Blogs Archives - Page 2 of 4 - The Management Centre

Being new – 5 things you need to do

I started my new job as a consultant at =mc today. And one of the first things they asked me to do was to write a blog… So I decided that I needed to learn from my past experience of changing jobs. After all I have done this before First I noticed there are two […]

Thinking Big – and Unrestricted

=mc held a thought leadership seminar in Geneva two weeks ago to discuss a major concern among all INGOs and UN Agencies: how to raise unrestricted income, especially now with governmental funds reducing. Participants included senior figures from a number of key agencies including UNHCR, International HIV/AIDS Alliance, WWF, CARE International, IFRC, International Diabetes Federation, […]

The MENA Blogs Part 2 – Birds of the Revolution

This blog post is the second in a series of posts from =mc’s Senior Associate Consultant Laurence Brady, who is currently undertaking an exciting piece of fundraising work in the Middle East and North Africa. During his time on the project, Laurence will be writing regular blog posts in a series called ‘The MENA Blogs’. […]

Using Strategic Planning Tools for Fundraising

Is your organisation competing in a Red Ocean or Blue Ocean? Put simply, Red Ocean & Blue Ocean are two different ways of comparing the strategy of an organisation in relation to the territory they are competing in. Red Ocean Strategy sees an organisation fighting for a share of the demand in a market which […]

12 Books for Non-profit Managers

12 Books for Non-profit Managers We take a look at 12 books recommended by =mc as being thought pieces, influencers and guides for non-profit managers and emerging managers. Add to the list by leaving us a comment. 1. Managing at the Leading Edge by Mike Hudson This is a great insight into organisational thinking for […]

5 Top Tips From a Fundraising Fellow

This November we were pleased to have the Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Fellows on our National Arts Fundraising School programme. The Fellowship is the first of its kind in the UK, and hopes to create the next generation of leading Development Directors with an entrepreneurial expertise, to make a significant difference to the arts fundraising […]

The MENA Blogs Part 3 – The Sunflower of Beirut

The Sunflower of Beirut Close to the Palestinian city camps and the Hezbollah district in Beirut is an area called Tayouneh. Here, many building still bear the scars and holes of the Lebanese civil war. In the heart of the community is The Sunflower Theatre, home to SHAMS, a name which means ‘Youth, Theatre, and […]

The MENA Blogs Part 4 – Driving Lessons in Lebanon

This blog post is the fourth in a series of posts from =mc’s Senior Associate Consultant Laurence Brady, who is currently undertaking an exciting piece of fundraising work in the Middle East and North Africa. During his time on the project, Laurence will be writing regular blog posts in a series called ‘The MENA Blogs’. […]

The MENA Blogs Part 5 – The King’s Speech

This blog post is the Fifth in a series of posts from =mc’s Senior Associate Consultant Laurence Brady, who is currently undertaking an exciting piece of fundraising work in the Middle East and North Africa. During his time on the project, Laurence will be writing regular blog posts in a series called ‘The MENA Blogs’. […]

Action Learning Sets: making behaviour change stick

How often do you send your staff on training programmes only to discover that down the line, nothing really seems to have improved or changed, either in skill, practice or results? While you might be able to claim back the money for the course – you’ll never be able to get back the two or […]

The MENA Blogs Part 6 – Instructions for the Crossing

This blog post is the sixth in a series of posts from =mc’s Senior Associate Consultant Laurence Brady, who is currently undertaking an exciting piece of fundraising work in the Middle East and North Africa. During his time on the project, Laurence will be writing regular blog posts in a series called ‘The MENA Blogs’. […]

The MENA Blogs Part 9 – Marwan’s Story

This blog post is the ninth in a series of posts from =mc’s Senior Associate Consultant Laurence Brady, who is currently undertaking an exciting piece of fundraising work in the Middle East and North Africa. During his time on the project, Laurence will be writing regular blog posts in a series called ‘The MENA Blogs’. […]

Being productive – 5 ways of staying on track

Dealing with a seemingly never ending to-do list and constant interruptions can seem overwhelming at times – read on to discover ways of thriving in a busy environment with this blog by Yvette Gyles, Learning & Development Consultant at =mc: Being Productive – 5 ways of staying on track Staying productive is tricky. We all […]

