Once upon a time, we all gathered together – physically. Meetings, workshops, and classes required participants to be in the same room at the same time. Those days are over. In addition to the ubiquitous webinars, virtual meetings, Facebook Live events, and online classes, an interesting hybrid has emerged: the trainer or teacher in … [Read more...]
Crying in class
I recently facilitated a board retreat for a nonprofit client. As a warm-up exercise, I asked the participants to pair up for two minutes and discuss the following questions. As a board member, what do you need to be successful? What does the organization need from you to be successful? When I reconvened the full group, people … [Read more...]
Five big meeting mistakes – and how to avoid them
Note: This guest post is from Heather Yandow at Third Space Studio. She helps organizations with strategic planning, board development, business model design, implementing fundraising strategies, and going from good to great. Thanks, Heather! How much time do you spend in meetings? If you’re like me, the answer is simple: a … [Read more...]
Dialing for dollars, reinvented
What do you get when you combine an old-school fundraising strategy – phone banking – with a new online platform like Zoom? People working together – while also working remotely! – to engage their donors and raise more money. Here’s a great example from Training for Change. Thanks to Zein Nakhoda (staff) and Sonia Silbert (board) … [Read more...]
Making and Managing Change: A Field Manual
The following is adapted, with my thanks, from the Institute for Conservation Leadership. Are you a consultant, facilitator, or trainer? Maybe you work as nonprofit staff, or you serve as a board member or volunteer. Perhaps you’re an activist, advocate, or community organizer. Regardless of your position, I’d like to offer … [Read more...]
Why fundraising consultants will never replace development staff
Note: This guest post is from Alyson Molloy Hussey, a development consultant and former development director. Thanks, Alyson! A lot of organizations – maybe yours? – are perpetually looking for development staff. In Boston, where I work, there seems to be a shortage of professional fundraisers. While conducting their staff search, … [Read more...]
It’s all about implementation
How many times have you participated in a really productive learning experience – a class, workshop, or webinar – and thought to yourself, “This is terrific stuff. I’m going back to work and I’ll start using it immediately.” And then you didn’t. Why not? Let us count the ways: lack of buy-in from peers, unexpected deadlines, … [Read more...]
Graphic Facilitation 101: Telling Your Story Visually
For years, I’ve been fascinated by the work of graphic facilitators, thanks in large part to my friend Julie Stuart at Making Ideas Visible. If you can imagine capturing a meeting or planning session in a series of images – and using what you’ve captured to advance the conversation – you'll begin to understand the power of this … [Read more...]
New Consultants and Trainers: Five MORE Tips for Success
A few months ago, we published a blog post about how to create and build a consulting and training business, with lots of practical, hands-on advice. The post was so popular – many comments, shares, and emails – that we’re jumping in again with five more tips to support your work. Even if you’re not a consultant, consider this an … [Read more...]
How to Avoid an Overstuffed Agenda
What follows is a confession. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s true. After 20-plus years of facilitation and training, my time management skills still need some work. Perhaps you have the same problem. Maybe you’re designing a workshop, planning a meeting, or putting together a webinar – and if you’re like me, you have a strong impulse … [Read more...]