Annual Traditions, Business Planning, Guest Blogs, Retreats, Social Impact Architects, Strategic Planning, Summer Reading
We are officially in the “dog days” of summer. Interestingly, this phrase refers to the sultry days of summer and came from the Romans, who associated it with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the “dog star” because it was the brightest star in the...
Annual Traditions, COVID-19, Fundraising, Giving Trends, Marketing & Communication, Social Impact Architects
At the end of 2021, readers of The Boston Globe were asked to describe the year – the top word: “exhausting,” followed by “rollercoaster.” One reader noted that there were “some highs and lots of lows.” Each year since 1956, social...
Annual Traditions, Collaborate, Impact, Impact Measurement, Issue Based Blogs, Nonprofit Trends, Social Impact Architects, System Change
True friends have an uncanny ability to drop into your life and give you insights when you least expect it. This happened last week when I was catching up with Sommer Neff, a longtime friend and colleague (and a hell of a grant writer, if you need one). We were...
Annual Traditions, COVID-19, Grow, Human Resources, Lead, Organizational Culture, Social Impact Architects, Strategic Planning, System Change, Top 5 Annual List
In August, I got the opportunity to visit Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, where Americans as part of the Allied Invasion landed on June 6, 1944, to liberate Europe. It was a sobering day. Three things struck me: 1) the courage of the men and women on the...
Annual Traditions, Communicate, COVID-19, Fundraising, Giving Trends, Marketing & Communication, Social Impact Architects, Storytelling
Americans have always been generous. But, as in other trying times, 9/11 or the Great Recession, Americans stepped up their giving. Indiana University’s Women’s Philanthropy Institute released a report that 56% of U.S. households engaged in charitable giving during...