Beyond the Induction — 5 things you need to do to help your colleague

The latest post from our new Learning and Development consultant Yvette Gyles is around what you can do to help out a new colleague. Following on from the post I wrote last week, I’ve been thinking about the support I’ve been getting in my first few days here at =mc. I’ve had great support, and […]

National Arts Fundraising School Alumni – our greatest challenges

In this blog, =mc Consultant Philly Graham writes about the recent reunion event held for 20 arts fundraising professionals who have been on the National Arts Fundraising School (a week long residential programme run by The Management Centre). There was a great gathering of minds last week, while some of the National Arts Fundraising School alumni came […]

Don’t fundraise in India, train fundraisers in India

In this post, guest blogger John Godfrey shares his thoughts on fundraising in India. John is a fundraising consultant and trainer in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and India. As well he is a PhD candidate at Swinburne University, Melbourne researching HNWI philanthropists in India. He blogs and writes articles for fundraising publications including NPQuarterly Newswires. He […]

5 Lessons from the Battersea Arts Centre Phoenix Fund

In this blog, =mc fundraising consultant David Burgess looks at Battersea Arts Centre’s Phoenix Fund campaign (born after the devastating fire in the Grand Hall) and discusses what worked well and how other organisations can learn from it. 5 Lessons from the Battersea Arts Centre Phoenix Fund The fire that devastated the Grand Hall at […]

Emergency giving – a personal view

In this blog, =mc Director Angela Cluff gives a personal perspective on fundraising appeals, and the impact of statistics versus individual stories on giving. It’s been a busy few days, so good to relax on the sofa, glass of wine in one hand, football on in the background and catching up on Twitter. This caught […]

Why do projects fail?

In this blog =mc‘s L&D consultant Philly Graham shares ideas on why certain projects fail and what you can do to avoid this. Why do projects fail? Depressing though it is, I think we can all say we have been involved in a project that has gone wrong in some shape or form. But do […]

Four ways to ensure learning transfer

In this blog, =mc’s Senior Learning & Development Consultant Charlotte Scott shares four ways of ensuring that the learning you’ve invested in is passed on and applied throughout your organisation. If you’ve spent time and money on training and development (or are thinking about doing so), this blog is a must-read! Four Ways to Ensure […]

7 things to think about when managing challenging people

In this blog =mc’s Senior L&D consultant Yvette Gyles looks at 7 key questions to help you work out how best to manage challenging people. As a manager, one of the most difficult things to deal with is managing ‘challenging’ people, whether it’s because you don’t get on with them on a personal level, or […]

How can I engage people in my change?

In this blog, =mc‘s Senior Learning & Development Consultant Charlotte Scott shares insights on how to engage staff throughout a change process, by first analysing what’s driving the change. How can I engage people in my change? Question: From Charity CEO: We are a growing organisation, and our programme work has grown significantly in the […]

How do I build a successful career journey?

In this blog, our new Learning & Development Consultant Laura Slater shares three key ideas for creating a successful career path… How do I build a successful career journey? From Forest Ranger to Learning & Development Consultant in six years is quite a journey. It’s a journey that has taken me to exactly where I […]

How do I find out what makes my staff tick?

In this blog, Senior Learning & Development Consultant Charlotte Scott shares practical advice on how to motivate your teams. I want my team to feel motivated in their roles – what can I do? It’s generally agreed that motivation is a Good Thing – and a topic all managers think about at some point. Motivated […]

Behavioural Economics in fundraising: Time to get on board?

=mc director Bernard Ross and Omar Mahmoud Chief of Market Intelligence, UNICEF International presented a session at the National Fundraising Convention on behavioural economics. Below Omar Mahmoud suggests some of the issues they talked about. Based around their forthcoming book Change for Good, Using Behavioural Economics for a Better World. Behavioural economics – why it’s time for […]

Innovation in Action

In this blog, =mc‘s Senior Learning & Development Consultant Yvette Gyles shares 5 ideas for improving innovation, and how these steps are already helping organisations such as ActionAid. We’re good at coming up with ideas in my organisation – the creative bit – but they never seem to get off the drawing board. Where are we going […]

Creating a culture of individual giving in the Arts

In this blog =mc Fundraising Consultant David Burgess offers practical ways that Arts & Cultural organisations can introduce a culture of individual giving rather than relying on large (and increasingly fewer) grants, and why it’s necessary to adapt in the current climate. Creating a culture of individual giving in the Arts Sunday 26 April was […]

Once again charities are being accused of irresponsible behaviour towards vulnerable donors. What should we be doing to avoid this?

