tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6310482971043089662024-03-13T09:02:08.787-07:00Goalbusters BlogThis is the GoalBusters soapbox where we preach about philanthropy, marketing and other ideas about fundraising and the world.Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14674687441518229692noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-17307509572469740402020-05-16T12:26:00.000-07:002020-05-17T09:12:34.472-07:00Are you an Accidental Fundraiser?Jeff is our favorite Accidental Fundraiser.<br />
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As the Director of <a href="https://lowell.edu/" target="_blank">Lowell Observatory</a>, Jeff Hall didn't intend to become a fundraiser. He has a B.A. in physics from Johns Hopkins and a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from Penn State. He joined the staff at Lowell in 1992 as a postdoctoral research fellow, probably intending to spend the rest of his career studying solar phenomena.<br />
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But over the years of his career evolution at Lowell, he became a fundraiser. And a pretty darn good one at that.<br />
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We're going to periodically have conversations with Jeff about his path as an Accidental Fundraiser and various topics from his perspective as the director CEO of a nonprofit business. Please subscribe to this series on our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-wnFG2CHSy5aEOOM5uWe9Q" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> and here.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkPg3ka7f3s&t=6s" target="_blank">Episode 1: How Jeff became a fundraiser</a></h3>
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Summary and transcript</h4>
Alice: Hello, and welcome to the GoalBusters YouTube channel and video vlog series, and our first ever Accidental Fundraiser vlog entry. You may be wondering what the heck is an accidental fundraiser, and that's what today's episode is all about. It's about figuring out what that is. I'm Alice Ferris. I'm the founder of GoalBusters Consulting with me is Jim Anderson, partner of GoalBusters. And the accidental fundraiser himself, Jeff Hall. Hi, Jeff.<br />
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Jeff Hall: Hi, Alice. How are you?<br />
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Alice: Good. Great. Thank you so much for joining us.<br />
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Jeff: Always a pleasure to join you and Jim.<br />
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Alice: We tease you because we call you the accidental fundraiser because, in real life, you're the director of Lowell Observatory. You're also a Ph.D. in astronomy, but you also happen to be, frankly, a kick-ass fundraiser. So, how does that happen? How did you become a fundraiser?<br />
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Jeff: It was this gradual evolution. I've been at Lowell since the late Cretaceous! I came here in 1992, as a dewy-eyed postdoc, fresh out of grad school on a three-year research appointment entirely funded under an NSF grant. But the nature of that research program is very long term. So we got the grant renewed in 95. Then in 98, got it renewed again. At that point, the director, Bob Millis, asked me if I would take over managing the outreach programs because I enjoyed outreach. So then I was 50/50 [between research and outreach]. Then, I started meeting with the occasional donor to talk about my research and got more involved in fundraising. Then, I became the project scientist for our huge new telescope and gradually sank deeper into the molasses, you know. At the end of 2010, I was appointed the Observatory's director. And at that point, you know, we were no longer the little observatory I came to in 1992, when we had maybe 40 or 50 employees. All of a sudden, we had 100, and we had added a $53 million asset to the balance sheet in this new telescope. So yes, we're still an observatory. But we are now a full-fledged, nonprofit business specializing in astronomical research and communicating that to the public. So I'm a nonprofit CEO, in addition to being an astronomer, and we all know what nonprofit CEOs have to do a lot. And so I've ended up doing a lot of fundraising because we have a lot of ambitions and a lot of generous donors and loyal supporters. You have to go out and talk to them and inspire them about the mission, and it's a lot of fun.<br />
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Jim: Was it always a lot of fun? Did you always enjoy it?<br />
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Jeff: No, no, it was definitely an acquired skill. Because early on, it was, "I'm going to sit down with people and asking them for their money?" And it was uncomfortable, especially when you were talking about planned gifts, and sitting down with people to talk about that. I practically felt like I should have my big black robe and a sickle. But you know, over the years, I've learned that that is entirely not the case. And it's a very enjoyable and incredibly honorable thing to be able to do.<br />
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Jim: That's an interesting pair of words. What makes it enjoyable? Why do you think it's honorable?<br />
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Jeff: Because you get to go (well, when we can go all over the country) all over the country and meet the most interesting people who are so genuinely interested in astronomy. And sometimes you don't even get to talk about the fundraising pitch because they're just peppering you with questions about the universe. Then I get to be an astronomer again for a little while. It's honorable, I think, because...well, let's go back to the planned gift. You both knew Don, and he left us virtually his entire estate after a terrible decline and death from bone cancer. I was able to visit him a few weeks before he died and show him pictures of the facility he had endowed. It was a deep honor to be able to bring him happiness and that the kind of joy that he saw that his gifts were bringing us in the final weeks of his life. And that is a privilege to be able to do that.<br />
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Alice: You know, it's interesting you mentioned Don because, as you did say, we both knew him. And in fact, he became a donor of Lowell Observatory way back in the Cretaceous when I was the development director for Lowell Observatory. The thing that I appreciate about him was that, many years later, when I had the opportunity to interact with him at an advisory board meeting, he came up to me and said, "Alice, you may not remember me." I'm thinking, are you kidding me? He was my first major donor! So I was like, "of course, I remember you." And he said, "I want to thank you." I said, "Why do you want to thank me?" He said, "Because you helped connect me with this organization. And I've had just a wonderful experience being part of the Lowell family. And, and I want to thank you so much for making me a part of this." I started to cry. And it's totally that human connection that you make with people.<br />
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Jeff: Absolutely. And we were his family, you know. He was a lifelong bachelor who would very loyally come to all the board meetings and interact as much as he could. And it was always nice to go up to Seattle and see him. So yeah, you realize, after you gain some experience, meet with people and hear what they want to do, it's not like you're picking their pockets. It gives them joy to help you. [Fundraising] is empowering them to do something very meaningful to them. And that's just really fun.<br />
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Jim: I can't think of any better words of encouragement for those people who might be accidentally fundraising and who may still be at that point where it's a little uncomfortable. So what you shared is how you're not asking somebody to do something they don't want to do. In most cases, if you're talking to them, they've already made the decision. They want to help you. You're just helping them figure out how they can do it.<br />
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Jeff: Right. And what's the best way. That's one of the fun things about doing this at Lowell because we do all these research programs, outreach, historic preservation, capital projects, and every donor is a little bit different. Some people love to support the science, and others really want to enable us to reach lots of kids in the outreach programs. It's nice to have this menu that you can roll out in front of them.<br />
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Alice: Well, that's great. And thank you, Jeff, for taking a few minutes out of your very busy and very Zoom-y day.Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0Flagstaff, AZ, USA35.1982836 -111.65130235.094458100000004 -111.8126635 35.3021091 -111.4899405tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-14681635821600725252020-04-26T18:57:00.000-07:002020-04-26T19:24:43.153-07:00 What We Should Really Fear Right Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3y1DfyF77qg/XqYIXUpCeII/AAAAAAAAArE/CBgFIAcRDg4Lul85XtkwaDJTQq2MEZfvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/CoronaVirus%2BBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1600" height="166" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3y1DfyF77qg/XqYIXUpCeII/AAAAAAAAArE/CBgFIAcRDg4Lul85XtkwaDJTQq2MEZfvACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/CoronaVirus%2BBlog.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nearly everyone on the planet is currently a part of something that has already changed the world. The global experience of the COVID-19 pandemic is something everyone is sharing. It is changing our communities, our culture, and each of us individually. The world we return to will not be the same as the one we had. Some of those changes will be painful, and others will improve our world. Not everyone sees that. I’ve been thinking a lot about how different people are coping with their circumstances. I’ve also been angry about how unethical people are profiteering and fearful about how others are using this crisis as an excuse to take actions they’ve always wanted to take.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few years ago, I was confronted with an organization that I felt was taking improper advantage of inexperienced fundraisers, specifically targeting those working at religious organizations. While I am not religious myself, I thought that this was unethical. Their actions seemed purely profit-driven, cloaked in philanthropy. It led me to coin one of my <a href="https://www.goalbusters.net/world-famous-jimisms">“Jimisms”</a> which is a thought or concept I have that becomes a regular saying or quote. This one was, <i>“The only things nonprofit organizations have to fear are the charlatans, the ignorant, and the angry.”</i> I’ve thought about that a lot as I’ve seen people reacting to or using the COVID-19 crisis for personal benefit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During this crisis, nonprofit fundraisers should be fearful of the charlatans. These individuals are profiteering off of the fear people have during this stressful time. Every person who becomes the victim of someone selling false cures or solutions loses a bit of trust, and that will harm all of us. Trust is the most important relationship we have with our donors. If they are trusting less, our work will be increasingly difficult.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ignorant in this situation are those individuals who genuinely don’t understand what we are facing and who want to immediately force us back into risky activities that will lead to</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> further infections and deaths. The ignorant are also those who do not understand how a nonprofit organization works. They might think that you should work only as a volunteer. They do not know that each nonprofit</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is a business; instead of profits going to the few in power, financial gains are invested in the organization. Of course, there are exceptions to this. Some unethical people are running nonprofit organizations. But for the most part, the vast majority of money raised is reinvested in serving our communities.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpT6HxF0cgg/XqYOTyfJlsI/AAAAAAAAAro/4u0XUFQF2doVxR8XrtGmqwS4fkFevVwvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/angry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BpT6HxF0cgg/XqYOTyfJlsI/AAAAAAAAAro/4u0XUFQF2doVxR8XrtGmqwS4fkFevVwvACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/angry.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finally, we have the angry. They are furious about, well, everything. They are angry that their regular routines are disrupted. They are angry because they have to follow “someone else’s rules.” They are angry because they often perceive that some in our society are getting a free ride while they have to work so hard. They also tend to be very selfish and do not understand service or philanthropy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The three groups of people I just described were probably very much like this before COVID-19. A person doesn’t become a jerk because of a crisis. However, those emotions and attitudes are being amplified and revealed more clearly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’d like to add one more thing nonprofit fundraisers should fear. That is the people in decision making positions who are using the challenges we are facing as an excuse to take actions they wanted to take in the first place. They are using the crisis as a shield to fire or furlough people, to cut services and benefits, or to close facilities. These actions may be genuinely required in some circumstances. But I have already seen many examples of people taking such steps when they are not necessary. That person merely desires them. Anyone who falls into this category and makes such decisions is quite unethical and bordering on morally corrupt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While there are a lot of concerns, fears, and uncertainties at this time, I’m optimistic that the kind, generous and compassionate people in the world far outnumber the “charlatans, the ignorant and the angry.” You just have to do your part to help some find the confidence to prove it. Remember, “you should be fundraising now!” If your mission was valuable to the people you served before this crisis, it is likely more important now. People need arts, social service, mental health, a clean environment, and all the other types of nonprofit organizations. If they loved you before, they love you now. If you serve people, pets, or the planet, you are providing an essential service.</span><br />
<br />Jim Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12414844891246642506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-15261395008000034662020-03-02T15:25:00.000-07:002020-03-02T15:27:57.301-07:00Alice Ferris to Receive Founders’ Medallion From Largest Community of Fundraisers in the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceferris/">Alice Ferris, ACFRE, CFRE, MBA</a> will receive the AFP</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the largest community of fundraising professionals in the world, will </span><a href="https://afpglobal.org/news/arizona-fundraiser-alice-ferris-receive-founders-medallion-largest-community-fundraisers-world" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; widows: 2;" target="_blank" title="Links active once published">honor long-time fundraiser Alice Ferris, CFRE, ACFRE, with its Founders’ Medallion</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> for her extraordinary contributions to the organization and the fundraising profession. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Congratulations Alice! We are so proud of you!</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">(Reprinted from the <a href="http://afpglobal.org/">AFPGlobal.org</a>)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">(Arlington, VA) The </span><a href="https://afpglobal.org/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">, the largest community of fundraising professionals in the world, will honor long-time Arizona fundraiser Alice Ferris, CFRE, ACFRE, with its Founders’ Medallion for her extraordinary contributions to the organization and the fundraising profession at its upcoming international conference, </span><a href="http://afpicon.com/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">AFP ICON 2020</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">, in Baltimore, Md.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The AFP Founders’ Medallion is presented to members who, through their dedication to the principles of ethical and effective fundraising, honor the legacy of AFP’s founders: Harry Rosen, Benjamin Sklar, Abel Hanson and William R. Simms. Recipients must have been members for at least 20 years, served with local chapters and at the international level, and worked to foster the development of the profession and the fundraising community throughout their careers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ferris is the founding partner and chief executive of <a href="https://www.goalbusters.net/">GoalBusters</a>, a consulting firm in Flagstaff, Ariz., focusing on small nonprofits. Through her consulting firm, she is currently supporting fundraising activities for <a href="https://www.kawc.org/">KAWC Colorado River Public Media</a> and <a href="https://www.borderradioaz.org/">Border Radio</a> in Yuma, Ariz., the <a href="https://www.eaa.org/">Experimental Aircraft Association</a> in Oshkosh, Wisc., and <a href="https://lowell.edu/">Lowell Observatory</a> in Flagstaff, Ariz., among others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prior to launching her consulting firm, Ferris served as director of development and similar positions for a variety of organizations, including Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff Medical Center and KNAU Arizona Public Radio, all located in Flagstaff. At each organization, she vastly increased membership and fundraising numbers, such as leading KNAU to its first $1 million fundraising year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ferris has more than 30 years of affiliation with public broadcasting and has appeared on numerous public television and radio pledge drives, including national PBS fundraisers for Downton Abbey, Ken Burns: America’s Storyteller and Suze Orman’s Financial Solutions for You.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It was a total shock to get the call from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-geiger-mba-cpa-1742b75/">AFP President and CEO Mike Geiger</a> asking me to accept this honor,” Ferris said. “Honestly, I thought he was calling me to serve on a task force to select the next recipient! AFP has been such an ingrained part of my professional identity for so long that it has always felt natural for me to volunteer and give back. The list of members who have received the Founders' Medallion includes people whom I consider part of AFP's fabric, and whom I respect as fundraising trailblazers and change-makers. And, luckily for me, a few of them I consider mentors and friends. I'm sure that they, like myself, did not commit to service to AFP and the profession for the recognition—my volunteerism is an inherent part of my calling to be a fundraiser. So this is an unexpected privilege and a gift."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An active volunteer with AFP for decades, Ferris has served as president of the <a href="https://community.afpnet.org/afpnaz/aboutus23/about672">AFP Northern Arizona Chapter</a> on three separate occasions over the last twenty years—as well as every other chapter position, including multiple times as chair of the AFP Arizona State Conference. On the international level, she was on the board of AFP Global for eight years, including two years as vice chair of member and chapter services. Over the years, Ferris has held leadership roles in all areas of association operations, including credentialing, awards, membership, chapter development and fundraising.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ferris was the 90th professional to receive the <a href="https://www.acfre.org/">Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE)</a> credential, the most rigorous certification process available to professional fundraisers and which has only been conferred to 114 fundraisers around the world. She is also a three-time recipient of the Northern Arizona Chapter’s Fundraising Professional of the Year award.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“When you think of service and AFP, Alice Ferris comes top of mind,” said Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA, president and CEO of AFP. “She has contributed so much to AFP over the years, and her efforts have improved so many different aspects of our association and the community of fundraisers worldwide. This honor is so well deserved, and on behalf of the board and staff of AFP, I want to thank her for everything she has done for fundraising.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ferris earned her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Radio-TV-Film and Economics and her Master of Business Administration with a double major in Accounting and Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She obtained her <a href="https://www.cfre.org/">Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE)</a> in 1999 and is certified through 2020. She received her ACFRE in 2010 and has been an AFP Master Teacher since 2006.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 21st AFP member to receive the Founders’ Medallion, Ferris will receive the honor during the Opening General Session of AFP ICON 2020, the largest gathering of fundraising professionals in the world, March 29, in Baltimore, Md.</span></div>
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Jim Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12414844891246642506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-57320288755720932822019-05-26T11:12:00.000-07:002019-05-26T11:12:19.134-07:00Ikigai and the Modern Fundraiser<div style="text-align: right;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qu1rPKV0oE/XOrC_DwtRpI/AAAAAAAAHKA/kVBhC1eS3-o7LwXBSVYbqfW2k-aSmQzQACLcBGAs/s1600/hamster-1149177_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qu1rPKV0oE/XOrC_DwtRpI/AAAAAAAAHKA/kVBhC1eS3-o7LwXBSVYbqfW2k-aSmQzQACLcBGAs/s320/hamster-1149177_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute, but not a way to live.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
I love my work. Really, I do. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Like me, most of my friends who have made fundraising a career like their work overall. But I see far too many of us scampering on the big hamster wheel, trying to keep up with the continual demands of the charitable sector. There's always another budget number to hit, another event to manage, another proposal to write, and "other duties as assigned."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Beth Kanter and Aliza Sherman's book, <a href="https://amzn.to/2wdog84" target="_blank">The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact without Burnout</a>, highlights some incredible stories of how badly things can go <a href="https://medium.com/thrive-global/why-nonprofits-have-a-burnout-problem-e964766414f" target="_blank">when nonprofit professionals ignore self-care</a>. Yet we continue, as a sector, to emphasize that our passion and drive to change the world is enough.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While there are a lot of discussions about finding "your why" and focusing your passion, in reality, it's not just about that. To make a <b><i>sustainable</i></b> difference in the world, <b>we need to take care of ourselves</b>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In Japanese culture, there is a concept called ikigai, loosely translated to "your life's purpose." If you Google this word, you'll find many articles about applying this concept to your life, including <a href="https://medium.com/thrive-global/ikigai-the-japanese-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life-might-just-help-you-live-a-more-fulfilling-9871d01992b7" target="_blank">this one on Medium</a>. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsC2Eo5lFr8/W3jBgnbLw3I/AAAAAAAAGoo/JRHfDnURR6kOabeQOXQEf7pUus_E8bgDQCLcBGAs/s1600/ikigai-768x726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="768" height="376" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nsC2Eo5lFr8/W3jBgnbLw3I/AAAAAAAAGoo/JRHfDnURR6kOabeQOXQEf7pUus_E8bgDQCLcBGAs/s400/ikigai-768x726.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration from Toronto Star</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The basic idea of ikigai is that to feel fulfilled with your life's purpose, you need four spheres in balance:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>What you love to do</li>
<li>What you are good at</li>
<li>What the world needs</li>
<li>What you can be paid for</li>
</ul>
<br />
If you are able to do what you love, and you're good at it, you are pursuing your <b>passion</b>.<br />
If you are able to do something you're good at, and you can get paid for it, you've discovered your <b>profession</b>.<br />
If you can be paid for something that the world needs, you have a <b>vocation.</b><br />
If you are doing what the world needs, and you love it, you have your <b>mission</b>.<br />
<br />
I've been presenting on this topic for the last year and struggling with it personally for much more than that. When you're thinking about your life's purpose, what's missing for you? What sphere is out of balance?<br />
<br />
I've been using several tools over the past few years to work on my personal sense of ikigai. I'm writing a series of blog posts in the coming weeks to highlight each tool and provide tips on how to work on your own ikigai. To be notified when the next post is available, subscribe to this blog on the right, or follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GoalBusters/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/goalbusters" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-1726170513990319002018-09-28T20:11:00.001-07:002018-09-29T07:30:22.770-07:00Lessons from an Extraordinary (Donor) Journey<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yGvpdrvU0k8/W67rWVVIwXI/AAAAAAAAGuY/xZAbKhAJN_8WdS_XbIXcflyacoKn0wCfACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180928_205841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yGvpdrvU0k8/W67rWVVIwXI/AAAAAAAAGuY/xZAbKhAJN_8WdS_XbIXcflyacoKn0wCfACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180928_205841.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The #DonorJourney Crew, clockwise from top left: <br />
Guy Mallabone, Sue McMaster, Jenny Mitchell, Stephen Pidgeon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i>"Do you have time for a quick call? I have a time-sensitive item to discuss with you."</i></b><br />
<br />
This short message from Guy Mallabone was the start of an adventure that brought me to Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg and Saskatoon. All in five days.<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://extraordinarydonorjourney.com/" target="_blank">Extraordinary Donor Journey</a>, presented by <a href="https://www.globalphilanthropic.ca/" target="_blank">Global Philanthropic Canada</a>, brought together Guy Mallabone and Sue McMaster from Calgary, Jenny Mitchell from Ottawa, Stephen Pidgeon from the UK, and me, the token American, for a curated conference for non-profit organizations across Canada. When we convened in Halifax, it was like being at the start of a school trip--you don't know most of your group well, and you certainly haven't traveled with them!<br />
<br />
The pattern began: present the program all day, pack up the stuff as quickly as you can, take transportation to the airport, grab dinner, fly to the next city, slog on to the hotel, rinse, repeat.<br />
<br />
<b>Five days. Five cities. What could possibly go wrong?</b><br />
<br />
Everything did not go perfectly. But thanks to the adaptability and team spirit of our mighty band, we thrived and, I think, came to truly care about one another in a short period of time.<br />
<br />
While I learned many things from the program content of my fellow presenters, my strongest takeaways are from behind the scenes....<br />
<ul>
<li><b>How you think about money affects everything.</b> I am grateful that Jenny shared the Sacred Money Archetypes model in her session. Jenny's explanation was, "If money were someone standing alongside you, what kind of person would it be?" Would it be supportive? Judgmental? Petulant? Rebellious? What the conference participants <u>didn't</u> know was that Jenny had all of us do the quiz at the start of the journey. Initially, our call backs to our archetypes were opportunities to tease Guy, but as the week evolved, I found that the context of money mindset was useful in understanding each other and our values.</li>
<li><b>Trust begets trust.</b> In reality, we didn't know each other well at the start of the week. It would have been easy, and expected, to be guarded until we got to know each other. Guy set the tone early, however, because of an unexpected family situation. He had to let down his guard and trust us. His ability to persevere under difficult circumstances led us to not only to deepen our connection with Guy, but with each other. This led to open and fulfilling conversations that I had with each of my colleagues, and I am better for it already.</li>
<li><b>If at first you <u>do</u> succeed, try, try again.</b> Halifax was the first time any of us saw the others' presentations. While the core parts of each of our presentations was the same in each city, we thrived off of drawing from each others' content and making small improvements from city to city. In many respects, we were accepting Stephen's call to focus on "the concept"--how can you think sideways to get at the core message? The chance to refine the same presentation every day for a week was a great way to challenge myself.</li>
<li><b>It can be rewarding to be a sherpa</b>. There's a lot of stuff involved in presenting a conference! At first, Guy carried all the banners and Sue carried all the other materials, but those barriers broke down relatively quickly. Pitching in and helping where needed felt far more rewarding than just watching others do the heavy lifting. By the end of the week, we were "Global Philanthropic sherpas," and proud of it!</li>
</ul>
<div>
As I write this, I'm still in Saskatoon; most every one else has gone home. I am exhausted, but grateful, for the opportunity to spend time with some amazing people. I've learned so much in five days, and hope to have a chance to do this all over again. To Sue, Guy, Stephen, Jenny, James, Steve and Jeff, thank you for an experience I won't forget.</div>
Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0Saskatoon, SK, Canada52.1332144 -106.6700458000000351.9772884 -106.99276930000002 52.2891404 -106.34732230000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-60550017793676166272018-08-29T05:00:00.000-07:002018-08-29T10:20:09.761-07:00Who "Owns" the Right to Talk about Diversity?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sLabbY5IJsk/W4Y4YMxvxyI/AAAAAAAAGqc/FW8A02WXUU4VG-Qw0md8oH6royjLYYOpwCLcBGAs/s1600/Alice_Girl_Scouts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1169" height="214" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sLabbY5IJsk/W4Y4YMxvxyI/AAAAAAAAGqc/FW8A02WXUU4VG-Qw0md8oH6royjLYYOpwCLcBGAs/s320/Alice_Girl_Scouts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girl Scouts: I'm the one with the excessive number of badges</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, to immigrants from Taipei, Taiwan. (How my parents ended up in Beaver Dam, "Home of 16,000 Busy Beavers" according to the sign that was unfortunately taken down in the 90's, is a story for another time.) When Jim bought me an Ancestry.com DNA test as a Christmas gift, my report said that I was 93% East Asian (Chinese) and 7% Pacific Islander, tracing to Taiwan. Needless to say, I am definitely Asian.<br />
<br />
While I am genetically very Asian, however, I grew up "ABC"--American Born Chinese. I am basically a girl from the Midwest who grew up and continues to live in communities without much of an Asian population. To paraphrase <a href="https://99u.adobe.com/articles/59421/john-maeda-how-a-fall-opened-a-new-chapter-of-identity-and-inclusion" target="_blank">John Maeda from his 99U interview</a>, I'm a Type O minority. I can go anywhere.<br />
<br />
Yet over the years, I've been the one who is supposed to understand "all things diversity."<br />
<br />
I've been the token person on a committee or board who is supposed to represent "minorities." I have been asked to speak on diversity issues, specifically, Asian American giving, even though I don't know much about Asian American giving. I've been disqualified for a role because they already have a person from a diverse community and they don't need another.<br />
<br />
Since I live in Northern Arizona, where there are far more Hopi and Navajo people than Asians, I've had the privilege of working with several Native American led nonprofits. In many respects, I've come to learn more about Native American philanthropy than Asian American giving. But if I speak about my experiences with my Hopi and Navajo colleagues, does that mean I'm "co-opting" their culture? Or if I speak about Hopi and Navajo culture as an Asian, it's okay, but if my white male colleague does, it's not?<br />
<br />
I am incredibly bothered by some people's militant approach to important issues around race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other diversity factors. I worry that in our zeal to affect change, we are far too quick to disqualify people who can and want to raise up others.<br />
<br />
I'm guilty of this sometimes too. Case in point, I was one of the members that was skeptical when nearly one year ago, <a href="http://twitter.com/AFPMikeGeiger" target="_blank">Mike Geiger</a> was announced as the new President and CEO of the <a href="http://www.afpnet.org/" target="_blank">Association of Fundraising Professionals</a>. Like some others, I thought, "Great. We talk about diversity, but we hired a white male?"<br />
<br />
But then I had the chance to meet him, and talk with him, and listen to his ideas about addressing diversity, inclusion, equity and access. In less than a year, he has demonstrated a commitment to productive conversations about diversity, and has been a true champion.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.celesteheadlee.com/" target="_blank">Celeste Headlee</a>, author of <a href="https://amzn.to/2LtkTPG" target="_blank">We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter</a>, wrote, "Imagine how presumptuous it is to enter a conversation...to educate someone else about their biases when you are unaware of your own." Assuming that someone has to be a person of color, or LGBTQ, or female, or some other factor to "qualify" to talk about his or her personal experiences with a diverse culture is flawed. We want to have conversations, not cut them off.<br />
<br />
Posted on my computer is a quote from <a href="https://www.danpink.com/" target="_blank">Daniel Pink</a>: "Assume positive intent." And I do believe that some people who frustrate me do have a positive intent to enact much needed change. Through LGBTQ advocacy, the Women's March, #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, and many other grassroots movements, we are gradually, finally, giving voice to people for whom it is overdue. But vilifying people when you haven't listened to their story, or just because they are not visibly "diverse," is counterproductive. What's important is to <u>listen</u> and respect each other. We must have conversations that matter to get change to stick.<br />
<br />
<br />Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-54144683217561963322017-09-18T21:14:00.000-07:002017-09-19T19:50:22.732-07:00"Little Things" Can Make a Big Difference.<div class="m_-4930258320858678894p1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
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<b>Living a "single serving life."<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i>"Everywhere I travel, tiny life. Single-serving sugar,
single-serving cream, single pat of butter. The microwave Cordon Bleu hobby
kit. Shampoo-conditioner combos, sample-packaged mouthwash, tiny bars of soap.
The people I meet on each flight? They're single-serving friends." - Fight
Club, 1999</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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I travel about 170 days each year. I live a single serving
life on the road. From the tiny packets of salt and pepper served with a
"hobby kit" meal on a plane to the little bottles of shampoos and
conditioners in each hotel I call home for a night or two. And if I don't use
these single service amenities, I take them with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Why?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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It's natural to simply assume I'm cheap. Well, I prefer the
term frugal. But when I take most of these things home it's with a clear understanding
I will never use the items I've stowed in my luggage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What's better than collecting all of these free, small
personal hygiene products from the hotels I frequent? Giving them away to someone
who might need it more than I. Someone who wishes they could spend a night in a
room like the one that body wash came from. I carry home my bounty, I put it in
a box, and when the box is full I take it to a homeless or domestic violence
shelter. I did that today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the <a href="http://flagshelter.org/getinvolved/">Flagstaff Shelter Services "Get Involved"</a>
webpage, they have a listing for "Shelter Program Needs" and ask for
Hygiene supplies:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>toothpaste,
toothbrushes, dental floss, razors, deodorant, lotion, lip balm, shampoo, soap,
etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I delivered this (and more) to them today. It shook me. It
has shaken me each of the many times I've made donations or volunteered at this
and similar organizations. My day, my night is unlike that faced by my homeless
neighbors. The night they face terrifies me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I drove towards the shelter today, I saw something I've
seen before. It always makes me uneasy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was just after 3:00 pm. The shelter opens at 4:00. For
many blocks I counted people walking to the shelter. Four couples, three single
men, one man helping, but not "pushing" a woman with one leg in a
wheelchair. This is a "ritual" each day as the clients who aren't
allowed to stay in the facility return for a meal and roof over their heads for
the night. <o:p></o:p>It's September 18th. The Weather Channel forecasts temperature in the low 40s tonight. Not a good night to be sleeping outside.</div>
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As I approached, there were two police SUVs strategically
parked on either side of the shelter about a block apart. I was cautious as I
approached the vehicle. I slowed. I stopped. I slowly waved to get an officer's
attention. I was probably safe. I'm white and over 50. Geez, it hurt to say
that out loud, the over 50 part. The officer was standing in the open door of
his vehicle pinching his shoulder radio to talk to the other officer in the
distant SUV. As I waved for the third time, the officer looked at me with
boredom or acceptance or relief and waved me through. It appeared as though
they were done with whatever the issue was. Both vehicles were gone by the time
I parked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Before I parked I passed by the shelter and did a U-turn.
