January is a month for fresh starts. We begin again at the threshold of 2010 with a new slate and new ideas, building on successes and disappointments of the previous year.  As the new Executive Director for Community Resource Center (CRC), I want to thank the board of directors and the staff of CRC, especially Kelleen and Sarah, for their hard work and efforts to help make CRC what it is today. I look forward to working with everyone as we move into 2010.
 
While it is a bit early to set the larger vision and goals of CRC for 2010 and beyond, my vision is to continue to work with our partners to support nonprofits throughout Colorado, while developing and implementing new services using best practices that can help the Colorado nonprofits to thrive.
 
This edition of E-line is about fundraising. You will receive tips and some of the best practices for a strong and successful fundraising program. As I write this, I wonder what I can add to help you build the most successful program possible. I decided that I would share a story of my own that you might find amusing and helpful.
 
About two years after becoming the Executive Director for the Nonprofit Support Center in Santa Barbara County, I received an email from one of our strong supporters and funders. Keep in mind, as the ED for NSC, I knew all the foundation personnel in our community, as well as their likes and dislikes.  For example, one of our funders only wanted to communicate via email, others by phone, letter, or a personal visit. This particular funder, I will refer to as PJ, always liked to meet personally in our office, never over lunch and as far as I knew never by email.  You can guess my surprise when I received an email appearing to come from PJ, asking to meet with me over lunch to discuss some of the progress that has been made over the past year or so. I replied by email and accepted his invitation, brushing off the strangeness of this "new PJ," and assuming that this very successful businessman had decided to join the electronic world.  I prepared a report with the facts and figures I knew PJ would want. The fateful day arrived and the Board President and I headed off to meet PJ, talking along the way about this unusual form of contact with him. When we arrived at PJ's office to meet him, the receptionist buzzed him and he said he would be right out. As we waited in the lobby, the door to the office opened and there was PJ --- Junior! You should have seen my face! Well, we all got a good laugh out of it. PJ, Jr., has always been involved with the family foundation, but as a background operative; his dad had always been the face of the foundation.
 
The lesson I learned from this funny situation was to respect what I knew to be true and to ask clarifying questions.
 
So, my advice to you is to implement best practices, respect your own intuition and wisdom and, when something goes awry, don't forget to insert a bit of humility and humor.
 
What are your organization's goals or desires for this year? Financial stability? Leadership development? Board development? Program success? Whatever you want to achieve for your organization, this and future issues will seek to give you support and ideas to help map your way. May this year be filled with inspiration and success.
 
 
Wishing you a great new year~
 
Carol Nickell
Executive Director
 
A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity. -Ralph Nader