Danosky & Associates

Consulting for Non-profit Organizations

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D&A’s Female Inspirations

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We have experienced a lot since last March. While we as a nation still have a lot of healing to do, we also have to remember where our strength comes from.

It’s Women’s History Month, and we at Danosky and Associates have taken some time to reflect on some of the inspirational female figures we each look to for strength. Putting together this list of incredible women has given us some time to appreciate how powerful female figures can have a positive impact on our mindset, so we encourage all of our readers to do the same!

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Gift Acceptance Policy Template

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Late one evening I received an e-mail from a former client, asking how to turn down a contribution they didn’t feel was aligned with their organization’s values.  A few days later an interesting article appeared in Philanthropy Today, from the Chronicle of Philanthropy.  Nonprofits risk their reputations when they accept gifts from questionable donors. It is one of the reasons for having a Gift Acceptance Policy and a Gift Acceptance Committee.  These issues are seldom black or white.  Basically, you want the ability to direct these questionable contributions to the Board, through a Committee and not have the responsibility (or blame) for accepting or not accepting a potentially controversial gift fall on the shoulders of your Executive Director of President.  I’ve linked the article above, and also included a template for a Gift Acceptance Policy which has seen many revisions over the years. 

Sample Gift Acceptance PolicyDownload

Just LOVE!

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By Atka Danosky

Just LOVE!

There are some humans that have a problem with other humans who do not look like they look.

And there are some humans that have a problem with other humans who do not live where they live.

And there are some humans that have a problem with other humans who do not speak like they speak.

When a dog meets a human, we welcome them with exuberant joy and an open heart filled and ready to love.  We run to greet them, tails wagging, tongue hanging, spinning in circles, leaping and jumping…Yes. Full of exuberant joy!

Hmmm…Humans spend a lot of time and money teaching dogs how to behave.  Maybe it is time we teach them how to… just LOVE!   It makes you so much happier.

Thoughts to ponder…..

Atka,

Director of Goodwill

Continuing the Conversation

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By Sharon Danosky

When you are engaging in conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion, it is important to think in terms of an ongoing dialogue and one that consistently looks at your organization’s purpose through a racial equity lens. Here are some questions we have developed that can keep the conversations going:

• Have a dialogue at your board meeting about your mission and vision and what does that mean in terms of being more inclusive?

• Understand the diversity within your community and among the people you serve. How is that community represented in your board decision-making?

• Have a meaningful discussion around values as they relate to diversity, equity and inclusion. Articulate those values and transform them into a heartfelt diversity statement

• Who currently serves on your board? What is your goal for the future make-up of your board? Discuss whether or not you want to set a goal you can work toward or just be vigilant as you recruit. Make it an authentic effort, not one that meets a quota

• Create a pipeline of diverse, qualified people with different skills and talents, so that when an opening occurs you can fill it with the best fit rather than looking for a warm body

• Avoid tokenism. Each board member, regardless of their color or ethnicity, represents one person’s views and does not speak for an entire race or culture. The goal is to have diverse thought around the board table, and to do that you must recruit a truly diverse board

Leading Your Organization on a Journey Toward Racial Equity

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By Matthew Krumholtz

2020 amplified the need for nonprofit organizations to assess their own journeys toward promoting racial equity. From the uprisings for racial justice in the summer of last year, to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last month, the importance of diversity and racial equity to the work of nonprofits is only growing more urgent. 


Does your organization listen to the voices and perspectives of people from underserved or underrepresented communities? To what extent is racial equity a core part of the organization’s strategic and operational functions, or does it only exist as a page in a policy document?


We encourage nonprofit clients to consider racial equity holistically and to understand how their vision, mission, and services can align with their learning journey around diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that applying a racial equity lens across all areas of your organization will strengthen internal policies and practices as well as deepen external impact. 


The National Council of Nonprofits has assembled a useful and informative guide that organizations can use to start these conversations with staff and board members. They include questions to help develop a DE&I Action Plan, as well as practical tools to lead these assessments in your organization.

Our Mission

We provide nonprofits the guidance, support and tools necessary to build a better world.

Our Vision

Every nonprofit will have the capacity to fulfill their missions and make the world a better place. 

Who We Are

Danosky & Associates is an action-oriented, results driven consulting firm that builds nonprofit capacity, applied through an equity lens with innovative strategies for an ever-emerging future. 

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