In this blog, =mc Director and Fundraising expert Angela Cluff discusses the impact of the recent Olive Cooke story on charities and non-profits. Discover (or remind yourself) what works, what doesn’t, and what’s best for your donors… Whatever the truth of the circumstances behind the sad death of Olive Cooke it raises serious issues for […]

5 Things I learnt from my New York trip

In this guest blog we’re delighted to introduce Beth Bate, a 2014/15 Clore Leadership Fellow and Director of Great North Run Culture in Newcastle upon Tyne. She’s also an Alumna of the National Arts Fundraising School run by =mc. Find out what she thought of the School in this NAFS video blog. 5 Things I learnt from my […]

Social Investment and Social Enterprises in the arts

In this blog, =mc Fundraising consultant David Burgess shares his thoughts on Social Investment as a means of arts fundraising following Peter Bazalgette’s article in the Independent. Peter Bazalgette’s piece in The Independent (Wednesday 10 June 2015) about the Arts Impact Fund has got a lot of people talking about Social Investment, Social Enterprises and […]

Check out our book on Breakthrough Thinking

Breakthrough Thinking for Non-profit Organizations is based on a simple but challenging idea: “Good performance” is no longer good enough for non-profits. In a world of increasing demands that must be met, non-profits must set and achieve breakthrough goals Bernard Ross and Clare Segal show non-profit managers and board members how to transform their thinking […]

Have you seen our latest book?

Clare Segal and I offer an alternative effective model for asking and influencing potential donors and peers, using the latest techniques developed in the neural and psychological sciences. In this groundbreaking book we show you how to: make a compelling ask to mid– and high–value donors win board members over to a new campaign strategy […]

Innovation Roles for Innovation Managers

So you want to help….Innovation Roles for Innovation Managers I’ve been doing lot of work lately for charities on innovation – which Philip Kotler calls “the only sustainable advantage.” The work covers big charities like UNICEF International and smaller ones like the RNIB, a UK disability charity. We’ve been doing a number of different things […]

‘They call me Naughty Lola’… credibility and charity

At Winnipeg airport on my way home… and having a think. I’ve just been working with an outstanding group of senior non-profit leaders here in Winnipeg on the issue of Personal Presence and Credibility – organised by AFP Manitoba. (BTW 5 stars to them for speaker care.) We talked in my session about cool ‘tricksy’ […]

Wild West and Change

Next week I’m running, with colleagues, the =mc consultancy skills programme. It’s full of cool stuff on innovation, strategy, financial analysis etc. All the cool stuff is …cool. But the most important sessions in the programme, I think are on change. And the more I help in change settings with NGOs the more I feel […]

Leadership Lessons from the Titanic for Charities

It’s today- April 14th. The date the Titanic sank. In case you’ve been living on another planet for the last 100 years you should know that today, on her maiden voyage, the pride of the White Star Line hit an iceberg 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. Within two hours and 40 minutes the […]

2. Change Series: The 8-Step Approach to Change

In my last blog I wrote about the key drivers for change. This blog focuses on a well-established model for change. The most commonly used, and easy to adapt, model is that developed by US management consultant and Harvard Professor John Kotter. Originally developed for business, we have found it useful for charities and other […]

3. Change Series: Applying the 8-Step Approach

The 8-step model seems very straightforward when you explain it as in my second blog. But it’s less easy to implement. Let’s go through each step in a little more detail. Step 1: Create Urgency “Orchestrating pain messages throughout the institution is the first step in developing organizational commitment to (major) change.” Rosabeth Moss Kantor […]

1. Change Series: Why Change?

“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” Niccolo Machiavelli – The Prince. Machiavelli’s words, written in the 15th century, have a resonance for us today. They tell us that […]

The next big thing?

Maybe it’s just ‘end of the year’ fever. But there seems to be a lot of interweb chatter about the Next Big Thing. Usually the answer seems to be very general like ‘social media’ or sometimes as simple as ‘twitter’. (Try #nonprofit2010 and see the flood.) I’m not sure. As a consultant who writes book […]

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