profile

Ted Bilich

For more than 35 years, I have worked with nonprofits as an attorney and consultant. I draw on that experience to provide actionable tools that nonprofits can immediately put to use to improve performance and resilience and reduce information overload. I focus on good news and cool initiatives that you can implement. Join me on the journey! The NGN newsletter (with the subscribe button immediately below) is free; NGN Premium, described in the block below that, is $15/month, and there are internal links for that in the text.) Subscribe to NGN for free today.

Nonprofit Good News-Letter Premium - Celebrating Impact and Progress

A weekly briefing of nonprofit wins and tools you can actually use now.

Real good news and practical tools every Monday—curated by a 35‑year nonprofit advisor. For just $15/month.

Why This Newsletter Exists

If you work in the nonprofit sector, your inbox is full of two things:

  • Problems
  • Vague inspiration

Neither helps you run a resilient, well‑funded organization.

The Nonprofit Good News‑letter is different. Every Monday, you receive a concise briefing that:

  • Shows real, replicable nonprofit innovations
  • Gives you practical tools and prompts you can use right away
  • Reminds you that the sector is full of progress and possibility

It’s “good news you can use.”

What You Get in Every Issue:

The Best of Nonprofit Good News

Recent examples include:

  • A free mobile clinic providing 86,000+ free patient visits (Malta House of Care).
  • AI‑powered maps 900× more detailed than prior versions (Chesapeake Conservancy + Microsoft).
  • NYC’s first free grocery vending machine offering 24/7 access to eggs, produce, and meat.
  • A pay‑what‑you‑can café in Raleigh serving 255,000+ meals while employing those experiencing homelessness.
  • Oklahoma’s Pay for Success collaborative investing $11.6M into outcomes‑based projects.
  • A guaranteed‑income pilot for homeless students in New Mexico boosting graduation to 93%.

Each story includes “Why it matters” and lessons you can adapt.

Actionable Takeaways for Your Nonprofit

Every issue comes with specific, practical ideas such as:

  • Partnering more effectively with corporate funders
  • Applying AI to eliminate operational bottlenecks
  • Designing low‑budget, high‑impact pilots
  • Using story + data to win funding
  • Bringing services to where people already are

High‑Value Tools Worth Hundreds of Dollars

Each issue includes at least one reusable tool or AI prompt, such as:

  • A corporate partner research prompt to identify & rank 25 new sponsors
  • The 300‑word micro “case for support” template
  • A “prompt engineer” tool to help you write better AI prompts
  • A “virtual mastermind” prompt with Da Vinci, Curie, Sun Tzu, Maya Angelou, etc.
  • A rigorous fact‑checking workflow using Deep Research
  • A “dream influencer” prompt to identify 10–15 local and national champions

Readers have reported 100× ROI from tools already provided.

Quick Hits You Can Implement This Week

Examples from recent issues:

  • Improve donation page load speed
  • Add a “Why I gave” social‑share prompt to your thank‑you page
  • Run a 2‑day lapsed donor sprint
  • Host an ED Q&A to deepen board trust
  • Rotate board roles to build leadership
  • Ask for Google Reviews after service delivery
  • Add a press contact line to your site
  • Encrypt laptops/phones to protect your mission

Curated Thought Pieces + Occasional Delight

Short links to articles worth your time and light‑hearted items such as:

  • Odd, clever fundraising stunts
  • Strange items to pique your interest
  • Unique moments of nonprofit creativity
  • A reminder each week that nonprofit work has joy in it, too.

Who This Is For

  • Executive Directors & CEOs
  • COOs and operations staff
  • Development teams
  • Communications staff
  • Board members
  • Nonprofit consultants
  • Foundation program officers

Who Writes It

The newsletter is written by Ted Bilich, CEO of Risk Alternatives, who has:

  • 35+ years advising nonprofits
  • Led resilience cohorts and trainings nationwide for hundreds of nonprofits
  • Worked with foundations to improve nonprofit performance and build sector resilience
  • Helped organizations strengthen governance & operations
  • Authored the revolutionary book, Managing Your Nonprofit for Resilience (find it on Amazon!)

It's Premium with Purpose

Because we want to support the sector, 20% of NGN Premium profits go to a featured nonprofit partner!

What Readers Say

"It’s where you go to think clearly about what AI is doing to our work before the rest of the conversation catches up."

— Merrick Hoben, Washington DC Office Director, Consensus Building Institute

"Just sign up and listen to Ted, he knows what he's talking about! And since my peers think I know what I'm talking about, that will go a long way!"

— Kim O'Brien, former Executive Director, Nonprofit Leadership Initiative

"Ted is a rockstar – just do it."

— Betsy Frantz, President & CEO, PathForward Virginia

“This is AMAZING Ted! The list of contacts alone is something I've been trying to find…”
— Kristie GoForth, Bikes for Kids Wisconsin

"NGN has helped me put our nonprofit in a broader context. It also offers helpful tools for planning, strategy and collaboration."
— Ginny Hughes, Rooted