"Lessons From a Well-Worn Life"
Over the years, I've run across examples of inertia among businesses and organizations that some might explain as a little nutty. The machine is not exactly humming along and things aren't going quite right. No one seems to know why, but they're not attempting to learn more, as they dig in and continue doing the…
I often feel like I'm walking on egg shells when using a term like competition. Language like it is often viewed as foreign in the nonprofit community. That's because collaboration, impact, and the common good are uppermost in all our minds. But, competition can be good; it pushes innovation and inspires progress, and competition can…
While collaboration is not new, it certainly seems to be gaining momentum. Perhaps that's because more and more people and organizations are discovering that together we're not only stronger, but we're smarter. I experienced a genuine buzz of collaboration at the Colorado Nonprofit Association's 21st Annual Fall Conference and collaborated myself with my good friend…
It must be the time of year, because lately I've seen several posts on strategic planning. Some have evocative titles like: "Does Strategic Planning Matter?", or "How Do We Keep the Plan off the Shelf?” Others are much less suggestive, placing their emphasis on tactics to make the process better. So, I guess I'll chime…
Just imagine, your organization is humming along, donations are at par with your goals, your staff is happy and motivated, and there is genuine synergy among stakeholders. What if this good situation were to go bad? What if… you were to lose a major donor, sponsor, collaborator, or key individual? What if a negative story…
Food Nutrition Foundation is a Zambian organization I am proud to have worked with now for about two years. It's been fun to watch them grow and mature and begin to shape ideas into programs and programs into community impact. They asked me what I thought about applying for the ONE Africa Award, a $100,000 award…
Guest blog post by Jerome Stiller: If you're like me, you have to be vigilant to be sure that your waistline does not keep growing as you get older, like rings on a tree. It’s tough for me because I consider pastry, ice cream, and beer to be three of the four essential food groups…
We've all experienced a rut. You fall in and it seems like all you do is spin your wheels in that proverbial ditch. It can happen with the best nonprofit boards as well. You know it’s happening when… You've been talking about revisiting your vision, mission, and values statements, for like… forever! When you've gone…
"Nonprofit organizations are stuck in a vicious cycle that threatens their ability to raise the resources they need to succeed." – "Underdeveloped", CompassPoint Like many of you, I subscribe to several industry groups and newsletters in the interest of staying on top of trends, notable wisdom, and topical conversations of interest to my community. So,…
As we are propelled head long into a new year full of uncertainty, but rich with promise, consider these 30,000' strategies to jump-start your 2013… 1. Identify your strengths and align your responsibilities. In his book, "Let My People Go Surfing," Entrepreneur, climber, and founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard professed this simple truth: "Managers have…