Fundraising Leadership ™

Executive Coaching, Professional Development, Training, and Career Advancement for Nonprofit Leaders in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Rest and Renewal is Part of the Work Too

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Person relaxing on park benchA few days ago on my morning run with my dog, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts. The hosts were talking about their predictions for what the top four regrets leaders will have once this whole pandemic has passed.

When they got to their prediction for the #1 regret, I knew immediately they were right. 

It is the same issue that I’ve worked on with every leader I’ve ever coached. And one I struggle with, too.

The #1 regret? 

I should have taken more time off.

So simple, and yet so true. [Read more…]

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…]

How Emotions Point to Our Values

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LighthouseMy values are what are keeping me grounded during this time. The work I embarked on early this year with the support of Janice Cunning and her leadership coaching has been crucial to keeping me a little sane during these times, and I feel privileged to have had this opportunity.

As part of this process, my goals were: to identify my superpowers, understand how could I expand my influence for more significant impact in my work, and most importantly, ground my leadership as I took action on the challenges and dreams that I have for my team, my organization and the feminist movement.

I make it a practice to continually check within myself on my perceived values to move with coherence through the intricacies of our sector and the fundraising profession. I believed that writing down and naming my values one more time early in 2020 would not have been so much of a challenge. This was my first challenge as I worked with Janice towards my coaching goals. [Read more…]

I know you’re busy- Now is the time!

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There’s an adage, if you need something done, ask a busy person. What people say about certain types of professional development is, “I’ll do it when I’m less busy.” Let me encourage you to overcome that mindset when it comes to the PQ training program coordinated by Fundraising Leadership. When you’re busy, now is the time to do it.

The PQ training is based on the book “Positive Intelligence” by Shirzad Chamine.  The book discusses the major saboteurs that make us less able to function well and sets the stage for 5 sage powers that help us to overcome those saboteurs. The PQ model is one of a muscle- your Positive Intelligence muscles that need to be fortified to help you overcome the negative saboteurs and strengthen the sages.  While I highly recommend the book for anybody, the PQ training program I did takes that mindset to a whole new level by providing a significant number of additional tools and resources with which to build your PQ muscle. [Read more…]

Mental Fitness – Getting Your Mind Right

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In the 1967 Film, Cool Hand Luke, Luke (played by Paul Newman), is a prisoner on a southern chain gang. Upon his second failed escape attempt (and receiving his second set of leg irons), Luke is told by the Captain (memorably played by Strother Martin) that he is not going to need a third set of chains because he’s: “gonna get his mind right!”

As we say, “art imitates life.” [Read more…]

Refocus for 2020

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As the year 2020 approaches, it is such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the past year’s successes, what we learned and what we want to create in the year ahead. It’s so easy to just let life take us down the river and to end up in a place where we don’t want to be. Creating a system to check in with your team to make sure you are heading in the right direction is important. And it can be a fun and creative process that you all look forward to each year. [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…]

Financial Literacy for Early Career Nonprofit Professionals

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Financial literacy is: “The ability to understand financial choices, plan for the future, spend wisely, and manage the challenges that come with life events such as job loss, saving for retirement, or a child’s education.” [source: US Government Accounting Office]

Unfortunately, the education system of one of the wealthiest countries in the world does not teach children, teenagers, and young adults how to “understand financial choices, plan for the future, and manage money.”  Here is some of the evidence according to several recent surveys: [Read more…]

Creating a Coaching Culture: Life at Future Possibilities for Kids

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Imagine walking into your workplace and…

  • You are greeted with genuine warmth and interest
  • You notice you are asked what you think rather than told what to do
  • You are given space to create and design, to express, reflect, and consider your thoughts
  • You set goals – personally and as an organization
  • You experience subtle and not-so-subtle forms of recognition and celebration of your successes – big and small
  • Your mistakes are framed as opportunities for further learning and are encouraged as part of “the process”

This is every day. Welcome to our coaching-based organization, Future Possibilities for Kids (FPK). [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…]