January 15, 2018

Good stuff to read & learn & fun maybe, too?

Thanks to all the cool people who send me cool stuff. Cause there’s lots of cool stuff out there!

So check these cool-nesses…

3 incredibly important emerging issues. For me, these are next level issues that don’t get discussed enough, if at all,” says Canadian collegue Deborah Coult. And Deborah says  watch this “amazing video.

  • Spend down vs. perpetuity
  • Justice versus need
  • Tax implications

And from Connecticut colleague Maxine Bleiweis: Skipp Richard, Leadership Insights.

December 27, 2017

Information as a weapon

Theresa May said “Information has been weaponized.”

Colin Habberton was talking about information and communications and weapons at the AFP Toronto Congress.

And how about this NYT article? “If Everything Can Be ‘Weaponized,’ What Should we Fear?” 

SURPRISING SIDEBAR: So I’m reading the aforementioned NYT article. And 2 sentences in, the article refers to Milton Rokeach, social psychologist. Milt Rokeach?!!! He lived down the street from my family…on Lantern Hill Drive, East Lansing, Michigan. A family friend. Professor at Michigan State University, just like my dad. The Rokeach and Joyaux kids all went to school together.

I knew him as the dad down the street. And I knew he was a psychologist. But now I know he was a social psychologist and developed a very important values classification instrument, the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS). With 18 terminal and 18 instrumental values. Check it out! Really cool. And various attempts haven’t “beaten” Milt’s instrument. Sure looks good for philanthropy.

NOW BACK TO WEAPONIZING: Information has been weaponized. And wow is the internet and social media great for deploying the weapon! Bullying. Politics. Outrage. Manipulation.

At AFP Toronto Congress, Colin talked about “demilitarizing information.” How can we do this? Can we use information as a weapon for good? Check out Colin’s work.

Do some thinking on your own. Talk about this with your staff and with your board. And talk about this with some of your favorite marketing/communications people. Can we demilitarize information?

December 12, 2017

Technology for boards ?!?!?

Don’t you just love useful tools to help get various things done?

We have fundraising databases. We have financial tools and techn.

But what about boards?

The board and its various members. The board and its various committees. Meetings and resource materials for those meetings. Reminder notices.  Checking info if you missed a meeting.

Maybe we want to chat before a meeting…you know, online back and forth.

How about a tool to do all that governance prep/support stuff effectively and efficiently.

Check out Boardable. Board Management Simplified

Just imagine…making all the stuff and systems and processes and stuff! easier…less time consuming.

Maybe this is the answer for you?! Boardable.

 

 

November 20, 2017

Memories of IFC 2017

Thanks to the Resource Alliance, UK for the marvelous IFC 2017 (International Fundraising Congress). 

Truly international – and risk-taking.

Imagine talking with colleagues all over the world... And you can always find and connect with people in the dining rooms reserved for IFC participants. Just sit anywhere… Perhaps you’ll be talking with Chinese and South African colleagues. Fundraisers and executives from Nigeria, Argentina, Slovakia, Thailand, Singapore, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, France, Autralia, Turkey, Jordan, Pakistan, Czech Republic, Germany…. And more….

Here are some wonderful highlights… To inspire and challenge you and me over and over…

Ahmen…Fundraiser and rapper…This is my favorite plenary session. Beautiful. Angry. Hopeful. Speaking out. Challenging us.

I did a 6-hour masterclass called “Changing Your Organization for Greater Impact.” Here’s my video promo for the masterclass. (People came up to me at the conference — whom I didn’t know — saying that they liked my ad.)

Have you ever seen live graphic documenting during meetings or presentations? It’s marvelous. And the IFC has this happening… First in 2016, I think. And again in 2017. And I hope forever!!!

This is the graphic facilitation (by Housatonic) for my masterclass. You can see many more IFC drawings on Facebook.

 

 

 

 

October 23, 2017

Please help: Survey about leadership…yours, mine, & others!

Please join me and take this leadership survey. Takes only 14 minutes to complete. https://plymouthbusiness.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2aFGGX21xXzr3fL

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Hail all leaders… CEOs, directors of development, team leaders, COOs. How do you behave? What’s your management style? How does this style make you a successful leader?

Would you like to be a better leader – more successful? I would. So I plan to participate in this survey.

