Thought Leadership
Articles on fundraising strategy, board leadership, and what it actually takes to raise what your mission is worth. Written from twenty years inside this work.
Category
Two Lanes, One Goal: The Framework That Gets Board Fundraising Unstuck
The single most common reason board fundraising stalls is lane confusion — staff and board driving in the same lane and colliding. Here's how to set the lanes and what changes when you do.
The Three Conversations Every Board Member Needs to Have
Sustainable board fundraising culture is built on three conversations, in order: the one you have with yourself, the one you have with a donor, and the one you have as a board. Skip any one of them and the work never sticks.
Not Every Board Member Fundraises the Same Way — And That's the Point
One-size-fits-all board fundraising training works for no one. This article introduces six board fundraising archetypes and explains how helping each member find their lane is what finally lifts board fundraising off the ground.
The Frankenstein Committee: What's Wrong With Your Board Fundraising Committee and How to Fix It
Part oversight body, part fundraising group, part event planning team — stitched together with no coherent identity. Here's how to diagnose which failure patterns are active and choose the model that will actually work.
Your Board Doesn't Have a Fundraising Problem. It Has a Role Problem.
Most board fundraising efforts fail before they start — not because the people are wrong, but because nobody defined what the board is actually supposed to do. This article introduces the Two Lanes framework and shows exactly what happens when the lanes are clear.
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Speaking & Facilitation
Shannon speaks and facilitates for nonprofit leaders, boards, and development teams. Three signature talks, available as talks or workshops.