There were dozens of people in the shade on both sides of the street. It's
Arizona. The sun is merciless and cruel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I parked near the front of the anonymous building and made
my way up the driveway to an open door adorned with caution tape. It looked
like it was recently broken or damaged. I've never entered this way before. I
usually go around back and enter through their "processing" entrance.
This wasn't really an appropriate entrance for me. I didn't know the door was
only open for ventilation. I just walked in an open door before I realized
where it led. I stepped into the "bedroom barracks."<o:p></o:p></div>
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I walked through rows of bunkbeds with personal items on
them, clothing mostly, but some with a toy, or a totem on something that
created ownership, that branded the space. I was embarrassed to have invaded
their space. I felt awkward. I had just stumbled into the bedroom of scores of strangers.
That's not cool.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I entered an open, common area and saw a few clients who
apparently didn't have to clear the facility during the day. I assumed that
they provided services or assisted in running the facility or had special
needs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A man told me Chuck was the guy I should speak to. I greeted
Chuck and explained that I would like to make a donation of "a somewhat
large quantity of hotel toiletries." He replied "That is great.
People love those small bottles. They're easy to travel with." (I call
them "pocket portable.") When Chuck commented "Our clients love
the small items," a elderly woman grinned ear to ear and nodded vigorously
as she pushed her walker across the room.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Her enthusiastic smile motivated me to write this blog, and to start my next box of "single serving" donations.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Chuck and I walked to my car. I offered to carry the larger
box and asked Chuck to grab the five or six additional bags of toiletries that
didn't fit in the box. We came back through the bunkbeds. He wrote me a
receipt and walked me to the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
shared with him that I collect these items as I travel and I think of who I'm
bringing them home for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I shared I have great compassion for people experiencing homelessness because I
was briefly one of them. It was terrifying. I know what it's like to sleep in
bed of my pickup truck, parked in the forest, eager to get up and go to a job interview. I pretended I was just camping. I almost fooled me. I
know what it's like to shave and wash up in a Burger King bathroom before going
to a nearby job interview. Luckily for me, I got that job. But it wasn't easy
for the next few years as my ex and I worked our way through college with two young
children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I support Food Banks because I needed their support to feed
my family at one point during college. We supplemented our groceries with
government cheese and oats and the generous donations of others for a while. My
children and I have used medical aid programs. I've collected unemployment
checks and used food stamps.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The food stamps were so embarrassing. You know how your
ignorant uncle ridicules foreign currency as "Monopoly money" because
it's not all the same size and not green? Yeah, I tore my coupons from my
monthly book and I used that "funny money" to buy milk and eggs for my kids. I
tried to shop late at night so no one knew I needed help to feed my family. <o:p></o:p></div>
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All of my life I have had family and friends who have needed
support from government programs. I guess we're socialists. Either that or we believe in helping those in need. Some say these
programs are abused by lazy criminals. Fraud? A little, but that fraud is a tiny fraction
compared to the millions of people the programs help. Most people do not want to go
through the stress and indignity of completing the applications, interviews and reports required to get these
benefits. You are "required" to prove you deserve help. That stings. It is humiliating. Most people only use these programs for a limited time. Then they are
paying back into the programs for the next person who needs the services.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
All I did was collect soap, shampoo and shaving cream then
deliver it to a shelter for people who may need to clean up in a fast food
restaurant bathroom before an interview, like me. It may help someone in a small way.<br />
<br />
I'll keep collecting
those "single service" items and passing them along. It's the least I can do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<b>There are other ways you can help</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
Please consider supporting those with less by choosing a
nonprofit, charity or social change organization of your choice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
Cash is always valued but you can make an impact with a non-cash contribution as well. Alice and I discuss non-cash
giving concepts in our <a href="http://www.goalbusters.net/latest-news/goalbusters-house-of-philanthropy-featured-in-advancing-philanthropy">"House of Philanthropy."</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<b>4 Non-cash ways to give.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<b>Transaction -</b> Buy something from them. It's the same as donating cash.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<b>Volunteer - </b>Just show up. Carry your bucket of water.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<b>Service -</b> If you have a skill, talent, or service provide
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<b>Goods - </b>Give something that can be sold or would otherwise
be purchased by the organization. Expense savings often equal cash donations.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Is there something you could do today that might help?</i><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: small;">
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
</div>
Jim Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12414844891246642506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-75748767032183632112017-04-06T09:00:00.000-07:002017-04-06T09:04:03.835-07:00"Do I Have To?" No One Really Likes Your Donor Cultivation Events<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2B9lFspuius/WN3Hc5BdlKI/AAAAAAAAFTo/NOLBLSY5ahAxtSIpyRS7K5fTogbzvpOZQCLcB/s1600/shutterstock_91900391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2B9lFspuius/WN3Hc5BdlKI/AAAAAAAAFTo/NOLBLSY5ahAxtSIpyRS7K5fTogbzvpOZQCLcB/s320/shutterstock_91900391.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I heard the most refreshingly honest thing from a significant donor the other day.<br />
<br />
<b><i>"Please don't invite me to another dinner party."</i></b><br />
<br />
As a charitable sector, we plan a lot of donor cultivation events. We know we need to connect with our donor base. Inevitably, we think of things from OUR perspective: it would be so much easier if we could organize a small event and invite our best prospects. That way we can talk to all of them at once!<br />
<br />
Have you ever stopped to consider that your donors may not like these events and come in spite of that?<br />
<br />
Think about it. You've been invited to an event where you don't know if you'll know anyone, you don't know if you'll like anyone, and you might get stuck with someone that talks your ear off about something you don't care about, or worse, don't agree with. The food will be lackluster, the drinks will be cheap, and you'll lose an entire evening over it.<br />
<br />
So let's think about this from the donor's perspective. What does the donor want?<br />
<br />
<b>Customized attention</b><br />
It doesn't need to be one-on-one, per se, but your cultivation activity does need to reflect the interests of your donor or prospective donor. Ask them what they want to do to deepen their engagement. For some, it actually might be a dinner party. But for most, it will involve some kind of customized VIP experience.<br />
<br />
<b>Don't say "no" for them</b><br />
Maybe you think that your idea of how to deepen the relationship is too much time for them, too arduous a request, too daring, or too tame. Don't automatically toss out the idea--ask the donor what they think. You never know when they might say, "Wow, I've always wanted to do that!"<br />
<br />
<b>Respect their time</b><br />
That said, respect how much time they have to give to you. If they can only commit an hour, create an experience for an hour. It's better to schedule a return experience than leave them bored and frustrated by how much time this took.<br />
<br />
<b>Have them truly experience your mission</b><br />
Whatever you do, make sure it connects somehow with your mission. In fact, that may be why your donor doesn't want to attend your reception or dinner party: it's so removed from what they think your mission is, that it's of no interest.<br />
<br />
<b>Listen</b><br />
Above all, listen to their needs. It doesn't matter what YOU want to do, if it's not what the donor wants.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-1743803375044672382017-03-30T19:57:00.000-07:002017-03-31T16:03:24.251-07:00Ms. "Ethics Matter" Appointed to NANOE's Board of Governors<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<b>By Jim Anderson, CFRE</b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xGwj9OCsRIc/WN270zpM10I/AAAAAAAAAmM/xnt-HsdV4cAuIB9uCZnqxoPMRYckrWLLwCLcB/s1600/170328%2BNANOE%2BPress%2BRelease%2BEthics%2BMatter.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xGwj9OCsRIc/WN270zpM10I/AAAAAAAAAmM/xnt-HsdV4cAuIB9uCZnqxoPMRYckrWLLwCLcB/s320/170328%2BNANOE%2BPress%2BRelease%2BEthics%2BMatter.png" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Ms. Ethics Matter's<br />NANOE "Press Release"</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was quoted today in an excellent article/expose published by the <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/">Chronicle of Philanthropy</a>. The article, <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/New-Nonprofit-Puts-Money-Over/239635">"New Nonprofit Puts Money Over Mission and Ethics"</a> was written by Timothy Sandoval regarding what many consider the unethical business practices and self-serving fundraising philosophies of an organization who calls themselves the "National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives" (NANOE). In the article the "founder" of NANOE, Jimmy LaRose calls me a liar. I view that as an invitation to prove that my experience and my story are true.</div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
In the article I explain what I view as deceptive and misleading business practices employed by NANOE. If you are or have ever been on a fundraising organization's mailing list you have likely received NANOE's "spam" communications or text messages proclaiming with grandiosity that you have been "nominated" for "appointment" to their "Board of Governors." Sounds pretty special, doesn't it? It's not. You haven't been "nominated." It appears they acquired your email address "somehow." I think that "acquisition" is very shady. But we'll save that for another blog.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<i><b>Here's my proof that "you" were probably never "nominated" by anyone.</b></i></div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Tim at the Chronicle contacted me for an interview and I shared that I believe NANOE is in violation of the <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business">FTC's CAN-SPAM</a> Act and that those flowery, flattering emails they send to "everyone" are intended to trick trusting fundraisers into believing that they have received a legitimate nomination to a prestigious board when in fact it's an automated process with no one actually nominating the recipient and no one looking at the submitted nominations before automatically sending the "Press Release" announcing their appointment to NANOE's "board of governors."<br />
<br />
I explained that <b>I have personally accepted multiple NANOE nominations that were NEVER OFFERED</b> using fictitious names and new email addresses. I did so to test my assumptions that this was just a reprehensible, deceptive marketing tactic that was part of a broader money making scam attempting to mislead the unsuspecting. Like everyone, I hate spam. And, I really hate deceptive business practices and purposefully misleading marketing tactics.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Tim shared my story with Jimmy and asked if it was true that "anyone" could sign up with an email that had only existed for minutes and instantly be accepted as a member of NANOE's Board of Governors. Tim called me back two days ago on Tuesday, March 28th and told me Jimmy claimed that my story was impossible, nominations are specific to the individual and the button to accept "NANOE Nominations" had been removed "some time ago."</div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
I knew that was untrue. I had already been "appointed" to their board of governors using a fictitious name and brand new email address. And I still had their web page open in my browser. I hadn't refreshed their page in a few days. The accept "NANOE Nominations" button was still on my screen. I told Tim what I saw on the website and sent him my earlier "Press Release" email proving that my "previously created" non-existent person had been appointed to NANOE's board of governors. (Yes, <b>I am currently multiple NANOE "board of governor" appointees</b>.)</div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Still... it bugged me that my personal experience was called "impossible." It bugged me that Jimmy was claiming his "pez dispenser" for board of governors appointments didn't exist. It annoyed me off that Jimmy was calling me a liar.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<b><i>So, I did it again.</i></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_HJ5cSNJbc/WN2nQnH7XRI/AAAAAAAAAlw/NyD_skl16yovWNqn9s4KFUIzMn5BuLL5ACLcB/s1600/170328%2B1211%2BNANOE%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BNominations_1%2B%2528Repositioned%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l_HJ5cSNJbc/WN2nQnH7XRI/AAAAAAAAAlw/NyD_skl16yovWNqn9s4KFUIzMn5BuLL5ACLcB/s400/170328%2B1211%2BNANOE%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BNominations_1%2B%2528Repositioned%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo #1 - When you click the "NANOE Nominations" button in the top left of the homepage, this is your first pop-up window. </span></i></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Minutes after ending my conversation with Tim, I returned to NANOE's homepage and repeated the process using the name "Ms. Ethics Matter." I had seen how they automatically spit out their "press releases" and <b>I really wanted them to "appoint" "Ms. Ethics Matter" to their board of governors. </b>For an organization that proclaims "Ethics + Accountability = Failed Practices," this is ironic isn't it? Jimmy claims his nominations are real and you cannot accept a nomination unless you had received an invitation. But, Jimmy is a liar. And Jimmy knows he is a liar. But liars don't care. They just lie about lying. Problem solved.</div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
On multiple occasions I used a fictitious name, a fictitious company, an email I created only moments earlier and a phone number that amused me to accept a nomination that had never been offered. In the case of Ms. Ethics Matter, her phone number is the US Congressional Switchboard.*</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-etts8sxu9n4/WN2nNFKDv3I/AAAAAAAAAlg/l1_67prhKtk3cvPEIPfiPi5snADAAK8JACLcB/s1600/170328%2B1128%2BNANOE%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BNominations_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-etts8sxu9n4/WN2nNFKDv3I/AAAAAAAAAlg/l1_67prhKtk3cvPEIPfiPi5snADAAK8JACLcB/s400/170328%2B1128%2BNANOE%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BNominations_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo #2 - This is your second pop-up window. You can enter any name, phone number, or email. Don't worry "everybody" gets appointed to the NANOE "Board of Governors."</i></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zxugk4RwRx4/WN2nOwCDxlI/AAAAAAAAAls/2P413UP4Zfw2Dxkc5vYKBnyhWYcZG_tBQCLcB/s1600/170328%2B1209%2BNANOE%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BNominations_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zxugk4RwRx4/WN2nOwCDxlI/AAAAAAAAAls/2P413UP4Zfw2Dxkc5vYKBnyhWYcZG_tBQCLcB/s400/170328%2B1209%2BNANOE%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BNominations_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo #3 - This is your third pop-up window. Hurray! You have been "instantly" appointed to the NANOE Board of Governors. Ms. Ethics Matter received her email confirmation (Photos #4 and #5 below) 19 seconds after I clicked "submit."</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Xfl5cu7y7E/WN2nNRt96XI/AAAAAAAAAlo/8LF9RBqbN5ocEr8OLLb5EyZjofoG5shWQCLcB/s1600/170328%2B1125%2BNANOE%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BNominations_1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Xfl5cu7y7E/WN2nNRt96XI/AAAAAAAAAlo/8LF9RBqbN5ocEr8OLLb5EyZjofoG5shWQCLcB/s400/170328%2B1125%2BNANOE%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BNominations_1a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*Photo #1a - This is the original screen shot in this series of three photos. I took the second screen shot (above) minutes later after repositioning the homepage for a cleaner background. </i></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
After being appointed to the NANOE board of governors AGAIN, only 19 seconds after clicking "submit," <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/items/biz/pdf/NANOE_Jim_Anderson.pdf">I sent the time stamped confirmation email "Press Release"</a> and time stamped screen captures to Tim, AGAIN. This was two days ago as you can see in the photos. Tim called me back yesterday, Wednesday morning and told me Jimmy claimed I fabricated the story. He claimed I edited an earlier "legitimate" press release and that I photo shopped the screen captures.</div>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<i>Really? Really...who are you going to believe "me" or your lying eyes?</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Here is Ms. Ethics Matter's congratulatory "press release" trumpeting her successful appointment to the prestigious NANOE Board of Directors.</div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dhc7CXEgDtY/WN2nM_-gGlI/AAAAAAAAAlk/hhqcpTXsnbwCJhDK2ijQSRhFifjsKXkJwCLcB/s1600/170328%2B1130%2BNANOE%2BPress%2BRelease%2BEthics%2BMatter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dhc7CXEgDtY/WN2nM_-gGlI/AAAAAAAAAlk/hhqcpTXsnbwCJhDK2ijQSRhFifjsKXkJwCLcB/s400/170328%2B1130%2BNANOE%2BPress%2BRelease%2BEthics%2BMatter.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo #4 -<i style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2;"> Ms. Ethics Matter received this congratulatory "press release" 19 seconds after I clicked submit.</i></span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTsPiCLjITM/WN2nQw5jTLI/AAAAAAAAAl0/nRjqdL_lEH8Wp0oC9H4ZoVe-FMLuneR1gCLcB/s1600/170329%2B0919%2BNANOE%2BPress%2BRelease%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BProof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" height="263" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTsPiCLjITM/WN2nQw5jTLI/AAAAAAAAAl0/nRjqdL_lEH8Wp0oC9H4ZoVe-FMLuneR1gCLcB/s400/170329%2B0919%2BNANOE%2BPress%2BRelease%2BEthics%2BMatter%2BProof.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo #5 - Jimmy claimed I used an old, "legitimate" confirmation email and edited it so I opened the address detail to prove it's authenticity.</i></td></tr>
