LIBRARY RESOURCES & BLOG
This area is filled with how-to articles, engaging conversations, and tons of examples of Catalytic Thinking in Action including actual planning sessions. Much to explore and learn from!
I saw this ad for a Community Engagement Officer in Norwich, England, and I almost jumped up and did a happy dance. First, from the perspective of writing an enticing job advertisement, this is an ad that made me want to fly across the ocean and apply for the position. No government mumbo-jumbo. A truly … Read more
Happy Monday! I spent this past weekend thinking about Debbie, my best friend from childhood. In a few months, Dimitri and my work will take us to the community where she lives, and so I’m thinking a lot about Debbie these days. After 30 years of living 3,000 miles apart, Deb and I are still … Read more
Last week in Reno, Nevada, +100 leaders from the worlds of Business, Government, and the Community Benefit sector convened at UNR’s beautiful new Student Union building, to ask and answer, “What will it take to make families in Northern Nevada financially stable?” I was blessed to be their facilitator. Blessed because it was a shining … Read more
Greetings from Reno, Nevada! I thought it might be fun to share some of what we have been doing on this incredible trip, and figured I would start with the mini-workshop we did on Tuesday – Building an Energized Board. I love doing this particular talk. First, I love talking about boards, as I really … Read more
Reading the paper every morning reminds me how much words matter. Express a thought with one word, and it can conjure a whole different image than another word that describes the same thing. An example: In my local market, I can buy “Organic” vegetables, or I can buy “conventionally grown” vegetables. Another word choice, another … Read more
Kelly over at the Nonprofiteer had a great blog post today – a rallying cry to stop whining about board recruitment and just get out there and do it! (Ok, to be honest, Kelly always has a rallying cry to stop whining about this or that – she has no tolerance at all for BS … Read more
Have you ever wondered what it takes to sustain an organization’s efforts?* Is it just money? Or is it something more fundamental? I’m thinking about this because we spent time at the Diaper Bank last week – our “grandchild.” There is such an extraordinary energy surrounding the work they are doing, and that feels so … Read more
Several weeks ago, my friend and colleague Carter McNamara asked me for a brief description of the Community-Driven governance framework we have been using with boards. And as I was just looking over that document, it is so succinct, I thought I would share it here. Here is what I told Carter: – – – … Read more
I am so pleased to share another letter from Nora Lester Murad. (To read this series from the beginning, please click here.) Nora lives with her husband and three daughters in Israeli controlled East Jerusalem, in Palestine’s West Bank. In addition to her consulting work to NGOs, Nora has co-founded Dalia Association, a community foundation … Read more
In following up on Monday’s post, Nick has just transcribed the book list we generated from our 4 days of planning the Consultants’ Curriculum for the Community-Driven Institute. And so I thought it would be fun to share that list here. For those heading into Summer Reading Season, this list will keep you busy. For … Read more