It's the most wonderful time of the year- yes, but for many it can also be a stressful time of the year as well. With this in mind, here are a few simple tips for stress proofing your Christmas season.

Be generous...to yourself: The holidays are a time of giving and gratitude, but don't forget about yourself and your health. Stress has been proven to be bad for your heart, heart rate, blood pressure and can make certain chronic diseases, like arthritis and diabetes, even worse. So don't let shopping be your only exercise this holiday season. Schedule time for yourself once a week at the gym. Splurge on a yoga class or two, or just allow yourself time for a quiet walk or jog around the block. Make sure you get the nutrition you need-when was the last time you had a full day's ...

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First, let’s talk a little bit about the importance of developing an effective nonprofit board.

Board development seems to be one of the most frequently written about topics for nonprofits, and with good reason. Here are some of the reasons:

·        Without a strong board of directors, the executive director and staff are expected to not only have the vision for what the organization can become, but also to do all of the work.

·        An effective board can provide a foundation for the mission of the organization and a framework of expectations that make it possible for the management, staff, and volunteers to focus upon the day-to-day tasks of making that mission a reality.

·        The bottom line: Without a strong board, nonprofit organizations show limited success in meeting both client and community need.

Steps to Board Building
Building an effective board is similar to creating a winning sports team. Recruiting ...

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The Seven Deadly Sins of Recruiting Volunteers
by Thomas W. McKee

The scene: Tuesday night at our monthly membership meeting. A frantic staff member stands before the group of about 300 members and says, "If we don't get any volunteers for this program, we will assume that you aren't interested, and we'll just cancel it."

Some over-worked members feel guilty and raise their hands. Others groan and say, "The trouble with our organization is that no one wants to get involved." Others say, under their breath, "Good, it's about time we cancel some of our activities."

Sound familiar? We've all seen it happen. Well, if you are going to mess up in your volunteer program, you might as well mess up bad. By committing one of the following seven sins, you not only chase members away, but you burn them out.

Sin One: Expect Announcements ...