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<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Because of Jimmy's claims I had "fabricated" this whole story, Tim asked me to prove to him I was telling the truth AGAIN while he was on the phone with me. So yesterday, Wednesday morning, I took a screen capture of their homepage with the "NANOE Nominations" button and the pop-up window which appears when you click the button. I sent this to Tim immediately while still on the phone. My computer clock is visible on screen, and the photo is time-stamped proving the date. Tim said "That looks like proof to me."</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y65vKpZG3js/WN2nQ-PbwcI/AAAAAAAAAl4/aLYz3xA2HAcn-VUF5kA-VfknfdL8olxmwCLcB/s1600/170329%2B0837%2BStill%2BActive%2BProof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y65vKpZG3js/WN2nQ-PbwcI/AAAAAAAAAl4/aLYz3xA2HAcn-VUF5kA-VfknfdL8olxmwCLcB/s400/170329%2B0837%2BStill%2BActive%2BProof.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo #6 - Screen capture of the NANOE homepage yesterday with the "NANOE Nominations" button in the upper left corner.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
When I tried to move to the next screen to accept another non-existent nomination, we learned the link had finally been disabled sometime in the last 24 hours after Tim had shared with Jimmy that Ms. "Ethics Matter" had just been appointed to NANOE's board of governors.</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
It remains to be seen if we'll all keep getting "nominated" to NANOE's board. But the "pez dispenser" button for board of governors appointments is gone. With the button having magically disappeared, I'm not sure how you would accept your nomination that no one ever made. But on the bright side, I guess that means Jimmy's claim that "it's impossible" to do what I did, over and over again, is true. Finally.</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
-----<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">If you would like to consider membership in a reputable, ethical fundraising association here are a few places to learn </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">more. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(</span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">I am not compensated in any way by any of the following organizations.)</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="http://www.afpnet.org/">Association of Fundraising Professionals</a></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Arlington, Virginia, US<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ahp.org/">Association for Healthcare Philanthropy</a><br />
Falls Church, Virginia, US</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
<a href="http://www.case.org/">Council for Advancement and Support of Education</a><br />
(<a href="http://www.case.org/About_CASE/Directions_to_CASE.html">Multiple International Locations</a>)<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.fia.org.au/">Fundraising Institute Australia</a></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
Chatswood, NSW</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="http://www.resource-alliance.org/">The Resource Alliance</a></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
London, UK</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*If you do call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121, ask to speak to your representative about an issue important to you. Maybe stricter enforcement of the anti-spam CAN-SPAM Act and other FTC violations.</i></span></div>
<div href="http://WISESTAMP_SIG_5457b48d8960375821a436cb4afd8f1f" id="gmail-WISESTAMP_SIG_5457b48d8960375821a436cb4afd8f1f" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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Jim Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12414844891246642506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-26241162276784093442017-03-30T10:34:00.000-07:002017-03-30T10:49:28.986-07:00Mission First: Why Philanthropy is About Mission, not Money<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pSNGV2BVa6U/WN05DfFKBiI/AAAAAAAAFTU/SeZqe11Jr5oLJi1Kt_OOLLwVggl6tdvXQCLcB/s1600/MWest-DCT.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lowell DCT" border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pSNGV2BVa6U/WN05DfFKBiI/AAAAAAAAFTU/SeZqe11Jr5oLJi1Kt_OOLLwVggl6tdvXQCLcB/s320/MWest-DCT.png" title="Lowell Observatory DCT" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lowell Observatory <br />
Discovery Channel Telescope<br />
Photo: Dr. Michael West</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><i>"We're seeing things that no one's ever seen before." </i></b><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><i>--Dr. Deirdre Hunter, Astronomer</i></b></div>
<br />
I had the privilege of spending the majority of two days at <a href="https://lowell.edu/" target="_blank">Lowell Observatory</a> as they unveiled the conceptual vision of the "next frontier," so to speak, of their research, learning and community engagement. As a former director of development for the Observatory (where they discovered <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ringo-is-a-beatle-hawaii-is-a-state-mdash-why-isnt-pluto-a-planet/" target="_blank">Pluto</a>), and a current donor, I'm very proud of Lowell. They have made <a href="https://lowell.edu/research/" target="_blank">groundbreaking discoveries</a> for over a century, but even with that pedigree, the project that was discussed was thrilling.<br />
<br />
You may wonder, is it a new telescope? No, they did that already with the <a href="https://lowell.edu/research/research-facilities/4-3-meter-dct/" target="_blank">Discovery Channel Telescope</a>.<br />
<br />
Is it a new building? Well, that might be part of the project, but not yet.<br />
<br />
This project is about <b>conducting transformational research to inspire people to change their view of science, the world and the universe.</b><br />
<br />
This has been the unchanging mission of Lowell Observatory for 123 years. While it's not the stereotypical nonprofit cause of "children and puppies," it is inspiring to many amateur astronomers, scientists, educators, history buffs, and families who are curious about our little blue dot's place.<br />
<br />
While there are still questions about the project, I can already see that this vision is capturing people's imagination. I can also see this project capturing the imagination and passion of current and future donors in a big and inspiring way.<br />
<br />
This proposed new project is <b><u>big</u></b>. (Like "brontosaurus big," according to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyhalllowell/" target="_blank">Dr. Jeffrey Hall</a>, Director of Lowell Observatory.) And it will require a lot of money. <b>But the thing is, we didn't talk that much about money.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Mission always comes first.</b><br />
<br />
Dr. Hall aptly noted to the board, <b><i>"We have made the error in the past of putting money first."</i></b> That approach shook the core of Lowell Observatory's culture and even threatened the financial viability of the organization. <b style="font-style: italic;">"If you want to know why we do what we do, go speak to a high school class, and connect with a young person who wants your card afterward to follow up [about scientific study],"</b> Dr. Hall added. <b style="font-style: italic;">"That's why we do what we do."</b> By refocusing on their mission over the last several years, Lowell Observatory is poised to be the most successful in its history.<br />
<br />
There are some people, however, who would argue that this approach is flawed. You've heard the old saying, "No money, no mission." But now there is an organization that believes that money should be the prime focus.<br />
<br />
In an article published by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, "<a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/New-Nonprofit-Puts-Money-Over/239635" target="_blank">New Nonprofit Puts Money Over Mission and Ethics</a>," the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives claims that they are for <b><i>"nonprofit executives who know money is more important than mission."</i></b> The founder is also quoted as saying, <b><i>"they’ll say: ‘Jimmy, if we do what Nanoe is saying, we’ll have to stop serving kids.’ And you know what I say? I say, ‘Stop serving kids.’"</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>That approach is wrong. </b><br />
<br />
James Langley, founder and principal of <a href="http://langleyinnovations.com/" target="_blank">Langley Innovations</a>, and consultant to Lowell Observatory, astutely said, <b style="font-style: italic;">"Philanthropists are those who live below their means for the good of others." </b>This applies to any philanthropist, regardless of their capacity to give. Whether the person is donating $10 or $10 million, they have made decisions to give up something to support your mission.<br />
<b style="font-style: italic;"><br /></b>
<b>Do you think those philanthropists are interested in living below their means just to contribute to your coffers? If you "stop serving kids," why do you even exist?</b><br />
<br />
This is a guess, but I think if you map out the difficult times for Lowell Observatory over a 123 year span, you'll discover that the times when the institution was most threatened was when money took precedence over mission. And the times when it has thrived was when its mission was a singular focus.<br />
<br />
W. Lowell Putnam IV, the Observatory's current trustee, also said this: "<b><i>Whatever we do, we cannot violate people's trust and the integrity of the institution.</i></b>" Lowell Observatory is clearly united in the belief that existing as a nonprofit organization is a privilege. It is their responsibility to be accountable to the donors--the investors--who give.<br />
<br />
<i>So do you want your organization to focus on ethics, accountability and your mission, or is money more important to you?</i><br />
<br />
<br />
***<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclosure: Jim Anderson was interviewed for the <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/article/New-Nonprofit-Puts-Money-Over/239635" target="_blank">article </a>by Timothy Sandoval with the Chronicle of Philanthropy. I was not. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">I thank </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lowell Observatory and Langley Innovations </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">for letting me participate in their meetings;</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> these are my opinions and not theirs.</span><br />
<br />Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-44403076899111728442017-03-16T10:23:00.001-07:002017-03-16T22:34:16.481-07:00Defend the Underdogs of Public Media<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lxDaVaDoiDU/WMq8UZy5VmI/AAAAAAAAFPY/7HC3SJFhA3Uu9ddAHfzTERx5UIu14ouwQCLcB/s1600/2016-04-09%2B14.54.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lxDaVaDoiDU/WMq8UZy5VmI/AAAAAAAAFPY/7HC3SJFhA3Uu9ddAHfzTERx5UIu14ouwQCLcB/s320/2016-04-09%2B14.54.43.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim and I and our friends at WSSB in Orangeburg, SC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Since the November 2016 election,
people in public and community media have been speculating about the
future of the <a href="http://www.cpb.org/" target="_blank">Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)</a>. This agency
provides funding for public and community stations throughout the
country through its Community Service Grant program and other special
funding initiatives for infrastructure and collaborative projects.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, the <a href="http://current.org/2017/03/trump-budget-seeks-to-zero-out-cpb-funding-by-2018/" target="_blank">Trump administration has announced its first pass budget</a> that, to little surprise, zeroes out
funding for the CPB, the <a href="http://www.arts.gov/" target="_blank">National Endowment for the Arts</a>, and the
<a href="http://www.neh.gov/" target="_blank">National Endowment for the Humanities</a>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I could go on about the politics of the
elimination of funding. But not now. What I want to address is <b>the
very real impact of this potential loss on small, rural and minority
stations</b>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>First, an apology to my larger market
station colleagues.</b> I respect you and what you are doing to provide
educational service to your communities. You invest local resources
in <a href="https://ed.gov/programs/rtltv/index.html" target="_blank">Ready to Learn</a> programs. You have some of the largest, and most
under-resourced, teams of journalists in the country. You engage
community leaders in civil discussion about local issues as wide
ranging as racial profiling and restaurant reviews.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>You will be fine.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
CPB funding, for many large or medium
size market stations, has become an increasingly small portion of
their budgets. These stations may have survived elimination of other
funding sources, such as state funding. Some have even explored what
it might mean to withdraw from the Community Service Grant program.
And I can confidently say that larger market stations have rallied
their audiences to provide higher levels of voluntary support.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some of my colleagues who have worked
with only major market stations agree that eliminating funding to the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a bad idea, but they are being
practical. We can consolidate. We can raise the difference.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>That's why I'm not really worried about
you. I'm worried about the stations who can't do that.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uTv5dpdXdmA/WMrHJ_xlqZI/AAAAAAAAFP0/BRIbdEJ_-sg43TTom9qJQ__8QhemzN3pACLcB/s1600/KAWC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uTv5dpdXdmA/WMrHJ_xlqZI/AAAAAAAAFP0/BRIbdEJ_-sg43TTom9qJQ__8QhemzN3pACLcB/s320/KAWC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The small but mighty KAWC team, 2016<br />
(Steven Hennig is missing because he was taking the picture)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We work and have worked with small,
rural and minority stations. <b>We work with <a href="http://www.kawc.org/" target="_blank">KAWC Colorado River Public Media</a>,</b> based in Yuma, Arizona, which provides two noncommercial
programming streams to rural Arizona, including local coverage of
<i>real</i> life on the
border from a four person news team, and the only news service to
some areas where cell phones <u>still</u> don't work.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>We work with <a href="http://www.kghr.net/" target="_blank">KGHR Navajo Public Radio</a>,
</b>based at <a href="http://www.greyhills.org/" target="_blank">Greyhills Academy High School</a> in Tuba City, Arizona, on the
Navajo Nation, which serves as a community information board, sharing
news about health fairs, home maintenance, public safety and other
basic services that might otherwise go unnoticed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>We have worked in the past with <a href="http://www.kuyi.net/" target="_blank">KUYI Hopi Radio</a>,</b> licensed to <a href="http://www.hopifoundation.org/" target="_blank">The Hopi Foundation</a>, one of the pioneers in
Native American public media, which provides programming in the Hopi
language and contributes to the protection and growth of the Hopi
culture.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For all three of these stations, their
<b>CPB grant is a significant portion of their budget.</b> It pays for
programming that connects these remote communities to the rest of the
world. It helps cover staff that keep the station running and provide
a local voice. These stations are running with the bare minimum of
staff to keep them going; the grant does not cover “fluff.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In addition, these stations are not in
communities with high resources. The idea of having the local
audience bear the full cost is not realistic for these smaller
stations. For instance, in a project funded by the CPB through
<a href="https://www.greaterpublic.org/" target="_blank">Greater Public</a>, we worked with four African-American licensed
stations to try to build their local capacity for fundraising. <b>Could
we give these stations the tools to raise more money?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The answer, as you might expect, was
<b>“yes and no.”</b> The stations did, to varying degrees, increase the
amount of money raised, but not to the level of doubling or tripling
their revenue. The communities that they served simply did not have
the financial capacity to increase their giving dramatically. If
faced with the loss of their CPB grant, they might be able to cut
some expenses and generate a little more revenue, but not enough to
continue.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So that begs the question...<b>why do we
need these small stations anyway?</b> Wouldn't it be more efficient to
just merge them into another larger station? Doesn't the internet
provide the services these stations do? Couldn't we just have a
national feed of NPR and PBS and call it done?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What would we lose if these small,
rural and minority stations went away?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>We lose the voices of these
communities in national discussion.</b></i> It doesn't work to ask
people from these communities to go someplace else to share their
opinions: that automatically makes them an outsider and immediately
changes the nature of the conversation. We need to speak with people where they live to get their real perspectives.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>We lose the connection within
rural and small communities.</b></i> Stations help residents in their
communities stay connected. Particularly in radio, the station is
often the <u>only</u> way to communicate with the whole community,
not just about local events, but also about emergency situations. And
the suggestion that everyone can get what they need through the
internet? Well, internet access is not as universal as many in larger
communities think, and what happens during a crisis when local
internet might be down? In recent floods and hurricanes in the
southeast, often the public radio or television station was the only
source for updates.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>We lose sight of issues that face
people who live outside of metro areas. </b></i>Let's
face it: problems are different in major cities than they are in
small towns and rural areas. For example, we are still dealing with
getting cell phone service to some of these communities, when people
in big cities complain about not having free WiFi. Stations have the
ability to have issues moved to a larger stage that are simply foreign to metro audiences.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>We lose the stories and rich
histories of diverse cultures.</b></i> You can't simply send a
correspondent into a community for a day or two and expect them to
understand the culture and way of life. There are so many stories that can only be
crafted over time, and by someone who is a part of life there.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And <i><b>we begin to ignore small,
rural and minority communities</b></i> and the issues that are
important to them. By saying, “really, only large markets can have
this service,” you tell people that they are not worth having a
voice.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A colleague suggested that threats to
federal support to public broadcasting might be a good thing for us.
