Not Just a Placard for Your Wall: How to Use Your Vision Every Day
Your vision. You struggle writing it word by word. When you finally get it right, you display it on your website, grants, and brochures. You refer to it when you work with your staff and board.
Vision is the fuel of your nonprofit engine. It’s your destination. It’s why you continue when the odds are against you. (See How to Write a Vision Statement.)
You already incorporate your vision into your work. How might you harness even more of …
The Magic of Small Gifts | Will You Make 2019 Your Year?
Over the last several years, I’ve noticed that my holiday and birthday packages are shrinking. No, I’m not getting diamonds, rubies, and emeralds-exactly.
Moreover, I blame my presents diminishing size on my parents. They were raised during the Depression and taught me a do-it-yourself mentality. With books, magazines, and YouTube, you can learn many things.
I realize I’ve been doing things the hard way. I’m wasting time and money. Doing-it-yourself requires you to suss out reliable resources. The poor-to-helpful stuff …
Nonprofit Career Moves – Should You Seek a Development or CEO Position?
A client asked about potential career moves. She was toying with pursuing a development position vs. an executive director role. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? From my perspective, as an advisor and mentor to individuals in the philanthropic arena, here are the top benefits and drawbacks of each position.
CEO
CEO Position Advantages
You determine and follow your vision for the future
Varied activities, including executing the mission, managing people, organizing revenue
Most people are afraid of fundraising, right? What IF fundraising is not actually the source of their fears, but something else is? What if that something is under your control? When you the why behind people’s fear, you can help them conquer their apprehensions and, instead, use the energy to help grow your revenue.
If you have any advice on how to grow nonprofit resources and revenue, please leave a comment under this post to share them with others.
Surviving Vision Block: How to Turn Your Crushing Experiences into Wins
I was pinned under a 200-pound guy, and he had scissors. The volunteer assignment was simple: help a young man with developmental disabilities to learn a new skill, one-on-one. We were working on learning scissor use.
How did I end up flailing on the floor needing assistance?
I had a clear goal for my college volunteering experience: Explore different ways to help people reach excellence.
What I didn’t anticipate were my physical limits. I am what fashion designers call petite …
Nonprofit Wipe Outs on the Way to Big Dreams: How Visions Clobber Entrepreneurial Nonprofit Leaders
Visions matter. Visions are the DNA of success, of monumental change, of dreams–coming true.
Visions inform the world. They energize labor and recruit resources. Moreover, like a tunnel leading to your grand entrance, visions align friends and supporters and their energies in one direction.
However, and you knew this was coming . . .
Visions Can Destroy the work of Entrepreneurial Nonprofit Leaders
How is it possible that your vision, universally perceived as good, might destroy good works? Visions when …
Establish Board Boundaries, Get your Life Back and How to Start Board Office Hours
Why do your board members call you evenings and weekends? Step into their lives for a minute. Since most board members work, it’s natural for them to focus on their volunteer activities during non-working hours. If people call you regularly on weekends and evenings, for non-emergency matters, it’s because you’ve failed to set healthy professional boundaries.
Yes, the board’s your boss. You want to be available, but not at the cost of your life balance. Your downtime improves your health. …
New Twists on Practical Business Philanthropy, How to Make Your Sponsorships Standout This Year
At a recent meeting, Kevin Cooper, head of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, did a brilliant job of thanking his sponsor. In his remarks, he acknowledged the sponsor, and also cited how the sponsor exemplified the day’s topic. Similarly, when Lori Ruth, with the Observer Media Group, introduced me at a pro-bono speech in December, she based her comments on my in-depth bio and what she learned from interviewing me.
Both introductions differed significantly from the typical, mind-numbing, “Let’s all …
When we’re together I always ask each of my young adult sons to breakfast, one-on-one. Since I’m paying, they always order the works–which is good. It gives us more time to be together. My goal is to close the distance that’s come between our lives since they lived at home. I also want to catch up, offer advice (if sought–yes!), explore their goals, heartaches, and fears, and to have fun.
We are people who can have and achieve several goals …
Your vision. You struggle writing it word by word. When you finally get it right, you display it on your website, grants, and brochures. You refer to it when you work with your staff and board.
Why do your board members call you evenings and weekends? Step into their lives for a minute. Since most board members work, it’s natural for them to focus on their volunteer activities during non-working hours. If people call you regularly on weekends and evenings, for non-emergency matters, it’s because you’ve failed to set healthy professional boundaries.
At a recent meeting, Kevin Cooper, head of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, did a brilliant job of thanking his sponsor. In his remarks, he acknowledged the sponsor, and also cited how the sponsor exemplified the day’s topic. Similarly, when Lori Ruth, with the Observer Media Group, introduced me at a pro-bono speech in December, she based her comments on my in-depth bio and what she learned from interviewing me.
When we’re together I always ask each of my young adult sons to breakfast, one-on-one. Since I’m paying, they always order the works–which is good. It gives us more time to be together. My goal is to close the distance that’s come between our lives since they lived at home. I also want to catch up, offer advice (if sought–yes!), explore their goals, heartaches, and fears, and to have fun. 
