“Gratitude is about remembering. If there is a crisis of gratitude in contemporary life as some have claimed, it is because we are collectively forgetful. . . A French proverb states that gratitude is the memory of the heart—it is the way that the heart remembers. The memory of the heart includes the memory of [...]
New leader, you thought the board wanted what?
November 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Nonprofit boards are prone to seek a change-agent as their next CEO. You know, a visionary who can inspire the masses and kick a few strategic asses. A “savior” who, without breaking a sweat, rights all wrongs, separates wheat from chaff, and sets the organization on the path to success. Within the first 90 days [...]
Generosity in quotes
November 23, 2012 By 1 Comment
“I learned what I must have forgotten somewhere in my busy, well-planned, and very ‘useful’ life. I learned that everything that is, is freely given by the God of love. All is grace. Light and water, shelter and food, work and free time, children, parents and grandparents, birth and death — it is all given [...]
The sweet taste of gratitude
November 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers. In the spirit of the day, I pass along the following timely word from Chick Lane, director of the Center for Stewardship Leaders at Luther Seminary (St. Paul, MN). “How are you?” we often ask another person. Sometimes, we actually wonder. Other times, it is just another way of saying, “Hello.” [...]
In all thy (governance) ways, pray
November 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
When approached about serving on the board of a ministry organization, it’s pro forma that prospective members are asked to commit the invitation to prayer. Board members also are routinely admonished to pray faithfully for the organization and its needs. It’s less often, however, that board members receive encouragement to pray about the service to [...]
10 time-proven laws of fundraising
November 19, 2012 By 6 Comments
While cleaning out a file cabinet that hasn’t been touched for several years, I came across “The Ten Immutable Laws of the (Fundraising) Universe,” dated 2003. Scanning the list, I’m reminded that the more things change in our world, the more they stay the same. In his preface to the 10 laws, author Carl Richardson [...]
End of the week leftovers
November 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Here’s a bunch of Generous Matters-worthy reads about which I would have commented this past week, had I had time. It’s that time of year. 3 tips for driving your driving a successful annual appeal. 4 questions donors want you to answer. “If you don’t understand how these 4 questions work in your donor’s mind, [...]
Generosity in quotes
November 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
“No one longs for what he or she already has, and yet the accumulated insight of those wise about the spiritual life suggests that the reason so many of us cannot see the red X that marks the spot is because we are standing on it. The treasure we seek requires no lengthy expedition, no [...]
Shared governance and the cooperation instinct
November 14, 2012 By 2 Comments
You probably don’t think of Discover, a magazine devoted to science, technology, and the future, as a likely source of governance advice. But that’s what the December issue brought my way via the cover article titled “The Cooperation Instinct: Why Evolution Favors Nice Guys.” To be fair, author Kristin Ohlson would (rightfully) be surprised by [...]