Like with the <a href="http://www.aclu.org/" target="_blank">ACLU</a>, the <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/" target="_blank">Southern Poverty Law Center</a>, <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/" target="_blank">Planned Parenthood</a>, and others, perhaps this is an opportunity for the public
to rally and provide unprecedented levels of support. I worry that
stations that really need the funding will not have the ability to
access it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SdycXleiH24/WMrC2RlFt5I/AAAAAAAAFPo/Iu4Ae-ojEscoJDQOeqyB8YKqkgUUM8nKwCLcB/s1600/AliceandMrRogers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SdycXleiH24/WMrC2RlFt5I/AAAAAAAAFPo/Iu4Ae-ojEscoJDQOeqyB8YKqkgUUM8nKwCLcB/s320/AliceandMrRogers2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie Lin (my mom), Mr. Rogers and me, circa 1971.<br />
I've been a public media supporter for a long time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There will be much more discussion
about this issue in the coming days, and, like in previous battles, I
expect that many people will voice their support for public media. <b>If
you would like to do so, please visit <a href="http://protectmypublicmedia.org/" target="_blank">Protect My Public Media</a> to add
your story.</b> Also, contact your Representative and Senators regarding
your position.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>And find your local station and support
them. </b>They need all the help they can get.<br />
<br />
<br />
<hr />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">We have worked with so many stations that deserve your support, but a special shout out to <a href="http://www.kawc.org/" target="_blank">KAWC Colorado River Public Media</a>, <a href="http://www.kghr.net/" target="_blank">KGHR Navajo Public Radio</a>, <a href="http://www.kuyi.net/" target="_blank">KUYI Hopi Radio</a>, <a href="http://www.kxci.org/" target="_blank">KXCI Tucson</a>, <a href="http://www.azpm.org/" target="_blank">Arizona Public Media</a>, <a href="http://www.azpbs.org/" target="_blank">Arizona PBS</a>, <a href="http://wssbradio.org/" target="_blank">WSSB Orangeburg</a>, <a href="http://www.wsncradio.org/" target="_blank">WSNC Winston-Salem</a>, <a href="http://www.1037thebeat.com/" target="_blank">WUVS Muskegon</a>, <a href="http://www.kbbgfm.org/" target="_blank">KBBG Waterloo</a>, <a href="http://mountainlake.org/" target="_blank">Mountain Lake PBS</a>, <a href="http://www.wgvu.org/home/" target="_blank">WGVU Grand Rapids</a>, <a href="http://www.kcostv.org/home/" target="_blank">KCOS El Paso</a>, <a href="http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/" target="_blank">Houston Public Media</a>, <a href="http://www.kpfa.org/" target="_blank">KPFA Berkeley</a>, <a href="http://www.wbai.org/" target="_blank">WBAI New York</a>, <a href="http://www.knpb.org/" target="_blank">KNPB Reno</a>, <a href="http://www.kuac.org/" target="_blank">KUAC Fairbanks</a>, and <a href="http://www.wpt.org/" target="_blank">Wisconsin Public Television</a>.</span></div>
Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-43817835401198028542017-03-08T00:41:00.000-07:002017-03-08T00:41:20.784-07:00Manifesto 3.0: Being True to Your Values<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k7cAcQy1nD4/WHGgRNfwKnI/AAAAAAAAFGc/Kj12aMo1RgEz5xKs2pqtSyjMGBX5aIZxACLcB/s1600/craig_starfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k7cAcQy1nD4/WHGgRNfwKnI/AAAAAAAAFGc/Kj12aMo1RgEz5xKs2pqtSyjMGBX5aIZxACLcB/s320/craig_starfish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
There is an oft quoted story about the child and the starfish. You probably know the one. The abridged version goes like this:<br />
<br />
A man came across a child walking on the beach, upon which thousands of starfish had washed. The child was picking up the starfish that were still living, and throwing them back in the water, because if they stayed on the beach, the starfish would surely die. The man observed this for some time, and eventually approached.<br />
<br />
"What are you doing?"<br />
<br />
"I am saving the starfish," he replied.<br />
<br />
“Little boy, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”<br />
<br />
The boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he looked up at the man and replied, “Well, it mattered to that one."<br />
<br />
What I have only recently learned is that this story is adapted from a longer story called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Thrower" target="_blank">"The Star Thrower," by Loren Eiseley</a>. In the longer essay, there is an important resolution:<br />
<br />
On a point of land, I found the star thrower...I spoke once, briefly. "I understand," I said. "Call me another thrower." Only then I allowed myself to think, he is not alone any longer. After us, there will be others....For a moment, we cast on an infinite beach together."<br />
<br />
<b><i>So why is this story important to us?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
Jim and I frequently reflect on those rare people in our lives who are truly, deeply genuine. These are people who, regardless of what is happening to them, or to people they care about, or to situations around them, are true to their values, loyal to people who are important to them, and honest in what they say. These are not people who waver: they are our rocks, our foundation. Our star throwers.<br />
<br />
The star throwers of our lives tend to be underappreciated. They may be quieter than others, more introspective or introverted, yet they are always there, ready with a helping hand, a kind gesture, or an insightful observation.<br />
<br />
But it is one thing to tell people that you admire their traits. It's quite another thing to emulate them.<br />
<br />
Over the last several months, Jim and I have felt a need to express the values of GoalBusters more overtly. While we've never been shrinking violets about this (see the <a href="http://goalbustersconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/06/manifesto.html" target="_blank">GoalBusters Manifesto</a>), we also know that we need to clearly define where we stand.<br />
<br />
When we participated in the <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/" target="_blank">Women's March on Washington</a>, we knew we were taking a step.<br />
<br />
Even though we work with many different organizations, with people of many perspectives, political beliefs and spiritual callings, they all have one thing in common--they are part of communities who struggle to have a voice. Whether it's a small public radio station covering border issues far from major cities, or a health care institution trying to provide comprehensive service in a rural community, or an education organization providing advancement opportunity to those who haven't had it before, these are charities that are, in many respects, trying to do the impossible.<br />
<br />
So, I dedicate the GoalBusters Manifesto 3.0 to our friends who are trying to do the impossible. To our Star Throwers.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b>The Manifesto 3.0</b><br />
updated March 7, 2017 (aka the tenth anniversary of Liberation Day)<br />
<br />
At GoalBusters, philanthropy, and fundraising, is not about money. Yes, money is involved, and we help our clients raise money and do more with the resources they have. But fundamentally,<b> the obligation of the charitable sector is to make the world a better place, and to lift up the people and beings living in it.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Fundraising is not about "<a href="http://www.goalbusters.net/world-famous-jimisms.html" target="_blank">shoveling coal into a machine</a>."</b> Your purpose has to matter to the communities you serve. <b>You have to care about more than yourself.</b> It comes down to the root of the word philanthropy: it means <b>love of humankind</b>.<br />
<br />
Therefore, <b>we work with causes that we personally believe in.</b> When we work with a client, we throw our hearts and souls into the organization. Ultimately, we can't fake that. Causes that we personally support include public and community media, education, healthcare for the underserved, diverse communities, arts and cultural programs, progressive causes, social justice, social services, and our professional associations.<br />
<br />
We also work with teams that are passionate--about the cause, about learning, about improving, about making the world a better place--because <b>if you're not committed to your cause, why should anyone else be?</b><br />
<br />
Finally, we work with people who are committed to the <b>highest standards of ethics and professional practice.</b> And don't just give that lip service—actually live it.<br />
<br />
<hr />
<b><i>Call me another thrower.</i></b><br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This post is dedicated to <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55bfe9c8e4b073d95baddf42/t/58b9e2bed1758e6cdb7a99fc/1488577279785/1st+Quarter+2017+Newsletter+%28digital%29.pdf" target="_blank">Vernon Kahe</a>.</i><br />
<i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></i>
<i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thanks also to our team, Annagreta Jacobson, Elta Foster, </i><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">J.C. Patrick, Justin Anderson, Matthew Ferris and Dennis Gilliam</i><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> for supporting and uplifting us every day, and to Bill and Matthew Ferris for allowing me to throw my whole self into GoalBusters. And of course, thanks to Jim Anderson for, well, everything. On March 7, 2007 (aka Liberation Day), Jim and I took a leap of faith that GoalBusters (founded as Ferris Consulting in March 2001) could be a real full-time gig, and now, ten years later, it is much more than that--it is our life's work. We have the privilege of meeting incredible fundraising professionals around the world and the honor of serving organizations that live the Manifesto.</i>Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-45436893072449274242016-11-09T23:50:00.000-07:002016-11-12T04:43:27.587-07:00When Things Don't Go As Planned<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Twenty years ago this week, I arrived
in Flagstaff, Arizona to start my new job as Director of Development
for Lowell Observatory. I was 26 years old, in my first senior
management level position, and I had no clue how I was going to
accomplish what the institution expected of me.<br />
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<b>Nothing has gone as planned since then.</b></div>
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I thought that the job at Lowell would
get me enough experience to move back to Wisconsin, so that I could move up
the ranks at Wisconsin Public Television. I was supposed to be in
Arizona for four years, then move “home.” Instead, I quit my job
at Lowell Observatory after four years to have my son, Matthew,
reluctantly turned down a job offer at Wisconsin Public Television,
and dedicated myself to being a stay at home mom. Which lasted three
months.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Since then, my journey has been a
series of twists and turns, none of which I was expecting. I founded
my consulting firm when Matthew was three months old. I vowed I
wouldn't specialize in public media, yet my second client was a
public radio station and now the majority of our clients are in public media. I said I wouldn't go back to work full time,
yet when Matthew was two, I was working full-time at the local
hospital, running the foundation. I thought I'd go back to public
media as a staff person for the rest of my career, but I barely made
it two years due to conflicts with my boss. I thought I'd have more
children, but after a miscarriage or two, that wasn't in the cards.
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<br /></div>
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I didn't think that my consulting
practice would amount to much, especially since one of my professors
in my MBA program said I didn't have the mindset of an entrepreneur,
yet here I am with a modestly successful 15 year old company.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I steadily moved up in volunteer
leadership roles with the Association of Fundraising Professionals
(AFP) International, holding positions in all divisions of service,
yet after three failed attempts to serve as chair of the
organization, I was making no progress.</div>
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I never thought I'd be a cat person.
(#random)</div>
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At every turn, however, something good
has eventually resulted from it. Because of these unplanned turns of
events, I have worked with several public media organizations with
people who are genuinely passionate about the role noncommercial
media plays in lifelong learning and civic dialogue. I've traveled
the world presenting at conferences, AFP meetings, and nonprofits who
are energized by my workshops and talks. I've met dozens upon dozens
of earnest and enthusiastic AFP volunteers who remind me that it's
not about what titles we have, but about the volunteer impact.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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And today, thanks to <b><a href="http://twitter.com/goalbustersjim" target="_blank">Jim Anderson</a></b>, I
was honored as the AFP Northern Arizona Outstanding Fundraising
Professional for a surprise third time, with an amazing tribute video
that Jim crafted. It featured testimonials from some very special people:
<b>Ken Verdoia</b>, my Downton Abbey (among other programs) pledge partner and
consummate broadcasting professional; <b>LuAnn Leonard</b>, Executive
Director of the Hopi Education Endowment Fund, who has been an inspiration to me and whose organization has been a benchmark for other charities we serve; <b>Scott Fortnum, MA, CFRE, ACFRE,</b> a
stalwart AFP colleague and valued peer volunteer; <b>Dave Riek,</b> General Manager at KAWC and a public media colleague since I moved to Flagstaff, who has been with GoalBusters every step of the way; <b>Rick Swanson,</b>
another colleague and friend who was instrumental in launching
GoalBusters full-time and cooks up a mean lobster feast; <b>Bob Marty,</b>
television producer extraordinaire, who raised my profile
exponentially in the PBS system with the honor of working on the
Downton Abbey pledge events; and my parents, <b>Jim and Annie Lin,</b> who
have supported my efforts without exception my entire life. Of
course, Jim Anderson's in-person commentary made me cry, saying that
I change the lives of everyone I touch, including him, even though,
11 years ago, he declared that he was unchangeable.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And now we face another unexpected turn
in the United States. I am devastated by the results of the
presidential election. For the first 6 hours after the results became
clear, I could not stop crying.
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But I have to believe that something
good will come of this. I must believe this; it's the only way I will
get through the days, weeks, months, and four years coming up. Maybe
it will be improved civic engagement. Maybe it will be activation of
communities who don't accept a cult of fear. Maybe it will be new
collaborations and partnerships that never seemed possible before. I
don't know, and it's too early, too raw, to tell.</div>
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What I do know is that the nonprofit
community will continue to improve people's lives, no matter what.
