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MYTH: I am going to be president of my nonprofit and make $100,000 a year!

Much has been said about a shift in how we describe the communities we serve. Instead of writing a classic “problem statement” detailing what is wrong, or missing, we’re urged to write instead about what’s right--what strengths a community already has that it can build on. This “asset-based” approach doesn’t deny that work needs to be done, it simply affirms the resources and resilience that already exist.

MYTH: Nonprofit and tax-exempt mean the same thing. MYTH: I own my nonprofit.

Don’t forget to calculate the value of volunteers who make the program work—drivers to take people to and from their destinations, corporate employees who show up to work with students. It’s important to present a budget that accurately demonstrates what a program actually costs, even if some of those costs are covered by volunteer work or in-kind contributions.

It is easy to get swallowed up by the day-to-day challenges of funding, managing, evaluating, directing and refreshing a contemporary nonprofit organization. Those whose work is dedicated to helping others might take a moment to help themselves with reminders of the tradition they serve.

There is widespread agreement that a proposal for a grant carries with it the aspirations and expectations of a lot of different people—our current shorthand is “stakeholders”—but sometimes we refer to them without thinking about who they really are.

Good news! You’ve submitted a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) and been invited to follow up with a full proposal. Now it’s time to actually write the thing. Here’s a system for making sure that your proposal is inclusive, accurate and compelling. It takes a little time but it’s worth it.

There comes a time when a proposal needs to include a logic model. Many foundations don’t require one but an increasing number are asking applicants to go beyond objectives and show, in a descriptive chart, the route you plan to take to get to the destination.

You meet a local business owner at the soccer game and you congratulate her for her kid’s inside touch and scissor kick. After the proud parental handshake, you’re walking to your cars and she asks “what’s your work?” Here it is—a chance to tell a local leader about your nonprofit. The only problem is that you’ve got to do it in about a minute or less.

Great writers agree: it’s harder to write short than write long. Mark Twain said “a two-hour presentation, I am ready today. . .a five-minute speech will take two weeks to prepare.” Thoreau said “Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short.”