Training & Facilitating

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Managing the Summer Schedule Shuffle

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Managing the Summer Schedule Shuffle

Summer is a season of sunshine, travel—and for nonprofit leaders, a strategic juggling act. As board and committee members head to vacation homes, travel abroad, or simply unplug, keeping your organization’s momentum for strategic planning, fundraising and community engagement can feel like a challenge. Add in your own need for rest and vacation time, and it’s easy to see why summer requires a thoughtful approach.

Here’s some good advice for managing the shuffle of summer schedules while still making meaningful progress on your mission.

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Find Joy in the Job

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Find Joy in the Job

With a recent invoice payment, we received a handwritten thank you note insert from a client, (and we were still in the middle of the assignment).

At a board meeting, we were given an iced sugar cookie in the shape of a unicorn with appreciative words of how unique our services were to the exact needs of that board and foundation.

Another time, we received a crystal vase from an executive committee with sentiments of how we served as the vessel for their cause to flourish and how they hoped we would remember them by filling the vase with fresh flowers in the future.

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Have your board members reached their limits? (Their term limits, that is.)

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Have your board members reached their limits? (Their term limits, that is.)

Everyone has, at one time or another, felt like they were stuck in a rut. Maybe you’re cooking the same thing for dinner week after week, or you just streamed your favorite TV series for the third time. It happens to all of us! However, when your board members feel stuck, serving year after year with little change or break, it’s not fun for them or sustainable to advancing the mission they are so committed to serve.

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Good Advice: Write it Down!

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Good Advice: Write it Down!

I started my job with Project Partners in January and am loving being a part of this fabulous team. I quickly learned that even though we are a small company, we maintain a very large project portfolio! One thing that has allowed me to jump right into all of the incredible work with our clients is the fact that our files are robust, well-organized, intuitive, and easy to access. During this era that has been dubbed “the great resignation” it seems that staff turnover feels inevitable. However, encouraging your team (and yourself!) to keep impeccable records can ease the pain of losing someone special, while also shortening the learning curve for anyone new to your staff. Some specific examples to keep in mind:

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Boosting Board Performance - Advice from a Client

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Boosting Board Performance - Advice from a Client

When it comes to success in nonprofit work, it’s hard to overstate the importance of having effective and engaged board members. These key volunteer leaders set the strategic vision, ensure adequate resources, and plan for the organization’s future. Project Partners knows that the health and sustainability of a nonprofit can depend on the performance of its board. That’s why we highlight board development as one of the five key focus areas in any strategic planning we facilitate.

When a former board chair of an education foundation client made a case for boosting their board’s performance via the work of a Governance Committee, I immediately thought, “This is good information worth sharing to our broader nonprofit community.” With her permission we’re passing along the following advice for you and your board members:

How can Project Partners advance your cause?

We're good about responding promptly.