Funding sources may not be the same, and the players come and go,
but, as in the hundreds of years before now, the American
philanthropic sector will survive the winds of change. Regardless of your political persuasion, we will need
time to heal, to forgive, and importantly, to listen, but we must be
committed to continuing and expanding our work.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the days leading up to the election,
I posted a quote from Jane Goodall: “You cannot get through a
single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you
do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference
you want to make.”</div>
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I want to make the world a better
place. I don't know how to do that right now, but it will come to
light. So how do you want to impact the world?<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>***</i></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>This blog first appeared on the <a href="http://goalbustersconsulting.blogspot.com/2016/11/when-things-dont-go-as-planned.html" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">GoalBusters Blog</a> and reflects the personal opinions, experience, and far too public emotional processing of Alice Ferris.</i></span><br />
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Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0Flagstaff, AZ, USA35.1982836 -111.6513019999999935.094458100000004 -111.81266349999999 35.3021091 -111.48994049999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-1631115947276824202016-05-25T17:14:00.001-07:002016-05-25T17:27:24.278-07:00For-profit and nonprofit businesses: are we all the same?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Are nonprofit organizations any different from for-profit businesses?<br />
<br />
For years, many professionals have encouraged us to think about nonprofit organizations just like you would a "regular" business.<br />
<br />
<b><i>I agree...to a point.</i></b><br />
<br />
The easiest delineation between the two business types is that for-profit businesses distribute profits to shareholders, while nonprofit businesses reinvest profits in the mission of the organization. Nonprofit organizations definitely need to understand their "product," follow sound financial and operational practices, and all companies, regardless of classification, need to generate a profit to preserve long-term sustainability and the success of its purpose.<br />
<br />
But when the bottom falls out, <b><i>I expect something different from nonprofit organizations.</i></b><br />
<br />
Recently, a nonprofit organization that I have been deeply involved with as a volunteer for almost 20 years, made business decisions that I have a hard time understanding. Ten people, several of whom I count as friends, who provided exemplary service and supreme dedication, were let go with less than a day's notice. They received calls in the morning and by the end of the day, they were unemployed.<br />
<br />
I'm sure there are facts I don't know. And I'm told that this is the way it is done. This is “normal business practice” nowadays.<br />
<br />
I've seen this happen at more than one nonprofit organization, and <u><b>it makes me angry</b></u>.<br />
<br />
The line between nonprofit and for-profit companies is more blurry every day. With companies like <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/23-charitable-companies-that-actually-give-back?utm_term=.opzNZW4QJ#.kb8nm4XDb" target="_blank">TOMS, Warby Parker, and many others,</a> it's becoming harder to tell which is a for-profit and which is a nonprofit. For many consumers, it doesn't really matter. I get that.<br />
<br />
For better or worse, the nonprofit sector has traditionally claimed the high ground of being morally superior to our for-profit brethren. Not only does the mission come first, but we also care for our team. We're more humane. We're collaborative. We're “family.”<br />
<br />
Business practices that treat employees as disposable leave us with little to differentiate ourselves from the traditional for-profit sector. So we might as well go to “the other side” and make more money. Or better yet, work for a hybrid corporation like <a href="http://www.toms.com/" target="_blank">TOMS</a>.<br />
<br />
I could be making more money. I probably <u>should</u> be making more money. But instead of becoming an accountant, or something else, I chose fundraising. I chose to work with small nonprofits. I chose to pour my heart, soul, time and money into the philanthropic sector. And increasingly, I am disappointed in business practices of organizations that purport to be the leaders in the sector.<br />
<br />
Alexis de Tocqueville's <i>Democracy in America</i> is often quoted in reference to philanthropy. Tocqueville writes this on associations in the US:<br />
<br />
<i>"In the United States, as soon as several inhabitants have taken an opinion or an idea they wish to promote in society, they seek each other out and unite together....From that moment, they are no longer isolated but have become a power seen from afar whose activities serve as an example and whose words are heeded.<a href="http://www.learningtogive.org/resources/philanthropy-described-democracy-america-de-tocqueville" target="_blank">"</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>When we come together, when we have shared values as a group, <b>we have the power to change society</b>. We have the power to treat people with dignity. We serve as an example to others of how to work with respect for one another. Things that the charitable sector has historically had at its core.<br />
<br />
In an effort to make the nonprofit sector "more like a business," I hope that we have not forgotten that the word “philanthropy” means “<i>love of your fellow man</i>.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>***</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>This blog first appeared on the <a href="http://blog.goalbusters.com/2016/05/charitable-business-practices.html" target="_blank">GoalBusters Blog</a> and reflects the personal opinions of Alice Ferris. But Jim Anderson <strike>probably</strike> agrees, since we both wrote the GoalBusters <a href="http://goalbustersconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/06/manifesto.html" target="_blank">manifesto</a> that outlines our values.</i></span>Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-68014815579339660532016-02-12T22:32:00.000-07:002016-02-13T15:08:20.402-07:00The Party's Over! - Conducting Special Event Audits<span style="font-size: small;">GoalBusters conducted a FREE "Special Events" critical analysis webinar for nearly 700 Bloomerang registrants. Here is our presentation in SlideShare format.</span><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/42kb9zDDxZqcJf%22%20width=%22595%22%20height=%22485%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20style=%22border:1px%20solid%20#CCC; border-width:1px; margin-bottom:5px; max-width: 100%;" allowfullscreen> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom:5px"> <strong> <a href="//www.slideshare.net/GoalBusters/the-partys-over-conducting-a-special-event-audit" title="The Party's Over: Conducting a Special Event Audit" target="_blank">The Party's Over: Conducting a Special Event Audit</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="//www.slideshare.net/GoalBusters" target="_blank">GoalBusters Consulting</a></strong> </div>"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="485" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/42kb9zDDxZqcJf" style="border-width: 1px; border: 1px solid #CCC; margin-bottom: 5px; max-width: 100%;" width="595"> </iframe> </a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22//www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/42kb9zDDxZqcJf%22%20width=%22595%22%20height=%22485%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20style=%22border:1px%20solid%20#CCC; border-width:1px; margin-bottom:5px; max-width: 100%;" allowfullscreen> </iframe> <div style="margin-bottom:5px"> <strong> <a href="//www.slideshare.net/GoalBusters/the-partys-over-conducting-a-special-event-audit" title="The Party's Over: Conducting a Special Event Audit" target="_blank">The Party's Over: Conducting a Special Event Audit</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="//www.slideshare.net/GoalBusters" target="_blank">GoalBusters Consulting</a></strong> </div>"><strong> </strong></a><strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/GoalBusters/the-partys-over-conducting-a-special-event-audit" target="_blank" title="The Party's Over: Conducting a Special Event Audit">The Party's Over: Conducting a Special Event Audit</a> </strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/GoalBusters" target="_blank">GoalBusters Consulting</a></strong> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Here is the complete video presentation as delivered by GoalBusters' Alice Ferris, ACFRE and Jim Anderson, CFRE hosted by Bloomerang.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k2tNT-nstmg" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Everyone likes a good party, but what do you do when you know in your heart that a fundraising event has reached the end of its effective life? Rather than let the party go on, conduct an objective event audit and let the facts help you decide what do to next.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span data-offset-key="ejdh7-0-0"><span style="font-size: small;">In this practical session, we'll discuss the signs of a failing event, the tools to analyze the event's effective return, ways to soften the blow to volunteers of ending a losing program, and strategies to evaluate new events before they even happen.</span></span></span></div>
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Jim Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12414844891246642506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-24610654653208080832016-02-08T11:56:00.001-07:002016-02-08T11:56:54.035-07:00Resolution Redux: Happy Chinese New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OplzQFwidjU/VrjgGjiDDRI/AAAAAAAAESc/omA7g5Jwnjc/s1600/New-Year-Dishes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OplzQFwidjU/VrjgGjiDDRI/AAAAAAAAESc/omA7g5Jwnjc/s320/New-Year-Dishes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">February 8, 2016 marks the beginning of the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/12144891/chinese-new-year-2016-year-of-the-monkey.html" target="_blank">year of the monkey</a>, and two weeks of celebrations in Chinese communities. And if you've dropped the ball on your 2016 resolutions, here's a chance to revisit them!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Each year, like many people, we begin the year with great intentions of many changes. And by February, the gyms are empty again, the snack food aisle at the grocery store needs restocking, and the vegetables in the crisper drawer really should be thrown out.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So in light of the lunar new year, here's your chance for a do-over, particularly in the context of your fundraising program!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Related Post: <a href="http://goalbustersconsulting.blogspot.com/2015/02/chinese-new-year-traditions.html" target="_blank">Chinese New Year Traditions for Nonprofits</a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Assess your health.</span></b> How do you know if your nonprofit is healthy if you never measure it? Check out the Fundraising Effectiveness Project's <a href="http://afpfep.org/tools/" target="_blank">Fundraising Fitness Test</a> for a comprehensive, but pretty easy, measure of your organization's health.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Pick a BIG goal.</b></span> This might be for your organization or for your own career development. Maybe it's an idea that this year you will break through a big financial milestone. Or perhaps you want to consider pursuing a credential, such as the <a href="http://www.cfre.org/" target="_blank">CFRE</a> or the <a href="http://www.acfre.org/" target="_blank">ACFRE</a>. Whatever it is, write it down, and then tell someone about it. It's not real until you tell at least one person!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Seek out a new coach or mentor.</b></span> While you might have a great group of supportive mentors and coaches already, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut. At a conference, or online, reach out to someone that you think may have a different perspective, or experience with your big goal. You never know what they might say, if you don't ask!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Pick ONE thing to do differently over the next 30 days.</b></span> Not 10 days, not 60 days, just 30 days, and only ONE thing. Most change fails because you're trying to do too much at once, like eat different foods, and exercise, and sleep more, etc.. If you want something to stick, you need to stick to one thing. Perhaps you want to make a donor contact every day--not necessarily a solicitation, but a contact. Or you want to get rid of at least one old email every day (that's not asking much, is it?) Just pick ONE thing.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;">Whatever your goal, whatever your one thing is, we wish you success and prosperity in the new year! </span><i style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b><span style="color: red;">Gong Xi Fa Cai!</span></b></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For a cool 360 view of some of the people at my 2016 Chinese New Year party, check out Jim Anderson's <a href="https://theta360.com/s/tALBYEH24jdXAARE0l9t6Ubbc" target="_blank">ThetaS 360 post</a>. (Alice)</span><br />
<blockquote class="ricoh-theta-spherical-image" data-height="375" data-width="500">
I love every person in this photo. (I think that's 27 people.) Look around, it's a 360 #theta #phototsphere - <a href="https://theta360.com/s/tALBYEH24jdXAARE0l9t6Ubbc" target="_blank">Spherical Image - RICOH THETA</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://theta360.com/widgets.js"></script>
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Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-26671990573251241092015-12-21T19:11:00.001-07:002015-12-21T19:17:35.255-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy Hawaiian Holidays from the GoalBusters Elves</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jmy4_zVFcAE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jmy4_zVFcAE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Holidays from the GoalBusters Hawaiian Ukulele and Surf Team:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Alice </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Ferris - Jim Anderson - Annagreta Jacobson - J.C. Patrick and Elta Foster!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Another </span><a href="http://www.goalbusters.net/" style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;">GoalBusters Consulting, LLC</a><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; text-align: start;"> Video Production.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Connect with GoalBusters </span><a href="http://bit.ly/GBFB1" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Facebook" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/facebook.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="http://twitter.com/goalbusters" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Twitter" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/twitter.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/GBBlog" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Blogger" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/blogger.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/GBTube" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="YouTube" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/youtube.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><a href="http://pinterest.com/goalbusters/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="pinterest" border="0" height="16" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.wisestamp.com/pinterest.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="">Alice Ferris <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/aliceferris" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="LinkedIn" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/linkedin.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/alice.ferris" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Facebook" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/facebook.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/aliceferris" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Twitter" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/twitter.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/gbalice/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="pinterest" border="0" height="16" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.wisestamp.com/pinterest.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Skype" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/skype.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">alice.ferris</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jim Anderson <a href="http://bit.ly/GBJimA" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="LinkedIn" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/linkedin.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Jim.Anderson01" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Facebook" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/facebook.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/Jim_Anderson1" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Twitter" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/twitter.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/jimanderson1/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="pinterest" border="0" height="16" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.wisestamp.com/pinterest.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Skype" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/skype.png" height="16" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; background-color: white; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/" style="color: red; text-decoration: none;">GoalBustersJim</a></span></div>
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Jim Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12414844891246642506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-66833591916099830402015-11-23T01:22:00.000-07:002015-12-21T21:21:11.500-07:00FREE FOOD - 10 Tips for Mobile Apps<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zmQJJ2hfoH8/Vne0iYyONgI/AAAAAAAAAkU/4WFJXfesEBg/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-12-21%2Bat%2B12.52.49%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zmQJJ2hfoH8/Vne0iYyONgI/AAAAAAAAAkU/4WFJXfesEBg/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-12-21%2Bat%2B12.52.49%2BAM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-weight: normal; line-height: 28px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A conversation with a friend leads to this "helpful hint" post.</span></i></span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I usually only eat "fast food" as a last resort,
rushing to or from an airport, or stuck in one. But McDonalds promoted their
mobile app with the offer of "download the app and get a free
sandwich." Not bad. How many apps offer to pay you the equivalent of $3 -
$5 to download their app. I thought I'd download, get the freebie and delete
it. But... so far, it's paying off... A few weeks ago Alice got to use her app
(scan) coupon twice, scored about $8 free. (Mine only worked once. $4 for me.)
But I noticed they had two offers expiring today, "buy one, get one
free" breakfast and regular sandwiches. So, for dinner...I got a Quarter
Pounder Deluxe, Buttermilk Fried Chicken Club, 2x Sausage McMuffins, large
order of fries and a large Diet Dr. Pepper.... for $10.29! 4 meals for under
$11. I enjoyed the Quarter Pounder, most of the fries, and half the drink for
dinner. I stuck the rest in the fridge for later.</span></span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few tips if you download this, or similar apps...</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9_YGn-vg-DI/Vne0ieuZ4RI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/S36R0oK_PNQ/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-12-21%2Bat%2B12.27.00%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9_YGn-vg-DI/Vne0ieuZ4RI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/S36R0oK_PNQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-12-21%2Bat%2B12.27.00%2BAM.png" width="225" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. ONLY buy when it's a “true” 100% discount value (or better
value). "Buy one, get one free" with no other strings attached. You
aren't getting a deal if they make you buy a drink, etc.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Don't be a sucker. Avoid the "Buy 5 get one free"
deals. (Like the lame McCafe offer.) That is only a 20% discount at best. It
costs them about $0.25 to sell you each $3 drink.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Want to redeem more than one offer on the
same visit? Then make more than one transaction. Place your first order, pay for it.
Then get back in line or simply say "I changed my mind, I want this other
thing too." If they say no, find a different franchise because a manager
that won't take your money in this circumstance is likely such a cheapskate
that he/she underpays and mistreats their staff as well. *This does not apply
to the unfortunate managers and teams whom work for a "cheap jerk"
owner. I'd still leave, but be nice to the team. They’re just trying to pay the
bills.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Never pay for something that is not properly prepared. Don't
be afraid to ask for a "do over." Tonight my fries weren't
sufficiently fresh. I only eat those things piping-hot, fresh from the frier.
