Finance

11 Best Small Business Insurance Companies for 2026
The following is a recently received email. My comments/responses are the indented paragraphs. We’re a relatively young 501c3, at about 5 years old, but have relied mostly on dues from members up to this point. Last year we participated in our state’s annual nonprofit day of giving. It is my observation that memberships/dues are not …
Forming an LLC is a smart move to shield your personal assets from business liabilities, but that protection only holds if you keep your finances separate. One of the first and most important steps? Opening a dedicated business bank account. The choices you make early on can have a lasting impact on your business, and …
Tennessee’s vibrant mix of urban centers like Nashville and Memphis, historic small towns, and scenic rural communities means residents need banking solutions as diverse as their lifestyles. Whether you’re a music industry professional, a college student in Knoxville, a retiree in the Smoky Mountains, or a small business owner in Chattanooga, your bank should offer …

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1. Donor-Centered Planned Giving – Part I by John Elbare Planned gifts almost always result from strong donor relationships, yet many non-profits fail at this. When a donor feels a part of your charitable mission, planned giving becomes almost inevitable. But when donors feel neglected or ignored, planned giving is very difficult. Do you work …
1. Using Both Reason and Emotion in Grant Proposals – Part I: Reason by Lynn deLearie Successful grant proposals are often carefully crafted using both reason and emotion. This week I’ll address…The Use Of Reason. Grants are NOT no-strings-attached gifts. Grants are contracts between grantors, who provide the funds, and grantees, who perform the tasks …
June 18: Reason and Emotion in Grant Proposals – Part I: Reason by Lynn deLearie Successful grant proposals are often carefully crafted using both reason and emotion. On one hand, proposals must, logically, show how non-profits will use grant funds to effectively…. June 18: The U.S.-Style of Fundraising Can Work in Other Countries – Part …
1. Successful Proposals Find Common Ground with Funders by Jayme Sokolow In a recent issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Daniel Pink, the author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others (2012), discussed what he found in his research about fundraising. His advice is refreshingly clear and straightforward. The following is …
 Who Are Your Planned Gift Prospects? – II by John Elbare, CFP The one thing we know for sure about donor behavior is that most planned gifts come from loyal donors. By “loyal” we mean those donors who reliably donate every year. They are already sold on your mission, they believe in your cause, and …
1. The CFC and Non-Profit Sustainability – I by Bill Huddleston In their 2010 book, Non-profit Sustainability – Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability, the authors, Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka, and Steve Zimmerman, emphasized the fact that a non-profit’s “financial sustainability and programmatic sustainability cannot be separated.” It’s impossible to have a successful non-profit that …
1. Preserve Institutional Knowledge to Ensure Better Proposals by Jayme Sokolow Most of us work in or with institutions that pride themselves on their ability to identify and access information quickly, but those institutions very often have short memories. As Ron Ashkenas has pointed out in the Harvard Business Review Blog Network, although organizations “spend …