As the U.S. federal government approaches the January 1 “fiscal cliff” deadline, there continues to be discussion around closing tax “loopholes” in an effort to increase tax receipts. As has been discussed previously, the charitable gift deduction has gotten swept up into this conversation. It would appear that there are 4 ways in which the…
Month: December 2012
Why Are You Here?
Why have you chosen a career in development, constituent relations, communications, advancement, or non-profit leadership? Why are you here? What is your purpose? Heavy questions, I know. But do you wrestle with these questions every once in a while? If not, you should. This past Friday at lunch, I wrestled with these questions. I was…
Ask The Right Question First
As a consultant, I’m regularly asked by clients and prospective clients a version of the question, “what would you suggest we do?” And while a satisfying answer to that question might seem sufficient or even helpful at the time, it really is neither in the long-term. It’s really the wrong question. Instead, the better question…
Making the Novel Familiar
You know the song “Hey Ya!” by OutKast – that funky, hip-hop/big band swing sounding song that earned a Grammy and sold 5.5 million albums. You probably have caught yourself humming the tune or even singing, “Hey Yaaaaaa.” But did you know that “Hey Ya!” was a flop at first? If you’re a Target shopper,…
A Parachute For Your Trip Over The Fiscal Cliff
I’m not sure what exactly will happen on January 1, 2013, should our esteemed elected officials in Washington, D.C., fail to pass some sort of legislation to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” We are told that taxes will be increased, at least for those making over $250,000 per year. We are told that large spending cuts…