So, I drove around from the drive-through and stepped inside and asked for a
"do over." I waited about 3 minutes to get the fries replaced, fresh
from the frier. It is...always...worth it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. If you go to any chain restaurant (or store) EVER, understand
that you rarely have to pay full price if you educate yourself before you pull
up to a drive-through or step through their doors. There is a deal offered
every week. If you don't have their app, just ask if they are running any
specials.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Cognitive Dissonance: I have great disdain for fast food
restaurants in particular and chains in general. And I "know," yes,
it's McDonalds...and yes we should stop eating beef altogether...and yes I
loathe their scary marketing in schools, etc. but I'll fight those battle
separately.</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Read "</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3b5998;">Fast
Food Nation</span></a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">." (yes, there's a movie too.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Watch "</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3b5998;">Supersize
Me</span></a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Cook. Try to eat food that takes more than 5 minutes in your
kitchen to un-package and heat.</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Make an effort to enjoy food in an environment that allows
you to look into the eyes of the person you cooked for, or who cooked for you. </span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(If you live alone like me, don’t do this. It’s incredibly weird eating soup in
the bathroom.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">######</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang=""></span><br /></span><span lang="" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Connect with GoalBusters <a href="http://bit.ly/GBFB1"><img alt="Facebook" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/facebook.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/goalbusters"><img alt="Twitter" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/twitter.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://bit.ly/GBBlog"><img alt="Blogger" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/blogger.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://bit.ly/GBTube"><img alt="YouTube" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/youtube.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/goalbusters/" target="_blank"><img alt="pinterest" border="0" height="16" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.wisestamp.com/pinterest.png" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jim Anderson <a href="http://bit.ly/GBJimA"><img alt="LinkedIn" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/linkedin.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Jim.Anderson01"><img alt="Facebook" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/facebook.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/Jim_Anderson1"><img alt="Twitter" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/twitter.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/jimanderson1/" target="_blank"><img alt="pinterest" border="0" height="16" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.wisestamp.com/pinterest.png" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/"><img alt="Skype" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/skype.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/">GoalBustersJim</a></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alice Ferris <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/aliceferris"><img alt="LinkedIn" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/linkedin.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/alice.ferris"><img alt="Facebook" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/facebook.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/aliceferris"><img alt="Twitter" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/twitter.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/gbalice/" target="_blank"><img alt="pinterest" border="0" height="16" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.wisestamp.com/pinterest.png" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/"><img alt="Skype" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/skype.png" height="16" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/">alice.ferris</a></span></span></div>
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<div class="_39k5" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 28px; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 60px; position: relative;">
<div class="_v31" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px auto; padding-bottom: 160px;">
<div class="_2cuy _3dgx _209g _2vxa" data-block="true" data-offset-key="6ten7-0-0" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #141823; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px auto 28px; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 1; width: 700px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 21.0pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background-color: transparent; float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cqKfkRsnea0/Vne1w4TH_vI/AAAAAAAAAkg/SOmYW-5GZ1g/s200/FFN_Cover_CS_SP03.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation">Fast Food Nation (book)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GG05sFLxnMg/Vne1xQtgYyI/AAAAAAAAAko/9F55FAdX0Vs/s200/512YJd7Rs3L.jpg" width="145" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Food_Nation">Fast Food Nation (film)</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZbkMLs8kNUs/Vne1xTLIbAI/AAAAAAAAAks/7UMASy455lk/s200/Super_Size_Me_Poster.jpg" width="140" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me">Super Size Me (film</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Jim Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12414844891246642506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-39382249398156717372015-10-16T08:56:00.006-07:002015-10-16T16:17:18.765-07:00A Salute to a Brave Founder and her Baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q14_qhmQveQ/ViEaAEtnZCI/AAAAAAAAEHE/0bV67Fzfmgc/s1600/JLB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q14_qhmQveQ/ViEaAEtnZCI/AAAAAAAAEHE/0bV67Fzfmgc/s400/JLB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
October 15 was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, which was recognized and supported by the <a href="http://www.jlbproject.org/" target="_blank">JLB Project</a>, an organization in Flagstaff, Arizona that offers support for those who have lost a baby.<br />
<br />
I spoke about the JLB Project and its founders, Anna and Mike LaBenz, at the AFP Arizona Statewide Conference in July 2015, hosted by the <a href="http://www.afpnaz.org/" target="_blank">AFP Northern Arizona Chapter</a>, and shared the following remarks. This seems like a good time to share them again.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today, I'd like to tell you a story
about a courageous and big hearted woman named Anna.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I first met Anna LaBenz nine years ago.
She and her husband, Mike, had approached the Flagstaff Medical
Center Foundation wanting to make a substantial gift to the hospital.
As the former Foundation Director, I was brought in to help advise on the
gift.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I turned the gift down. Sort of.
Let me tell you why.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You see, I met Anna at a very difficult
time in her life. She and Mike had been expecting their second child and tragically lost their son at full
term due to an umbilical cord accident. As you can imagine, they were
devastated. But they also felt lonely...almost ostracized...by their
loss. What do you say to someone who loses a child this way?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anna wanted to do something to channel
her grief. So we talked about what she and Mike wanted to do with their gift.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“We want to help other parents who are
dealing with this. No one should have to go through this alone.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What Anna and Mike identified, was that there
were plenty of grief counseling programs for people who have lost
loved ones, or even lost a child. But a program that could talk with
parents who lost a child from conception through the first year?
Those programs were very rare, and very erratic in their
implementation.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I told Anna and Mike, very honestly, that the
hospital was not the place for their gift. The hospital was a great
place for acute care, but not for dealing with the impact afterward.
I ended up connecting them with Northland Hospice, and Anna began the program there. After a short while, it became clear that there was a
much greater need for their program than either Anna or Mike anticipated, so Anna
bravely launched her own nonprofit, the JLB Project, standing for
“Jack's Little Brother.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The story could have stopped there.
Another nonprofit launched, another gift directed to what the donor
felt passionately about.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But there's more to the story.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The JLB Project has now been a pretty
stable nonprofit for about 8 years. Anna has served as the Board
President for the entire time, taking the lead on most things. I
helped with board training early on, and I kept in touch with Anna,
so I wasn't surprised to hear from her recently. She asked for a
short advising session to talk about JLB.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What she said to me in that discussion
was shockingly astute. She said, “This organization <b>IS</b> JLB. I've
kept him alive through this organization for 8 years. But I think I
need to let him grow up. I think I need to let myself let go.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That...is one of the most brave things
I have ever heard come out of a founder's mouth.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anna could have easily blamed burnout.
It's so common in the nonprofit sector—we give and give, for little
return, and we just exhaust ourselves.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anna could have blamed other people
involved. We often blame our board, our staff, our donors, our
clients, for our challenges, even when it's not necessarily fair to
do so.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anna could have blamed a lack of
resources. No nonprofit has enough staff, or enough money to fund the
staff, or enough...anything.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But instead, she looked to herself. And
realized it was time to let the organization grow.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When she started JLB Project, it was
just like JLB would have been. It was an infant, needing constant
attention and lots of personal investment.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As the organization became established,
it was like a toddler. More people could be involved in the care and
feeding of the JLB Project, but Anna, MOM, was still the primary
caregiver.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it became a “preschooler,” the
JLB Project went through some growing pains, and a few things got
parceled out to other team members, but the main weight of the
responsibility still lay on the mom, on Anna.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, JLB Project needs a little
independence.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's not ready to fly on its own. I
think Anna understands that she still needs to be involved. To be the
moral compass. But it's ready to not have “mom” involved all the
time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And it's hard as a parent, some times,
to let go.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I infinitely respect Anna for
understanding that the future success of the JLB Project requires
that she, as the founder, give it a little space. It's so easy for
founders of organizations to make it about them, or about their
personal needs, thinking no one can do this as well as they can.
Instead, Anna is about helping the organization grow.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So now, what Anna is looking for, are
people that she can trust to help take care of her maturing “child.”
And she has to believe in her heart, that as a parent, she has imbued
this child, this organization, with enough of her values that it will
continue on the right path.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lLQ39wYCLgs/ViEbuhLNPnI/AAAAAAAAEHU/LCHcCgNo1Y4/s1600/AnnaPost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lLQ39wYCLgs/ViEbuhLNPnI/AAAAAAAAEHU/LCHcCgNo1Y4/s320/AnnaPost.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="289" /></a>In July 2015, Anna posted a
beautiful photo of JLB on Facebook. Her caption read:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"9 years. 3,585 days. 78,840 hours. 4,730,400 minutes. That is how long it has been since
you changed it all. Happy Birthday my sweet boy. In your life and in
your death I have received so many gifts. I would give it all back to
hold you for one more minute, one more hour, one more day, or one
more year. Love you always. Mommy."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
JLB will always live for Anna and Mike
LaBenz. And thanks to Anna's visionary leadership, I'm confident the
JLB Project will live on as a critical community service, and a
fitting tribute to JLB, and to his loving parents.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
***<br />
<i>Afterword</i>: Several months after these remarks, I was honored to facilitate the JLB Project's reflective, cathartic, and often emotional strategic planning process. They are now moving forward with a plan to help the organization grow in a way that supports self-care for the participants, and personal and organizational resilience. Several people have stepped up for increased responsibility in "parenting" JLB. I'm extremely proud of their efforts, and encourage people to support them. If you'd like to give or volunteer, visit their <a href="http://www.jlbproject.org/" target="_blank">website</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jlbproject" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-34571259496109697562015-04-09T00:05:00.001-07:002021-09-07T16:38:36.253-07:00Live Your Dream: Two Questions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m9mi7VC17cQ/VSYbkEkAHgI/AAAAAAAACZ0/LK7PTHju1Vg/s1600/lydawardlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m9mi7VC17cQ/VSYbkEkAHgI/AAAAAAAACZ0/LK7PTHju1Vg/s1600/lydawardlogo.jpg" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
I had the privilege tonight of speaking to the Soroptimist International Awards Banquet in Flagstaff, a collaborative effort among the three Flagstaff area clubs. This is the second time I've spoken before this group, the last in 2011, and both times I've wondered what I could share that was as inspiring as the honorees themselves.<br />
<br />
The women honored during this banquet include recipients of the <a href="http://www.soroptimist.org/awards/live-your-dream-awards.html" target="_blank">Live Your Dream scholarships</a>, granted to women who are the primary source of financial support for their families and want to improve their education, skills and employment prospects. The women honored this evening have overcome challenges and obstacles that I cannot even imagine.<br />
<br />
Yet there I was, trying to say something inspirational.<br />
<br />
I had no idea what I was going to say. I had three options in my purse of things I could say, but nothing really resonated with me. As late as walking in the door, I didn't know what would come out of my mouth when I stepped up to the podium.<br />
<br />
Then, I spoke to Helen.<br />
<br />
Helen Horstman was, technically, my assistant at my first director level job. She was Executive Assistant to the Director when I became only the second Development Director at Lowell Observatory in its 100+ year history. She was assigned, part-time, to the development program, and continued to be the only other staff member assigned to development in the four years I served in that position.<br />
<br />
Since I was a mere 26 years old when I was hired, Helen terrified me for my first month on the job. I don't think Helen did this intentionally. She just wasn't willing to take any nonsense from a young newbie.<br />
<br />
Now, 14 years after leaving the Observatory, in my short conversation with Helen at dinner, I was reminded why I was in this business.<br />
<br />
It's about philanthropy. And what's philanthropy all about, anyway?<br />
<br />
It's about love.<br />
<br />
The word philanthropy comes from a Greek root, <i>philos anthropos,</i> "love of mankind." I have taught this numerous times in the CFRE Review Course and mentioned it when describing my personal philanthropic ethos.<br />
<br />
But what made philanthropy top of mind tonight was the combination of "love of mankind" with a question: "Does this bring you joy?"<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8pOR7SDdxA4/VSYYny2nQpI/AAAAAAAACZo/oTcmdNFmvOQ/s1600/marie-kondo-ama-wordpress-615x410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8pOR7SDdxA4/VSYYny2nQpI/AAAAAAAACZo/oTcmdNFmvOQ/s1600/marie-kondo-ama-wordpress-615x410.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a>One of the blogs I read is "<a href="http://heyeleanor.com/" target="_blank">Hey Eleanor</a>," by Molly Mogren Katt, who writes about doing something that scares her on a regular basis. A recent <a href="http://heyeleanor.com/blog/2015/4/2/im-trying-the-konmari-method-so-far-i-love-it" target="_blank">blog</a> focused on the <a href="http://tidyingup.com/" target="_blank">KonMari</a> method of tidying up, and after reading Molly's blog, I immediately purchased the book and began my discarding journey.<br />
<br />
The biggest evaluation question in KonMari? "Does this (fill in the blank item) spark joy?" Over the last week, I've applied this question to a boatload of clothes and books. clearing the way for a lot of newly discovered space in my home.<br />
<br />
It's amazing how quickly this question filtered over into other things in my life.<br />
<br />
I've been struggling lately with work and volunteer commitments. As many "type A" personalities, I say yes to too much.<br />
<br />
So, I present the one-two punch: "does this bring you joy?" and "does this express your love for mankind?"<br />
<br />
GoalBusters could be a larger company, We could make more profit. But ultimately, I don't think that expresses my philanthropy, and I don't think it brings me joy.<br />
<br />
So I return to the GoalBusters <a href="http://goalbustersconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/06/manifesto.html" target="_blank">manifesto</a>. Making a lasting impact brings me joy and expresses my love for humankind. As I move forward, I will be taking a very thoughtful look at everything I do through these lenses, because if it doesn't bring me joy and doesn't help me express my philanthropy, why am I doing it?<br />
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I thank Helen and the Soroptimists for reminding me of that. You do amazing work in our community, and I thank you for helping not only the recipients of your scholarships, but also, me, who was supposed to be inspiring YOU.<br />
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<br />Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-51091572598845073892015-02-17T11:50:00.000-07:002015-02-17T11:50:46.261-07:00Chinese New Year Traditions for Nonprofits<iframe frameborder="0" height="455" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://www.haikudeck.com/e/Uor6NMxPuE/?isUrlHashEnabled=false&isPreviewEnabled=false&isHeaderVisible=false" width="525"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.haikudeck.com/p/Uor6NMxPuE/chinese-new-year-traditions-for-nonprofits?utm_campaign=embed&utm_source=webapp&utm_medium=text-link" title="Chinese New Year Traditions for Nonprofits Business Presentation">Chinese New Year Traditions for Nonprofits</a> - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">On February 19, 2015, Chinese communities throughout the world begin two weeks of celebrations to mark the lunar new year, the year of the Sheep (or Ram), the culmination of many preparations and traditions that have been in place for generations.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">As we begin this new year, here are some of the traditions that can be productive to apply to your nonprofit life:</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: red;">Conduct a thorough cleaning.</span></b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> Start with your database and your paper files. Are you collecting useful information? Is it organized the way that is productive? Are your duplicate files running rampant? Consolidate your information and purge what you can. Then, move on to your calendar. What extraneous activities can be purged or delegated to make room for what you really need to do?</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: red;">Reconcile old debts and grudges.</span></b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> Yes, this may be a time to look at outstanding pledges, but it's not just about money. Are there people to whom you owe follow up, or prospective donors that you should "bless and release?" In some cases, you're better to let a donor go than continue to pursue a gift that doesn't work for them. Reassess donors that are in cultivation and decide what you need to do to move them forward or to move them on.</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: red;">Give "lucky money."</span></b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> The iconic red envelopes are given to children to insure that they have good luck for the coming year. In the same vein, think about your own philanthropy and consider a gift to a charitable cause that is not the one you work for. Was there an organization you missed in December? Is there a new cause you would like to support? Being a donor makes you a better, more aware fundraiser.</span><br />
