There are lots of rules that are unique to nonprofits. Keeping them all in mind can be a challenge. This post is about 5 very important nonprofit “no-nos” that are really important. Sometimes people forget these basic rules because they aren’t paying much attention to the 990 tax return. Many charities forget these rules because they also just believe “If I am doing good work in the world but accidentally cross a line, we can address it then.” or “Perhaps the powers that be will be lenient since we are doing good work.”

Immediately after the election of Donald Trump as President, many people were worried about potential restrictions on civil liberties for LGBTQ people, women, immigrants, communities of color, and certainly Arab and Muslim populations.

The word “capacity” is nebulous for many people. It’s like saying “organizational infrastructure” or “intersectionality.” It can seem like jargon; it may be hard to define but you kinda think you’d know it when you see it…maybe. For folks newer to these terms, or afraid to raise their hand to ask, “what exactly do you mean by ‘capacity’” here’s a list!

One of the biggest mistakes I made as a first-time executive director (ED) was getting too cocky. I knew I was a strong fundraiser and I was on a very good streak in my first 5 months on the job. I took over after a multi-month gap with no executive director and the organization was losing money. It was also in debt and then the national economy collapsed around me. This was August of 2008.