On Friday, July 26, I was presented with the Sig Pueschel Legacy of Service Award by Jim Hudson, executive director of the National Down Syndrome Congress. Here are my acceptance remarks: Thank you so much. Receiving an award that bears Dr. Sig Pueschel's name is one of the greatest honors of my life. One of my most vivid memories is from the 1998 NDSC Convention in Dallas. My son Wils was six years old and I remember the hotel filled with both NDSC families and a Mary Kay co

Well. This is awkward. Apparently, when you die, someone is supposed to write your obituary. And since my Girl has a well-documented tendency toward excessive wordiness—and is currently in absolutely NO condition to be trusted with this assignment—I have decided to handle it myself. You’re welcome. I am Baloo Van Bergen, a devastatingly handsome Portuguese Water Dog who entered this world on January 31, 2013, and left it on August 28, 2026, after 13½ years of supervising Amy

Special Guest Blogger Mary Sweeney Last week, Amy shared seven signs that it may be time for your organization to invest in strategic planning. It's a valuable reminder that every nonprofit needs a clear vision for where it's headed and how it plans to get there. But after the board approves the strategic plan and everyone leaves feeling energized... Then what? One of the biggest opportunities I see isn't creating the strategic plan itself—it's helping the people responsible

In just a few days, I’ll have the privilege of joining nonprofit leaders from across the country at the DSAIA Annual Conference, where I’ll be presenting on topics ranging from nonprofit fundamentals and strategic planning to governance, donor confidence, and navigating the unique challenge of wearing “two hats” as both a parent and a professional. While each session focuses on a different aspect of nonprofit leadership, they all share a common theme: strong organizations don

A recent feature in the Effingham Daily News about The Heart Theatre project reminded me of something I see often in nonprofit and community leadership work: The strongest projects are rarely just about buildings. They are about identity, belonging, history, accessibility, and the future a community wants to create together. What stood out to me most in this story was not simply the restoration of a historic theater. It was the intentional vision behind it: preserving local h

Running a Down syndrome support organization is deeply meaningful work—but it can also feel isolating, overwhelming, and complex. Many local organizations are led by passionate parents, volunteers, self-advocates, and community leaders who are balancing mission-driven work with limited time, staffing, and resources. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in nonprofit leadership is this: You do not have to figure everything out alone. There are national, regional, and

Weddings have changed so much over the past few decades, and I’ve been thinking about how much of that change is really about expectations. For many parents (especially in the boomer generation), contributing financially to a wedding historically came with a sense of responsibility—and often decision-making—around things like the guest list, traditions, and structure of the day. That wasn’t about control so much as stewardship: If we’re hosting, we help decide. Today, that li

Amy Van Bergen, nonprofit strategist and foundation adviosr Private, corporate and family foundations are deeply personal. They’re often born from a lifetime of values, lived experience, family or corporate legacy, or a desire to give back in a meaningful way. That makes the decision to hire someone to help manage one both important—and surprisingly complex. Over the years, I’ve seen foundations thrive when they hire the right person and struggle when they don’t ask the right

This post is shared from our friends at the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia where I recently had the honor and...

As I have grown as a nonprofit professional, my three favorite and most reliable sources of information on how to be the BEST nonprofit...