As John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote, “I get by with a little help from my friends.”  We can all use some help now and then – yes, even as consultants we have tried and true sources of information.

This week we asked our team what are the trusted sources of information when researching a topic. 

For grant writing our team relies on Grant Professionals Association.  You can become a member and get access to many tools, resources and webinars.  Or, you can pay as you go to view a webinar or read a publication.  As you contemplate 2021 and what may be ahead, consult this article from the publication.

Doing research on donors can be time consuming.  There are certainly wealth-search engines and database screenings that can be done.  Sometimes one just needs some background on individual donors when preparing for a meeting.  One way is to do a public records search on political gifts to federal election campaigns.  This kind of information tells you about their likely networks with other donors and likely giving potential.  Simply enter the person’s name on the website OpenSecrets.

Concerned about the pandemic’s effects on your fundraising strategy?  (I think it is safe to say we all are!)  TechSoup has a great blog with some helpful information for 2021. 

If you are a Kentucky nonprofit and need helpful data, webinars, best nonprofit practices, and updates on advocacy efforts, go no further than Kentucky Nonprofit Network. KNN’s mission is to strengthen and advance the sector through a unified public policy voice, education, technical assistance, networking opportunities and sharing of best practices.  We encourage you to become a member (we are!) as it will unlock many helpful benefits. 

Other publications our team likes:

• Harvard Business Review – articles on business but many articles are for the nonprofit arena; free but need to sign up;
• Chronicle of Philanthropy – need to subscribe but loads of information on nonprofits and best practices;
• Board Source – gives best practices for board governance issues; some information free and memberships available.

Hopefully some of these sources can be useful as you conduct business on behalf of your organization.  As always, we are here to help strategize on the finer points.  Contact us if you have questions or perhaps just need a bit of help moving your nonprofit forward.