Who do you dream of being able to connect with? Do you have fantasy conversations with people who could potentially provide significant advancement for the cause you are passionate about? I do…and along the way I’ve learned that sticking to some fundamentals on good connecting can actually position you to have some of those ‘fantasy’ conversations in the real world.
What makes a great connector?
- They get the cause you represent. They know how to talk about the mission and vision. They are passionate storytellers of the work that you do.
- They know people of influence and affluence who might be interested in involvement with your cause.
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Are you a non-profit trying to raise funds in these challenging times? For many it feels like everything is shifting from the tried and true ways of fund raising to the tired and blue ways. It's no secret that not-for-profit organizations are scrambling to identify and redefine the relevant and sustainable fund raising tactics that will support their mission during these challenging times. However they must also be future-focused, creating the goals, strategy and energy to carry them past this rugged period and well into the future. And though it will feel that such planning is stretching leadership and staff to their limits, it is critical that organizations know not only how to survive today, but what will it mean to thrive tomorrow.
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An Interview with Mark Vincent, Acting CEO Christian Leadership Alliance (CLA)
Mark Vincent was appointed Acting CEO of the Christian Leadership Alliance (CLA) at its recent conference in Dallas earlier this year. During the annual meeting, Mark graciously agreed to an interview with John B. Savage, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of OneAccord NFP. Below he shares some of his thoughts on leadership, stewardship and his hopes for the future of CLA.
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I have a confession. Grant writers don’t have special powers. There are a lot of myths surrounding successful grant writers and grants programs. But, let’s bust that myth right now. Successful grants programs bring in money not because a writer has the gift, but because the program is built like any other successful program – with vision, solid planning, discipline and follow-through.
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My daughter recently had to write an essay on the movie, The Truman Show, for a religion class and use the movie as a platform to reflect on views on God’s sovereignty. We ended up have an extensive discussion on the two different traditions—either God is a strong, controlling boss of the Calvinist variety or God is the absent watchmaker of the Deist tradition. Haven’t we all had CEOs who are one or the other? Alternatives do exist.
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