make up for all the snow that's been getting in the way! What...