Please help research the relationship between leadership styles you and others use … And how each style might produce good outcomes, such as a thriving culture of philanthropy.

Here’s the survey link. I’m hoping you’ll participate. https://plymouthbusiness.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2aFGGX21xXzr3fL

 Who’s doing this research? People I really admire and respect.

  • The very trustworthy Hartsook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy (founded by Adrian Sargeant with Jen Shang as the research director).
  • Marc Pitman (CEO of The Concord Leadership Group. I think of him as bowtie guy.)
September 13, 2017

A good day of blogs/newsletters

Today – the day that I am writing – is Tuesday, July 25.

Maybe you saw these blogs and newsletters back on that day. But in case you did not — or even if you did — check these out. Read carefully. Then read again.

Now how will you apply this to your organization?

How your beset fundraising turns into junk mail when you aren’t looking. (Jeff Brooks at Moceanic)

Those agitator.net pals talking about ice cream (also known as VICE CREAM).

Tom Ahern’s e-newsletter with communications audit and bunches of particularly cool stuff.

Filed under: Resources / Research

September 6, 2017

So much out there on the internet.

I often get emails from various businesses asking me to blog about their assistance to nonprofits. Sometimes I post because the info seems that it might be useful to our beloved NGO sector. I’m not attesting to the quality or usefulness or anything else. But something caught my eye and it could be useful.

I was intrigued about the Data Cleaning Checklist. We’re all talking about/worried about data…too much data…wrong data…better data…whatever. So visit ADVIZOR Solutions Inc. And there’s a section on FUNDRAISING DATA.

ADVIZOR uses the phrase: Creating a culture of analytics. I LOVE THIS!

You know how much I appreciate organizational culture – and all the subsets of culture. That’s the theme of my September newsyletter…various cultures.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And how about the newest from Abila? 2017 Member Loyalty Study. Remember what The Agitator said back in 2009: Loyalty is the Holy Grail of fundraising. And I say loyalty is the Holy Grail of any business!!!!

Filed under: Resources / Research

August 28, 2017

Free 4-part workshop! Starts September 13.

I love this title! “Don’t Ask, Don’t Get”

We’re in the asking business, people!! The biggest reason anyone gives anything? Because they’re asked!

This workshop will help you fundraisers (and your board members and CEO and and…) be more comfortable and effective when they ask. This workshop will help you – the leader – help them do the asking.

How does this work?

  • 4 videos delivered directly to you over a week. Each video is only 30 minutes long. Long enough for you to learn. Short enough to squeeze the learning in over lunch or breakfast or after work or…
  • And live Q&A with Brian!

Who is doing this? ASKINGMATTERS.COM. What will you learn?

  • You’ll learn about asking styles (Did you know there are different styles? I learned helpful stuff when I read the book about asking styles.)
  • You’ll learn about the role of the asker. (That could be you or a board member or a donor who loves you and wants to help raise money!) 
  • You’ll learn about how to design and conduct the asking meeting.

Click here for more details.

Register now. Register yourself…your CEO…And maybe a board member or two! Just go for it. Ask. Ask better!

 

August 14, 2017

Online learning

July 11, 2017

Conversations your NGO should have

I usually avoid the word “should.” Who am I to tell you what you “should” do?

On the other hand…There’s leadership. And building a strong society.

I do believe that there are issues that all sectors (government. for-profit. nonprofit) should (yes should) talk about…

And the GENDER GAP is one of the shoulds.

Gender Gap in salary. (Recommend some articles or blogs and I’ll post them.) Gender Gap in public office. (Articles you particularly appreciate? How about books?) Gender Gap on boards and in the C Suite.

So here’s an interesting infographic, “Which States Have the Smallest Gender Gap in Occupations?” And why does that even matter? (Lots of very insightful reasons!)

I’ll bet lots of you know what STEM is…Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics… Traditionally male-dominated fields. But there’s been great work over the past years to change this.

  • But do you know why STEM careers are so popular:
  • Higher wages (high wage-to-education ratio)
  • Reducing debt allows faster saving and earlier retirement
  • Having a broder impact, e.g., improving areas of life for many others worldwide (and this is a strong motivator for most women.)

The good news: The gender gap between men to women is starting to close as the benefits of a STEM career become more apparent. Check out the article and infographic. Thank you, Hazel Garcia.

 

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