How many times have we heard that in a meeting from our leaders? Or read it in an unsolicited email? And how many times have we finished the sentence to ourselves as, “…Imma gonna go ahead and do it anyway.” That’s the implication that sentence fragment makes. It doesn’t matter how the sentence is actually…
A recent editorial by Ruth McCambridge at Nonprofit Quarterly really resonated with me. In it she laments the standard practice of many nonprofit executives who use “othering” language when talking about their clients. She says this practice is “a regressive blast from the past, full of words and phrases that are coded shortcuts to narratives…
Did you know you could be whelmed? Not overwhelmed or underwhelmed, just whelmed? I had no idea. But Merriam-Webster tells us that contemporary writers use the word to indicate that middle stage between under and over. I guess it’s more of a convention than an actual rule. Why am I bringing this up? I was…
I just finished reading The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath. I found it very interesting and insightful. As a marketing professional, I understand how important a moment can be in driving awareness, perception and conversion in the relationship between a customer and a brand. I had not thought much about how profound that moment…
Of course they can! I think that doing good is always cool. But do most Americans think nonprofits are cool? Probably not. Coolness is not the first thing people think of most nonprofits. We are the bleeding hearts, the scavengers for cash, the reminders that the world is not perfect. I think most everyone know…
A promise made must be a promise kept — Aristotle We make promises every day. We promise our kids they can have an extra 30 minutes of screen time if they get their homework done. We promise our boss we’ll have a report ready by Friday. We even promise ourselves a reward if we go…
It’s intern season! As those bright, shiny faces show up at your door ready to learn about your organization and hone their skills within, be prepared to address the push and pull of engaging interns in your organization. Interns can be an enormous help when budgets are tight and resources are scarce. They can also…
All marketing professionals tell stories in order to sell their products or services. It drives a deeper commitment to a brand by uniting consumers through shared experiences. Nonprofit marketers are no different. In fact, I feel it is even more crucial for nonprofits to be effective storytellers in order to stay viable. Our stories of…
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the lack of civility and decency in today’s culture, especially on social media. It seems that the ability to make a real-time knee jerk reaction to a comment from a stranger on Twitter or Facebook brings out the worst in some people. I read recently that the…
As the Vice President of Engagement for a regional social service agency, I am responsible for creating meaningful opportunities for critical constituency groups like donors and volunteers to connect with our mission. The best way to do this is by sharing real-life stories of our clients and how our services assist them in bettering their…
