Nothing communicates the importance of your nonprofit’s mission like a good story—not statistics, not strategic plans, not financial statements, not even your mission statement. It’s all about stories. Real life stories connect us emotionally, stirring our sense of possibility and yearning for purpose.

There are certainly many benefits to volunteering. The beauty of it all is that while you are helping others, you are also actually helping yourself.

Is your nonprofit taking complete advantage of Santa Barbara Foundation’s Express Grants? Find out how these little jewels can add tremendous value to an organization by focusing on capacity building activities.

Executives from 36 local nonprofit organizations crowded into the Alumni Room at the University Club this week eager to hear Pam Lewis, Hutton Parker Foundation’s COO, report on the foundation’s history, current activities, and future plans.

Some people know Peter Karoff as founder of The Philanthropic Initiative, others as the wise advisor to donors, and foundations and many local nonprofits, still others as a long-time member of Social Venture Partners. The lucky ones have heard Karoff recite his beloved poems at public gatherings and address meetings of funders or nonprofits. You will enjoy his wise counsel and appreciate his profound intellectual curiosity.

Ever wonder why some nonprofits seem to always have great boards while others consistently flounder? Stellar boards don’t just happen by accident. It takes lots of planning, relationship building, and training. If you diligently follow these few best practices you, too, can build a superb board.

Having a clear plan, a strong team and re-energized commitment will ensure your organization’s fundraising success in the new year.

It’s all about choices—that’s what we tell the kids at PAL. These kids are looking at colleges and are making good choices even though they come from poor families. They get tutored, they go camping, and they are making right choices in spite of what they see around them. They realize a life of crime doesn’t have to be their destiny. Every nonprofit can look for ways to help our young people make good choices.

For next year, let’s break that failed resolution cycle! Let’s set our yearly leadership development goals and put some best practices in place to help us achieve those goals.

Our extremely successful, yet compassionate, Chief of Police, Camerino Sanchez, adamantly declares that we will never be successful in completely eradicating homelessness. But we must be faithful every day in trying to save all we can.