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<b style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="color: red;">Look forward, not back.</span></b><span style="background-color: #fefdfa; color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> This is your second chance at new year's resolutions! Pick one thing that you'd like to accomplish this year and make a plan the steps you need to take.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">Wear red.</span></b> This has no translation to the nonprofit field. It's just good luck.</div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Celebrate abundance.</span></b> The New Year's Eve dinner is traditionally a large celebration for the family to celebrate how much wealth they have, regardless of what actual physical wealth they hold, and carry over that optimism to the new year. Too often, development program staff do not have the time to celebrate the generosity of their donors and the successes of their efforts. Take a moment to be thankful for the support you receive. Gather those close to your cause and say, "We have so much!"</div>
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Wishing you, and your nonprofit, prosperity in the new year! <i><b><span style="color: red;">Gong Xi Fa Cai!</span></b></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(This was first posted in 2012. The original post is <a href="http://goalbustersconsulting.blogspot.com/2012/01/chinese-new-year-traditions-for.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)</span></i></div>
Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-88883603751244022532015-01-15T19:20:00.000-07:002015-01-15T20:34:13.026-07:00Outside Looking In - 6 Exercises for Finding Common Ground in Diverse Groups<div class="" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
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A fundraising colleague, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=65206196&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=vZJ3&locale=en_US&srchid=242471131421374239083&srchindex=2&srchtotal=54&trk=vsrp_people_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A242471131421374239083%2CVSRPtargetId%3A65206196%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary">Dave Tinker, CFRE</a> was asked to lead an educational session for refugee teens primarily from Nepal, Bhutan, and the Middle East to introduce them to fundraising as a profession.</div>
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He asked the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/AFPeeps/">#AFPeeps</a>, an Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) volunteer Social Media group for recommendations for activities he could do with the refugee teens. I was excited about his project because it reminded me how often I work with groups that I am not, nor will ever truly be a part of. Alice Ferris, ACFRE and I have and continue to work with numerous culturally diverse groups; Native American, Latino, Rural, African American, Afghans, Iranians, and others. We find some of our greatest satisfaction working with people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.</div>
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I created the following list of suggestions for activities that I think can work for any group, but will be especially effective if working with a diverse group. I think they can build trust and relationships among participants while delivering insight about your audience that you can draw upon while presenting for both humor and education. </div>
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<b>ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS:</b></div>
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<b>1. "I Am, But I Am Not"</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (Defy stereotype exercise) Participants work in small groups to share what "other" </span>people's stereotypes are of them, their culture or their country. They then share how they do not fit within those stereotypes. They report out to the group. This can be a verbal/written or drawn exercise.</div>
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<b>2. "This is America?"</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (Cognitive dissonance exercise) Ask them to draw 2 things. What they thought America, Americans or other American students were going to be like and then to draw what they've learned "we" are really like. Goal: getting them to share their surprises and open up about their "American" experience.</span></div>
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<b>3. "Good Heart, Bad Idea"</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (Critical thinking exercise) Ask them to draw or perform short skit about how they see people from other countries try to help through philanthropy in their home country but in ways that are misguided, clumsy or uninformed. Then ask them to provide solutions or advice for people who still want to help. This one will have to be delicately presented or they might be reluctant to share perceived criticisms.</span></div>
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<b>4. "Sesame Street - One of these things is not like the other"</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (Breaking down barriers) Ask them to group themselves by different criteria; physical, demographic, geographic, cultural, religious, etc. They report out after each grouping about why/how they grouped themselves. The goal is to identify sub cultures that they share with "some" others but to finish the exercise where everyone is in the same group to identify that ultimately we all share some common culture regardless of resources, education or circumstances.</span></div>
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<b>5. "The ONE Thing"</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (Self-awareness exercise) They work in small groups and explain to each other "The One Thing" they wish people understood about them, their country or their cultures that most people have a hard time comprehending. They report out why this is important to deeper understanding, trust and progress.</span></div>
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<b>6. "Why Should I Care?"</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> (Justify support exercise) Break them up in groups of 4-5. Try to mix them so they are with people they don't know. Provide a list of causes they can choose from. Make it about causes, not organizations. arts, education, health, social justice, animal protection, hunger abatement, clean water, etc. Do a random drawing after the groups are established to determine which group gets to pick their cause first from the list you create as a flip chart exercise. This will generate initial excitement and disappointment. Every person gets $100 in play money and 1 week of "virtual" volunteer time to give to a cause. They can give both to one cause or cash to one, time to other. Report out the winning cause and "You" make an actual $100 donation to a local cause in your group's name.</span></div>
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Regardless of the exercise you choose. At the end I encourage "You" to make a contribution to a cause that your group chooses and have them participate by signing a card that will accompany that gift. </div>
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Be sure to provide a signup sheet and send contact information about how the participants can become more involved with causes they want to support either financially or through volunteer work.</div>
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Good luck! And have fun learning while you teach!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alice Ferris, ACFRE, CFRE, MBS <a href="http://linkedin.com/in/aliceferris"><img alt="LinkedIn" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/linkedin.png" height="16" style="cursor: move; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/alice.ferris"><img alt="Facebook" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/facebook.png" height="16" style="cursor: move; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/aliceferris"><img alt="Twitter" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/twitter.png" height="16" style="cursor: move; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/gbalice/" target="_blank"><img alt="pinterest" border="0" height="16" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.wisestamp.com/pinterest.png" style="cursor: move; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/"><img alt="Skype" border="0" src="http://images.wisestamp.com/skype.png" height="16" style="cursor: move; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" width="16" /></a> <a href="http://www.skype.com/">alice.ferris</a></span></span></div>
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Jim Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12414844891246642506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-91540690771463741482014-12-23T07:00:00.000-07:002014-12-23T07:00:05.580-07:00Adventures in Fundraising: 2014 Year in Review [VIDEO]<div style="text-align: left;">
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I'm guessing that if I look at your kitchen counter or dining room table right now, there's at least one holiday newsletter sitting there. There's probably a great list of all the wonderful things your friend (or in some cases,vague acquaintance) and his or her family did this year.<br />
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Consider this the GoalBusters video version of that newsletter. And we don't even take up counter space.<br />
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The life of GoalBusters definitely had plenty of surprises this year, big and small, good and bad. Of note...<br />
<ul>
<li>Visiting the NPR "mothership" in DC for a client, only to discover that Suzanne Vega is playing a Tiny Desk concert for NPR Music</li>
<li>Beginning work with two clients that dramatically shifted our client base back into public broadcasting</li>
<li>Adding a new colleague to our team, JC Patrick</li>
<li>Celebrating my birthday in Puerto Rico kayaking on a bio-luminescent bay with a gaggle of my AFP friends</li>
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Of course, there were many challenges and disappointments in 2014, and through those challenges, we learned a lot-about our profession, our clients, and ourselves.<br />
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2015 will mark the 15th year of this company, and the tenth year of Jim and I working together. As we transition into the new year, I think this quote sums up 2014 well, and is a great guiding principle for 2015:</div>
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Here's wishing you a happy holiday and a great adventure in the coming year!</div>
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Thanks for flying with us,</div>
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Alice</div>
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Founder and Partner, GoalBusters</div>
Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-61310951802439851182014-10-20T09:00:00.000-07:002014-10-20T09:00:08.825-07:00"Life is just a pale imitation of high school"<div style="text-align: right;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.madwest59.org/WHS%20Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.madwest59.org/WHS%20Picture.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Alma mater, West High School, Madison, WI</td></tr>
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In the 1980's series, <i>thirtysomething</i>, one character utters the line, "Life is just a pale imitation of high school." Obviously, this quote has stuck with me for a long time, among the many random verses, song lyrics and trivia trapped in my brain.<br />
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Even the most enlightened adults continue to label people for one facet of their personality--"the geek," "the jock," or "the popular girl" now replaced with "the IT guy," "the former quarterback," or "the real housewife of (fill in the blank city)." We still make decisions about a person based on who their friends are, or essentially what "clique" the person is in. We still let petty differences create big rifts that can never be forgiven. And of course, there's interpersonal drama because someone didn't do what they said they were going to do and now there's a huge blow up because you didn't get voted class president, or homecoming queen, or most likely to succeed.<br />
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But it wasn't all bad in high school, right?<br />
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Here are thoughts on things from high school to apply to adult life:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Some people are unexpected friends.</b> Senior night, I ended up hanging out on the bus back to the school with a bunch of people I didn't normally spend a lot of time with. My "close" friends were no where to be found. Singing "Celebration" on the bus with people who were mostly just acquaintances was the most fun I had all night. I'm still connected to some of them 26 years later, and wonder sometimes why I didn't spend more time with them in high school. Who are people now who are those unexpected friends? </li>
<li><b>Some people are not really your friends.</b> I know I have my share of friends who at best, didn't keep in touch or at worst, totally abandoned me. Friends ebb and flow. Some people are more interested in your position in the clique than you personally. Let them go.</li>
<li><b>No clique lasts forever.</b> Cliques are based on a power balance. As cliques grow, they start to lose their influence over the members. Eventually, the power shifts and new cliques form. Sometimes you just need to wait it out.</li>
<li><b>It might be time to graduate.</b> You can't stay in high school forever...maybe it's time to move on to a new adventure.</li>
<li><b>It will seem rosier when you look back on this than it feels like right now.</b> The nostalgia card is powerful, isn't it? Someday, with the passage of time, this will not seem like a total disaster. You'll want to go back and celebrate it, for old time's sake.</li>
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Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-631048297104308966.post-85053182169672870852014-09-29T16:20:00.001-07:002017-03-05T22:38:06.035-07:00CFRE and ACFRE: Why certify?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"What do all those letters mean?"<br />
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I've been teased for having more letters after my name than are in my name. (For the record, there are actually 14 letters in my full name and only 12 letters after my name, so there.) I received my CFRE in 1999 and my ACFRE in 2010, and I proudly display those letters after my name on my business cards and email signatures.<br />
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So why should you care? Why do <b style="text-decoration: underline;">I</b> care?<br />
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<b><i>First, some definitions.</i></b><br />
<b>CFRE</b>: Certified Fund Raising Executive, a credential for fundraising professionals worldwide with 5 or more years of professional experience in fundraising, is a practice based certification. The parallel I sometimes use is that the CFRE is like a CPA, in that you must be currently active in the field. The CFRE must be re-certified every three years and demonstrate ongoing professional practice and professional development over that period. The certification is administered by <a href="http://www.cfre.org/" target="_blank">CFRE International</a>, an independent, accredited organization based in the US.<br />
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<b>ACFRE</b>: Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive, is a credential for those with 10 or more years of experience in the field. Unlike the CFRE, the ACFRE is a permanent designation demonstrating a senior level depth and breadth of knowledge in the sector. Candidates go through a four stage process that takes 1-2 years and is designed to determine the level of sophistication and nuance of your understanding of the profession and your ability to apply critical thinking techniques to best practices. While historically the ACFRE was tied to the CFRE, this credential is completely separate from CFRE, and is administered by a volunteer committee of <a href="http://www.afpnet.org/Professional/ProgramDetail.cfm?itemnumber=4054" target="_blank">AFP International</a>, with advice from the Professional Examination Service.<br />
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<b><u>Voluntary credentials</u></b><br />
There are many professional arenas that provide certification for those committed to that career: human resources, public relations, meeting planning, interior design, software support, real estate, etc.<br />
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Professional credentialing is, in most cases, voluntary. You do not have to have a credential to practice in the field, but it is sometimes considered a competitive advantage, depending on how established the credential is. You may, however, be required to have a license; professions that require licensure are legally mandated by government entities to demonstrate a baseline level of proficiency.<br />
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<b><u>To credential or not</u></b><br />
Rory Green has written a good piece about <a href="http://101fundraising.org/2014/08/cfre-cfre-question/" target="_blank">her own debate</a> over getting the CFRE, and I think she has some valid points. For me, credentialing is important because...<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Desire to show long term commitment to the field.</b> I was 28 years old when I decided to pursue my CFRE. Given that the average tenure in a fundraising position is 3-5 years, I wanted to show that I intended to stick with my career for the long haul.</li>
<li><b>Differentiating myself from others.</b> I believe that being credentialed in fundraising has provided me a degree of competitive advantage in my overall personal brand. I'll admit, I have not experienced dramatic financial increases because of my certifications. The "What is a CFRE or ACFRE?" question, however, has triggered many interesting discussions about my professional fundraising philosophy with employers, donors, volunteers and other fundraisers. Regardless of their knowledge of the credentials, they remembered my commitment to fundraising.</li>
<li><b>Investment in the sector.</b> The evaluation structure for either credential is intentional. For example, CFRE International goes through a review of fundraising practice every five years to determine if the exam is testing for the right domains of knowledge and to see if there have been changes in our fundamental practice. We just completed this process and, as someone who has served twice on this task force, it is an intellectually challenging exercise to look at the sector globally and hone in on the core body of knowledge. This whole process not only guides the construction of the exam questions, but also determines where there are gaps in research within the sector.<br /><br />Sometimes people get frustrated because they feel that the exam doesn't cover current practice, but the challenge is that current practice doesn't always have literature and research to back it up for testing purposes. It's not that CFRE is ignoring current practice; it's waiting for research to catch up.</li>
<li><b>Investment in myself.</b> As they say, sometimes it's the journey that's important, not the destination. In my case, the ACFRE process was an intense, in-depth self examination. I had to showcase what I had learned and accomplished throughout my career to date. I had several moments when I almost gave up (ahem, three tries to pass the written exam), but in the end, had gone successfully through an evaluation process that helped me articulate how proud I am of what I have contributed to our sector.</li>
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<b><u>Bottom line</u></b><br />
Yes, some incredible fundraisers will never pursue a credential. Yes, there are people who are credentialed who aren't very good. A fundraising credential is not a "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval"--you should always evaluate a person based on your own knowledge, not because some outside group applied a label. I am very proud to be both a CFRE and an ACFRE because of my personal values about investing in myself and the overall body of knowledge in fundraising. It's not for everyone, but it's certainly important to me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Full disclosure, I serve on the <a href="http://www.afpnet.org/Professional/ProgramDetail.cfm?itemnumber=4054" target="_blank">ACFRE</a> Credentialing Board for the Association of Fundraising Professionals and also serve as a volunteer for <a href="http://www.cfre.org/" target="_blank">CFRE International</a>. These opinions are my own and not an official position of either of these organizations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A good reference guide about the difference between a certification and an academic certificate is on the CFRE website <a href="http://www.cfre.org/apply/certificate-vs-certification/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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Alice Ferrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03622675648809016360noreply@blogger.com0