New from Make It Count: The Think Rich! Entrepreneurial Thinking for Nonprofits seminar is now available. You can buy it now, choice of ebook or audio with transcript directly from my secure shopping cart. Just follow the links from the page.

A recent book by two esteemed business consultants offers more lessons from business for nonprofit organizations. This time, in an accompanying article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review they have teamed up with a nonprofit leader to analyze common practices of highly successful organizations, private and not-for-profit sector alike. I haven’t yet completed the book, but offer the following four principles they say that all interviewed leaders followed. After each one I include my comment.

The cost of service should always decline over time – in other words, it should cost you less over time to do the things you do, well. You should not have to reinvent the wheel – your routine activity should be like a fine tuned and efficient, precision machine! This allows you to do more with your existing resources.

Your market position defines your options – if you’re a big fish in a small pond, you will make the biggest splash. But if you’re a minnow swimming with sharks, you’ll get swallowed. In other words, focus on your strengths, and find yourself a pond that fits you if your efforts are falling flat.

Your client and funding pool does not stand still – recognize that your donors, as well  as the people who benefit from your services, have needs and interests that change over time. As a nonprofit, you are wise to be ahead of both. For example, if demographics are changing the face of your organization’s clientele, you either have to bring along your existing donors whose priorities may remain elsewhere, or find new donors who are interested in your emerging areas.

Simplicity gets results – once again, simplicity rules – trying to be all things to all people never works!

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A while ago I wrote about the HR Council of Canada and their survey of the nonprofit sector. New resources are now available on the Council's revamped website, including toolkits and links. Best of all information is clearly identified starting at first click - you can choose from manager, employee or board member resources.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals is seeking nonprofit organizations to participate in its survey which closes soon.

Canadian nonprofits are urgently needed -- there was not enough data collected in past years to publish viable findings. Please participate so that Canadian information is available.

TechSoup Stock has GiftWorks fundraising software available now for a low cost. Offers are subject to change so if you are a small organization that needs software, don't delay.