Here's a pop quiz. What is the definition of pro bono? Is it: (a) services performed at no charge? or (b) for the public good? We've come to think of pro bono as a synonym for "free" or "no charge",...
Introduction Lola began her project to develop a donor database about eight months ago. When she started the project, the database was to include only people who had donated to the agency. However, the programmer recently put in functionalities related...
Introduction Many concepts presented here build on a previous article by the same author. Read "Bad things that can happen to good people: Identifying project risks" for some more background. As Lola sat down in the café where I was...
Organizational capacity has been defined by the Panel on Accountability and Governance in the Voluntary Sector as "the human and financial resources, technology, skills, knowledge and understanding required to permit organizations to do their work and fulfill what is expected...
Introduction I just about rolled off my chair at the restaurant when Lola asked whether I had ever run into an unexpected situation that threatened to derail a project. As I wiped tears of laughter from my eyes, I wondered...
Introduction We all know that the only constant is change. If you've been wondering how to manage change within your organization this article may provide some answers. The Common Change Model & Why It Doesn't Work The common model of...
Introduction Robert Burns insightfully noted, "The best laid schemes of mice and men oft go agley." He probably was not writing about project management in that poem, but this particular line could apply to almost any project ever conceived. The...
Introduction Lola was excited to begin her project to create a donors' database. Now that she had defined the why and what of the project, created a project plan, and understood the relationship among budget, schedule, and scope, she was...
Introduction Lola met with her executive director last week to discuss the donors' database that had to be completed by the new year so that the organization could use it during a fundraising campaign. Lola was concerned that the timeline...
This article is the second in a series that will look at some of the issues related to managing projects within the not-for-profit and public sectors. It focuses on providing you with more practical tips and tools that can be...

