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The Importance of Self-Care for Nonprofit Leaders

Guest blog post by Shelley Sharp, Connect For More Consulting Associate

Traveling with a friend, I recently had the opportunity to reflect on the tremendous amount of burnout in nonprofit organizations. As a recently retired nonprofit executive, I lived it – but was still surprised at the amount of burnout and the strategies to survive it that are really out there. Read More “The Importance of Self-Care for Nonprofit Leaders”

The Truly Educated Never Graduate: My Lifelong Learning Challenge
The Truly Educated Never Graduate: My Lifelong Learning Challenge

Over the years, I’ve developed a healthy use of “Liz-isms” – those phrases that I use to drive home a point when I’m facilitating with groups. These include my oft-used boardisms and other parenting sayings that my kids have learned to both imitate (and hopefully internalize!). As a former English teacher raised by an English teacher, phrases like “words matter” ring true for me both in work and life, especially when it comes to illustrating important aspects of volunteer leadership.

One of my favorites was taken off a T-shirt my maternal grandmother gave me shortly after I graduated from USF. As a former educator raised by a long line of educators, this is something that was ingrained in me from an early age. Read More “The Truly Educated Never Graduate: My Lifelong Learning Challenge”

2019: The Year Of Permission
2019: The Year of Permission

As I take the time to reflect on the year is now officially behind us and consider the possibilities for the year ahead, I was struck by the overall theme of permission that came out of my experiences in 2019. Undoubtedly this year featured personal and professional struggles for many of us – yet what I found for the first time in my life was that I was deeply rooted in giving myself (and others) consent to do and be what they needed to meet whatever challenges or successes came their way. Read More “2019: The Year of Permission”

The Intern Connection at Connect For More: Why We Choose to Invest in The Next Generation
The Intern Connection at Connect For More: Why We Choose to Invest in The Next Generation

In Fall 2019, Connect For More began an internship relationship with the University of South Florida. Though we had previously hosted our very first internship via Research Associate Veronica Vasquez Ugalde back in July 2016 this marked an important milestone for us – we were finally able to contribute back to a local university system that many of the CFM Team members graduated from. What follows below is our intern’s perspective on the five-month practical experience.

Read More “The Intern Connection at Connect For More: Why We Choose to Invest in The Next Generation”

Lessons Learned From A Visit To Your Local Post Office

A few years ago when Connect For More was beginning, I had opted out of a formal office space and rented a P.O. Box at my local post office location. While it meant separation of home & work, at least by physical mailing location, it also meant that I had to venture to the post office at least once a week… including during the holiday season. (Cue ominous music).

After a recent trip to the post office I was reminded of those many experiences of full parking lots, long lines and sometimes friendly – often not – professionals who worked the customer counter. I was also reminded of the original blog post I wrote but never published that detailed my frustration with the experience. I’ll save you a read and share that in short, I was complaining that it NEVER felt like a good experience anymore to go to the post office. Read More “Lessons Learned From A Visit To Your Local Post Office”

Take Back Your Time by Margarita Sarmiento
Take Back Your Time

How to Avoid Work Interruptions & Stay Focused on What Matters

Guest blog post from Margarita Sarmiento, ITK Consultants and Connect For More Training Associate.

We’re in that time of year again… the holiday rush is upon us and there’s no possible way for us to get everything done at work or at home. Or, is there? The guest blog below helps provide a few useful tips for how to manage your work time and interruption, staying focused on what matters most in this information overload society. Read More “Take Back Your Time”

Why I’m Thankful for My Mistakes
Why I’m Thankful for My Mistakes

Gratitude is in our bones this week. Or at the very least, thrust into our culture all week long as many of us prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.

In all honesty, I am constantly working on my gratitude attitude and recognizing gratitude moments with both my Connect For More team and family. Just like yoga, meditation, writing, art, sports… this is truly a practice and if I forget to stay mindful in this mindset it’s often like my muscles have atrophied. In short, this struggle for me is a real one. Especially when research shows that humans are genetically prone to focus on the negative as part of our survival instincts.

Read More “Why I’m Thankful for My Mistakes”

Why Single Parenthood Feels a lot like Nonprofit Executive Leadership
Why Single Parenthood Feels a lot like Nonprofit Executive Leadership

There are very few of us who enter into marriage or parenthood, with the assurance that we are one day going to be single parents and/or divorced. In fact, most of us enter into both with hearing that challenges are ahead for both endeavors (if we even listen to them), but still think we’ve found the one who can make the challenge either navigable or non-existent.

I’ve seen many nonprofit CEOs or Executive Directors enter into this role the same way. They hear the challenges (burnout, isolation, disenchantment, difficult boards, staffing issues) and think “I’ve finally found the one (mission) that can make it all worthwhile.” Or they ignore the challenges altogether thinking they can make it work with their team of board and staff because the love (of mission) will conquer all. Read More “Why Single Parenthood Feels a lot like Nonprofit Executive Leadership”

Putting the Funny in Fundraising

Putting the Funny in FundraisingHave you ever wondered what the novel Fifty Shades of Grey has to do with the board’s role in fundraising? Me. Neither. But after spending a morning with Board Governance and Fundraising Consultant, Carol Weisman, I now see the connection between this notorious recent work of popular fiction and the infamously (and perhaps most) difficult part of nonprofit fundraising — engaging the board in the dreaded Ask. And to be sure, I and a room full of development professionals, consultants, and board members are likely not to forget it.

The highlights below will hardly replicate Carol’s sense of humor or her years of fundraising and board engagement experience. Hopefully, the content and the questions that follow will help spark some creativity, offer some validation and/or inspire your own efforts as you work to engage with your board in fundraising. We all could use a little more fun and fundamentals (and funny!) in our own fundraising efforts. Enjoy it… seriously. Read More “Putting the Funny in Fundraising”

Customer Service IS Mission Work

customer service is mission workI was chatting with a fellow consultant recently and the topic of responsiveness from our nonprofit clients came up. Specifically, we talked about how many nonprofits seem to be bad at keeping in touch and following through.

Now if you receive direct mail solicitations from any agency, or are on any nonprofit e-newsletter list, maybe you’ll disagree. Maybe you’ll say that we as a sector over-communicate in many ways.

But for sake of argument, I’m talking meaningful communications and connections here–with donors, clients, and volunteers…. You know, our nonprofit’s “customers.”

So, the question that I’ve been battling with is this: are nonprofits providing poor customer service? And does it really matter? Read More “Customer Service IS Mission Work”

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