Not long ago, I presented a webinar for Bloomerang on Organizational Planning in Times of Uncertainty. One of the questions that came up was how to meet, receive and be present for the challenging moment that we’re in: In our turbulent time, so many leaders, friends and colleagues are struggling [...]
2020 has been a year for the ages. Not only are we dealing with a global pandemic, but also civil unrest, a shrinking economy, partisan politics, and environmental disasters, leading to uncertainty about 2021. Not only does this create unease in our personal lives, but also professionally, and across all [...]
We are in a worldwide panic -- fear and anxiety are breeding faster than anything else. This is our call. And we need to answer the call. This means it’s time to go on a quest. Are you ready? What’s the hero’s journey? Joseph Campbell describes the beginning of the [...]
At many fundraising conferences, attendees say they would like to hear more from their peers sharing what works for them on the ground, in the trenches. The voices of practitioners are often under-represented on the roster. As a practitioner who has spoken many times at fundraising conferences and events, I’d [...]
Prior to the pandemic, nonprofit professionals were often guilty of treating self-care as a low priority, with no thought for self-care tips. With many of us suddenly finding ourselves working from home earlier this year, additional challenges arose to taking care of oneself to be able to effectively serve others. [...]
Perhaps the most challenging concept for corporations to implement is that of “Corporate social responsibility.” This is a corporation's willingness and ability to be socially responsible and help the community – both the local community they serve as well as more marginalized global communities. The concept of philanthropy however is [...]
It’s hard to imagine a time before GPS and Google Maps, even back before the days of those AAA maps for long car rides. But before automobiles and trains or Trans-Atlantic flight, cartography was as much a mystery as it was science. In 150, Ptolemy’s Geographia warned of mythical characters [...]
What will the world look like for nonprofits when COVID-19 is just a bad memory? This COVID-19 nonprofit sector will be smaller, at least temporarily, by about 20-25%, consisting largely of smaller organizations which have closed, compared to the normal 10% we normally lose annually. That means approximately 10% of [...]
If you are like most people right now, you are stuck at home. Whether or not you have work, you are probably wondering when this is going to end. What the next stage will look like. Thinking about your past. Thinking about your present. Thinking about your future. What we [...]
Black lives have always mattered, more especially in a country largely built on the labor of enslaved people. The expression which gained traction on social media is not a new movement, but builds on a solid legacy started by stalwarts such as Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, and Martin Luther King [...]
Recently at a conference, I sat on a panel of three women -- two white, one black -- and we ended up talking about how women treat each other badly at work. As the talk went on, it became apparent that a lot of white women in the audience were [...]
I've really been struggling with what to say in response to the unrest gripping our nation and the world. I haven't personally experienced the injustice that is being protested, and I recognize that's because I come from a place of privilege. I didn't want to fumble this issue and come [...]