Thomas J. Tierney

“This, in turn, only reinforces the unrealistically low assumptions that kicked off the cycle in the first place. And so the cycle repeats itself. Over time, funders expect grantees to do more and more with less and less. These leadership and funding challenges intersect in troubling ways. Nonprofit leaders are typically under relentless pressure to raise money to support existing programs and, if they are truly fortunate, to innovate, improve, and do more. As a result, they’re perpetually in “sell mode,” externally focused and intent on persuading people to contribute their money, time, and influence. Even the most successful nonprofits usually have to raise the funds for each year’s operating budget anew. Their leaders never forget that if they come up short in that effort, the organization’s very existence may be imperiled.”
― Thomas J. Tierney, Give Smart: Philanthropy that Gets Results