In September, Spokes hosted its first Operations Officer Roundtable, spotlighting Financial Clarity in Uncertain Times. Attendees heard from Erin Hoffman of Collaboration Business Consulting, who shared practical tips for staying resilient—like diversifying income, tracking key numbers, and keeping your team and board aligned.
Access her handout here, and watch for details on our next Operations Officer Roundtable, happening January 2026.
Every year, nonprofit boards face the responsibility of reviewing the salary of their CEO or Executive Director. A thoughtful approach ensures fairness, compliance, and organizational sustainability. Spokes’ new guidance sheet highlights six essentials for boards: staying compliant with IRS rules, reviewing market data, assessing organizational health, evaluating leadership performance, supporting retention, and using a clear, documented process.
To complement this, we’ve prepared a companion snapshot of regional inflation and San Luis Obispo County cost-of-living data. With CPI currently around 3% and local housing costs more than double the national average, boards have the context they need to consider reasonable cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). Together, these resources give boards a transparent, data-driven framework for making confident salary decisions.
Download the full 2-page guidance sheet here.
Spokes members also have access to a regional compensation survey. Log into your Spokes account to request access.
Does your nonprofit currently enjoy a Microsoft 365 Business Premium grant? If so, not for long. The company announced this program will expire September 1, 2025.
Capital Campaign Pro’s Steven Shattuck has written a concise blog post that outlines the changes and suggests some alternatives. It also has a link to join an effort to convince Microsoft to reverse course.
Techsoup has current information on what nonprofit discounts will still be available if you qualify and want to continue your use of Microsoft 365.
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Spokes welcomes local professionals who would like to share their expertise in support of the nonprofit sector.
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