Fundraising Leadership ™

Executive Coaching, Leadership Training, and Personal Development

We Were Named a Top Fundraising Podcast by Welp Magazine

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We love co-hosting the Fundraising Leadership Podcast. In each episode, we are joined by nonprofit and other professionals for engaging and inspiring conversations related to leadership, management, fundraising, and personal development.

We are excited to be named as a Top Fundraising Podcast by Welp Magazine.

We are featured along with some of our podcasting friends like Jason Lewis of The Fundraising Talent and Fundraising Voices from Ruffalo Noel Levitz.

Welp Magazine is an online publication, that provides helpful resources for businesses, covering everything from software and accounting tips to office furniture recommendations.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our podcast at iTunes, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcasts, or Spotify. 

Community Reflections on 2020

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A display with a floral 2020 planner and pencilsAs coaches and facilitators, we have watched our community members and their organizations experience tremendous challenges throughout 2020. We have also been inspired by the creativity and resilience both in our community and the nonprofit sector. Each December, the Fundraising Leadership team offers reflections on the past year. Michelle shared her reflections and rituals in 2019 and Janice did the same in 2018.

Reflection can be defined in many ways. It can represent careful thought being given to a topic. It can also mean the image of something in a mirror.

The metaphor of a mirror feels relevant this year as 2020 reflected many important things. It showed us more about ourselves, the nonprofit sector, and society as a whole. It reminded us all of the importance of connection and community.

In this spirit of connection, we decided to highlight some of the voices from the Fundraising Leadership Community. To honour the collective and personal experiences of 2020.

We were inspired by these words of our community members and we know you will be too. [Read more…]

Leaders Listen Before They Speak

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When you think about leaders and managers who have brought out the best in you, what qualities come to mind? I remember those who listened, empowered me, demonstrated trust, offered support, and were dedicated to my growth.

Workplaces are starting to recognize and promote the idea of coach-like managers. Someone who asks more questions, acknowledges strengths, and empowers their team members to develop and grow as employees and human beings.  [Read more…]

The Power of Play

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“Do you want to come out and play?” I have childhood memories of knocking on my neighbour’s door and issuing that invitation. Today I am more likely to be texting a friend to set up a “play date.” But play remains an important part of my life.

When I begin a new coaching engagement, I ask clients to rank their satisfaction in eight areas of their lives using a tool called the “Wheel of Life.” One of these categories is “fun and recreation.” As nonprofit professionals, we often focus on other areas of the wheel such as career, family, money or personal growth. And sometimes play gets lost. 

So I was excited to get some insights by reading Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of The National Institute for Play. Also reading is one of my favourite activities.  [Read more…]

4 Benefits to a Mid-Year Review

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One of our passions at Fundraising Leadership is helping nonprofit leaders to bring a coach-like approach to their organizations. And of course we like to walk our talk in this regard. This means we focus on building trust, setting goals, measuring progress, being curious, and creating a culture of accountability within our own team. 

So as our Q2 came to a close, the Fundraising Leadership Team gathered together for a mid-year review. 

We structured our conversation around our OGSM (Objectives, Goals, Strategies and Metrics) tool that we created at the beginning of our fiscal year. Simply put an OGSM provides clear goals and identifies the strategic choices to achieve them.  [Read more…]

5 Ways to Lead from Behind

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When did you begin to see yourself as a leader? Some of us only see ourselves as leaders when we attain a certain job title. Or once we have staff reporting to us.

The Fundraising Leadership team (David, Silvia, Michelle and I) have all completed the CTI Leadership program. This program rejects the top-down, one-dimensional leadership model and expands our definition of leadership.

This new model is grounded in the idea that everyone is a leader because “leaders are those who are responsible for their world.” [Read more…]

Regaining a sense of control gives you increased confidence

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Feeling out of control is a nasty feeling. When we are out of control, we are often reacting to what’s going on:

  • The tears are ready to come, and it is NOT the time to cry.
  • A sarcastic comment slips out, and we didn’t mean it to.
  • We bite someone’s head off…and then regret it.
  • Our voice quivers, telling the world how nervous we are.
  • That cuss word just tumbled out, when it shouldn’t have!

 All of these are examples of losing control. We feel powerless to hold onto our feelings and behaviours.

We simply react. [Read more…]

Retaining Fundraising Leaders – Invest in Them So They Can Leave

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CFO asks CEO: “What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave us?”

CEO: “What happens if we don’t, and they stay?”

I am sure you have seen this quote many times on social media. It is a thought provoking quote, although it does play into some outdated stereotypes about CFOs.

Framing this quote in the context of the nonprofit sector, we have observed at Fundraising Leadership that most nonprofits invest in fundraising training. Where we see the gap is investing in growing leadership capacity. As David Hutchinson, President of Cause Leadership Inc., explains the social profit sector is currently facing one of the most significant leadership transitions.  And there is an urgent need to develop the next generation of leaders. [Read more…]

Take Time for Reflection and Celebration

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For many non-profit professionals, the end of the year can feel like a whirlwind. There is often a big push to secure those year-end gifts, which then creates a demand to process all of those gifts before December 31st.  Frequently there are year-end board meetings, which create significant amounts of extra work for staff. Fundraising staff is busy organizing with volunteers to call donors or write personal, hand-written notes to thank them for their support. And then there is the endless parade of holiday parties and lunches. Who’s got time to even think!

Since it is often a busy time of year – both professionally and personally – you might suddenly find yourself facing the New Year and wondering where the time has gone. And, you may be asking yourself: “how did I get here?” [Read more…]

5 Ways That Meditation Supports Leaders

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About two years ago I established a morning routine that includes 20 minutes of meditation. Although I had meditated on and off for about five years, it has now become an important and joyful part of my life.

I sense that many of you already meditate or have tried it (or thought about trying it). After all, meditation and mindfulness have been well researched and much has been reported about the benefits.

As Jon Kabat Zinn, founder of the renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, explains mindfulness is  “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.” [Read more…]