Problems & Challenges: Bring Em On!!

June 27, 2018

“The secret to success is not to try to avoid or get rid of or shrink from your problems; the secret is to grow yourself so that you are bigger than any problem.” —T. Harv Eker Some days it seems everything is a challenge. Major gift calls cancel, the data base fails, you get bad […]

Read the full article →

A Bizarre Tale from South Africa

June 6, 2018

Ever had a volunteer’s passion go to unhelpful extremes? Let me share a tale from my trip to South Africa. We were told to bring candy, stickers and soccer balls, if we wished, for the fifty or so 1st to 8thgraders at a small black school near our safari camp.  So with candy, stickers and […]

Read the full article →

What does your future hold?

May 23, 2018

My son, RJ, just graduated from the UW Madison! Yep…we are bursting with pride and spent a wonderful 4 days celebrating. In a few short weeks he’ll be off to Boulder, Colorado and a new job with Major League Baseball Advanced Media creating some sort of mobile app. A sweet job, indeed. WoHOO! At 23, […]

Read the full article →

Part IV – If only my Board would help show our appreciation

May 9, 2018

It was a whirlwind four-conference speaking tour at the AFP International Conference, NAYDO, AFP Genesee Valley and LeadingAge Iowa. Even the 5:45 am flights were AWESOME!  (well that may be a bit of a stretch). I must share the most amazing surprise at the AFP Genesee Valley Conference–  JOY cookies!  The entire conference was themed […]

Read the full article →

Part III – If Only My Board Would Help! Invite them to Invest!

April 25, 2018

“Ambassadors ALL!” At my talk at the AFP International Conference in New Orleans, I kicked off with a TEST! “Stand up if you think it’s true, “Board members should not be pressured into giving or helping raise money.” I’d say it was about 50/50. Answer? True. More on that in a bit. Reconnecting with my […]

Read the full article →

Part II – If Only my Board would Help – Board Bonanza

April 11, 2018

Thinking of buying a Mini SUV? Suddenly you see them everywhere. Getting married? SO many must-haves! Taking up ballroom dancing? Posters for dances suddenly abound. Believe me–the cars, wedding info and dance clubs have always been there – NOW you notice and perhaps even get a bit overwhelmed! Do you really need a $90 wedding […]

Read the full article →

Part 1- If only my Board would help

March 23, 2018

I get an earful about Boards. You may feel it’s going pretty well with your Board or you may not even be a part of the Board meetings (sigh). You may be pleased with the contributions they are making – of time and dollars – or be ready to “pass the hat” and go for […]

Read the full article →

Face-to-Face for the First Time-Do’s and Don’ts

March 7, 2018

You got the appointment! WoHoo! First time Face-to-Face visits are huge in creating the deeper engagement and giving that you want to inspire. They can be scary too. You want to make a good impression, discover more about your prospective major giver, but not be “too much.” Let’s make this the beginning of a LONG […]

Read the full article →

Five Tips to Handle Scandals

February 22, 2018

May you never need this… Remember…”I CREATE MY LIFE!” Right? We do. We must take responsibility for our choices. But, we don’t always make the best choices. Notice I’m putting everyone in this picture. In my 30 plus years in advancement leadership and coaching, I’ve experienced inappropriate photos of elderly residents on Facebook, fraud accusations […]

Read the full article →

Why I Love you this Valentines Day

February 12, 2018

WHY I love you this Valentine’s Day! You embrace each day with JOY! You know that your one kind act to another person (even if no one else knows you did it) is more powerful than all the attention-seeking rants on social media demanding others to live differently. Your smile and kindness are making a […]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →