In the latest report in their Race to Lead survey series, the Building Movement Project (BMP) found a significant decrease in interest by BIPOC and white staffers alike in becoming the top leader of a nonprofit organization. In all three of BMP’s surveys, in 2016, 2016, and 2022, BIPOC respondents reported aspiring to lead more than their white counterparts did, although at still declining rates of interest. Despite hope that leadership “pulls,” such as encouragement, skills development, and the belief in their ability to make an impact would inspire interest in nonprofit leadership, the report finds that staff members aspiring to be the top leaders, especially BIPOC respondents, more often feel “pushed” toward leadership roles based on their desires to rectify negative organizational structures and obstacles to advancement they had experienced or seen. BMP shares more findings and trends from this third survey of the sector, and it concludes the report with some suggestions to build more “pulls” in the sector, such as demonstrating the benefits of leading and boards being more open to new leadership models to make the top-leader jobs less all-consuming and more manageable.

Nonprofit Essentials focuses on nonprofit operations and trends, so why is this edition promoting today’s free webinar about this year’s elections?  Because engaging your nonprofit’s broad community – the people you serve and interact with, including your staff, board, and volunteers – by helping them on a nonpartisan basis to have a voice in their own future by exercising their right – and duty – to vote strengthens the community, making it a healthier place for all.

Charitable nonprofit engagement in the upcoming elections is critical to shaping what will happen in the coming years, and you cannot afford for your nonprofit or the communities you serve to sit it out on the sidelines! Too many nonprofit leaders think candidates do not care or, worse, that nonprofits cannot talk to candidates or do voter engagement.

Hear from national experts about how to engage in a legal and nonpartisan way and – more importantly – why it’s to your mission’s advantage for you to engage. This is the time to tell candidates exactly what is needed to better your community, increase your impact, and be a force for good. Join this free webinar this afternoon to learn how.

Several nonprofits are reporting receiving a large, unexpected donation, supposedly made in memory of a loved one. The donation comes looking like a legitimate cashier’s check. Soon after, they are contacted by someone saying the donation wasn’t meant to be that large, and they are asked to refund a portion of it. But then the fraudulent cashier’s check bounces, leaving the nonprofit with no way to recover the amount they “refunded” to the donor.

We’ve heard scattered instances of this scam in the past, but there has been a recent uptick, with dozens of nonprofits in Montana and South Dakota, among others, reporting being targeted. Please be vigilant and share this information with others to help ensure they do not fall for this scam.

A special thank you to the Montana Nonprofit Association for not just letting us know about it, but also sharing information about the scam with local media in Montana to ensure more nonprofits are aware and can avoid being harmed.

You may have been hearing a lot recently about the Corporate Transparency Act's new reporting requirements and wondering how they apply to your nonprofit. Tax expert Steven Woolf shares the good news that most nonprofits don’t need to worry about it. But there are exceptions, mostly in situations when a nonprofit’s tax exemption is revoked or when subsidiaries or joint ventures are created.

In the article “Leaders Do Not Abandon DEI Initiatives,” Dr. Stella M. Nkomo shares why leaders should not retreat in the face of political, cultural, ideological, and legislative resistance to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Citing numerous studies, Dr. Nkomo makes the case for why this work is vital, is beneficial, and must continue.

Hundreds of people visit our job board each day, where they find thousands of nonprofit jobs across the country like those in this recent sampling. Browse jobs or list openings at your nonprofit.