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Posts tagged ‘Charities Review Council’

Dec 30

Resolved: Use (and Thank) These Sources of Nonprofit Knowledge

Handwritten message: "Resolved: Give more, Learn more"

Why not support the organizations that make the Minnesota nonprofit sector stronger . . . and smarter.

Whether you’re making your year-end donations or writing your New Year’s resolutions today, here’s a suggestion: Show your gratitude to Minnesota’s nonprofit infrastructure organizations.

Sure, I’m still recommending gifts to direct service groups that provide food, housing, job training, crisis services and other basic needs, but today it’s time to take another look at the nonprofits that serve the nonprofits:

  • I just watched the Nonprofits Assistance Fund’s new videos on depreciation, cost allocation, reserves and more.  They make learning finance basics fun!
  • MAP for Nonprofits consultants put nonprofit start-ups on the right track. Plus, their board member placement and training services promote good governance and volunteerism.
  • Admit it.  Don’t you always look for the Charities Review Council accountability seal before making a donation?  (If you don’t, you should!)
  • Looking for facts to build your case for support?  Seeking insights to guide new program development? Where would we be without Minnesota Compass?
  • How could our nonprofits function without volunteers . . . and the organization that recruits and trains them?  Hands on Twin Cities has an opportunity waiting for you.
  • And, of course, there’s the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. This statewide association leads the nation in professional development, public policy and civic engagement, nonprofit research and resources.  MCN has it all.

Click now to give . . . and to learn.  You can wrap up the year by helping organizations that provide vital services to our nonprofit community. Plus, you’ll get a head start on fulfilling your 2016 resolutions.

Jan 31

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Design Thinking While You Work

Charities Review Council design thinking

At the Charities Review Council Annual Forum 2014, participants engaged in design thinking exercises about disruptive philanthropy.

When I ran into a former colleague recently, she asked me what I liked about freelancing.  Without hesitating, I commented on how stimulating it is to work with such a diverse group of nonprofit and foundation clients.

As I explore fields that are new to me, I meet fascinating people, and best of all, I get to apply what I learn in unexpected ways that benefit my clients — and my community.

For instance, before I was introduced to CornerHouse in Minneapolis, I knew little about child and adolescent abuse.  Plus, I was completely unaware that this local agency is known worldwide for training of forensic interviewers, or that it is the only children’s advocacy center in the country that is offering healing home visiting services to children and families dealing with the aftermath of abuse.

Experience the Creative Rush
So in the course of just a day or two, I’ve written about families recovering from trauma, grocery delivery services for seniors, and rural broadband access, among other topics.  Shifting from one subject to the next, I see surprising connections between ideas and audiences, and new communications strategies emerge . . . it’s a sort of creative rush.

And it feels like that creativity allows me — in my own small way — to participate in the  local “disruptive philanthropy” movement.  The Charities Review Council team members — who championed the movement at their annual forum last fall — defined disruptive philanthropy as:

“a transformative event or moment, an act of giving and relationship building that is a departure from the status quo. It may not be easy, endorsed or comfortable, but it is necessary to inclusively create a shared vision, a new sustainability, innovation, imagination and growth.”

Personal Design Thinking
In another way, my work on behalf of my clients and their beneficiaries feels like a personal design thinking exercise.

During participation in the Giving 2.0 MOOC last fall, I heard David Kelley from IDEO speak about design thinking in philanthropy and use of the Human-Centered Design Toolkit.  Its underlying premise is that problem-solving in philanthropy must be preceded by deep empathy for the people who will benefit and close engagement with them in “need-finding.”

No matter what how you describe it, I feel happy to zig and zag while I work, using my neurons to connect seemingly unrelated dots . . . and making my small contributions to the third sector and our greater community.

May 3

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Nurturing a Seedling of Hope

SeedlingI start this blog with a sense of hope.  Just like the optimism that compelled me to plant seeds in my garden last Saturday . . . even though miserably chilly, rainy weather was forecast for the week ahead.

Nonprofit leaders and philanthropists are eternal optimists, too.  Filled with hope, ambition and courage, they believe they can plant and nurture seeds that will ultimately change society’s landscape.

I envision my blog to become a sort of raised garden bed for worthy causes.  In a raised bed, plants enjoy a little extra warmth from the sun’s rays.  With my posts, I’ll try to shine a bit more nourishing light on all varieties of charitable activities.   Sometimes I’ll write about the newest nonprofit hybrids that promise big yields.  Sometimes I’ll feature heirloom organizations that have resisted blight and delivered bushels of common good in our communities for decades.

A raised garden bed and a bit of mulch also help ensure seeds and plants have a steady supply of moisture for healthy growth.  In my posts I plan to sprinkle in resources from across the independent sector — including from Minnesota institutions (such as the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, MAP for Nonprofits, Charities Review Council, and Nonprofits Assistance Fund) and from national and international thought leaders.

So, I’m simply the gardener.  If you’d like to supply some seeds of ideas that promise positive change in our communities, contact me.  I may add them to my garden bed to see if a little extra light will foster growth.  But no promises . . . because this blog is organic.  With favorable conditions seedlings may sometimes leaf out, blossom and bear fruit.  And sometimes the harsh environment may stunt their growth.  But that’s okay.  We’ll still have hope for next year’s abundant harvest.

(P.S. For the gardening record, in a previous season of my life, I also worked to lift up promising ideas to the light.  Search on “Wehr” to see some of my posts on the Minnesota Council on Foundation’s Philanthropy Potluck Blog.)