If you are new to the issue we are addressing in this post – changing the name of the Community-Driven Institute – come up to speed here. Well this is it – we believe we have finally found the name that says what this organization is about at its core. With that, several key decisions … Read more
I confess that sometimes even this Pollyanna gets fed up. I don’t get fed up with the same things as most people in this field, though. I get fed up with blame and intolerance. I get fed up with pointing fingers at symptoms, focusing and refocusing on addressing those symptoms, drilling deeper and deeper, unpacking … Read more
Renaming the Community-Driven Institute has become a combination of deep analysis and serendipity. None of that would have happened to the extent it has happened without the input of everyone reading and participating in this discussion. So first, thank you. Second, if you have any doubts about the value of transparent engagement – sharing the … Read more
One of the most strategic decisions we will make at the Community-Driven Institute this year is a name change. In a post back in January, I wondered aloud what questions we should be asking, to guide us towards a name. Here is some of the wisdom you all shared at that time: Romi Oliverio: • … Read more
What’s in a name? A whole lot! We have been talking for a while about a name change at the Community-Driven Institute. If you’ve read the posts that describe the Institute’s vision, its accomplishments towards that vision, its goals for the coming 2 years, you know that the name “Community-Driven Institute” just doesn’t cut it. … Read more
Lately we hear a louder and louder drumbeat to stop using the term Nonprofit. This post will not be about that. After all, if we’re mounting a campaign to move to more positive language, it’s pretty self-defeating to have that campaign itself be negative! The command to “STOP using negative language” is about as self-contradictory … Read more
Hey you – yes you. You are an amazing gift to your community! You have chosen to dedicate a big chunk of every single day to making our world a better place. You don’t just want to make a difference – you are putting your hands and your heart and your soul where your mouth … Read more
Several months ago I began to wonder if the highest potential in each of us isn’t simply to encourage the highest potential in others. That question has been a powerful force for me, bringing with it all sorts of other questions. What is it that inspires us humans to be our very best – to … 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