Area Non-Profits brace for lean times? Duh!

There's an article in the Journal Sentinel today called Milwaukee-area nonprofits brace for lean times ahead. Are we shocked by this? No.

So what to do about it? The non-profit model is just screwy right now. Governance issues abound. Board of Directors act out of fear when there are economic downturns and staffs of non-profits scramble to keep missions alive. If you doubt that assertion I'd challenge you to tell me about a non-profit Board that is doing something innovative and new in the face of dwindling public support.

I talked to a professional telefund manager at a wedding recently who said his biz wasn't being hit that hard because the people he was contacting were the $25-$50 donors. I found it interesting that the $25-$50 donors were willing to keep giving while the big pocket donors are shying away from any types of commitments, even reduced ones from previously promised ones.

But let's face it, the market will always be fickle and it is just a little dicey for non-profits to rely on the public sector for half or more than half of their operational funding.

So what gives? Where are the new ideas? What's working? I don't know, but this morning I think we're on the precipice for some good crisis thought. And when crisis thought starts coming, I think that some really great ideas pop to the surface in the pool of shitty ones.

Got any shit popping ideas? Let me know.