I always wanted to be a gardener.  But I am an impatient soul, desirous of immediate and measurable results.  Growing up in a concrete paradise, I could learn nothing from my black-thumbed parents; learning to garden seemed arduous and I guess the outcome wasn't worth the pain of getting there.

  So I weed.

  I love to weed.  I can see results right away.  Generally, after I am done pulling and raking, the difference is startling.

When I weed, I think of not much.  That's quite a luxury for someone like me whose mind is noisy and fractious place.  Weeding, cleaning house and the gym, are what keep me sane and allow me such focus as I ever manage.  When I regularly do one or more of these activities, I can be present in the rest of my life.  When things get too overwhelming, I walk.  For miles.  Until my feet are numb and I can only concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.  But walking distances takes a lot of time; so for the quick fix, I weed, clean house and workout.

  This has gotten to be rather a longer meditation on mind-clearing than I meant.  I wanted only to say that each of us has different ways of bringing ourselves into the present-being present-without the noise and tumult of everyday life.    Some of us have to go to extremes to keep the cacophony from becoming deafening; others need only a few minutes of deep breathing, a pulling together of their thoughts, a narrowing (as in laser-like) of vision.

  The point is that we all get side-tracked; there is too much out there to ignore, much that pulls our attention elsewhere.  It's what makes me order almost the right book-but not quite the one I wanted-from Amazon; turn right instead of left; not hear what is being said; not see the signs that are right in front of our faces.

  Age and experience has taught me the value of really listening without thinking about what I'm going to say until the other person is finished speaking.  Silence, I have discovered, really can be golden.  I don't always need to fill the spaces with sound.

  Disquiet as I often am, I tend to move too quickly, jumping in with a solution before the problem has been clearly defined.  I send out documents without letting them settle, press send in email before considering unintended consequences.  It's a battle every day to savor the journey and not always been straining toward the finish.  My husband, who among his other virtues is a master of deferred gratification, tells me I am greedy and in my perpetual motion sometimes miss the obvious and/or the exquisite. 

  On the plus side of the equation (thought I'd never get here!), I get things done.  I do solve problems-often the right ones.  I push and prod others (including my husband) toward accomplishment and get as much a glow from their successes as they do.

  But this is way too much about me.  I intend only to be a mirror; reflecting back and giving pause.  Reminding you (as I constantly remind myself) to be here, now.  Not to ignore the past; it has helped to shape and define.  Certainly not forget to consider the future.  But mostly to see and hear what is happening around and within you.  To move at a pace somewhat different than what you are used to.  Slow up if, like me, you move too quickly.  Speed up if slowness is your usual pace.  And most of all, pay attention.  Lift your eyes from your navel and gaze into the eyes of others.  And listen carefully to what they are saying.

 Pay attention, too, to the good advice provided by Leslie Robin and Tanisha Williams.  Leslie has spend time both on the staff side and as a Board president, so she definitely knows what matters.  And Tanisha, who has graced these pages before, has always good information to help nonprofits stay on the right side of the IRS!

   A good relationship with your president will make your job easier and position your agency to address challenges and seize opportunities; it is in the agency's and your best interest. Strong president/ED relationships are built and nurtured, they don't just happen. While it is the responsibly of both partners to work on the relationship, the "heavy lifting" falls to the executive director. 

   You have to remember that the president and board are volunteers; the ED and staff provide consistency and ensure that the board is as effective as possible. You have to assure their experience is valuable and rewarding. A engaged president and board will lead to increased engagement, philanthropy and a stronger agency.(READ MORE)

   Section 501(c)(3) is the section of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that describes educational, literary, religious, scientific and other charitable organizations that are exempt from federal income taxes (not required by law to pay federal taxes on any income generated by the organization).  Nonprofit organizations that want to be recognized as exempt from federal income taxes must submit Form 1023 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to apply for tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3). 

   There are two classifications under section 501(c)(3) that are eligible to receive federal tax benefits: (1) private foundations, and (2) public charities.  Broadly defined, private foundations receive contributions from a few donors, while public charities rely on many donors for support.  Three main distinctions between the two make a public charity classification more favorable: (a) private foundations are subject to more extensive reporting requirements than public charities; (b) the tax deductions for contributions made to private foundations are more restricted than the contributions made to public charities; and (c) public charities are not subject to the same excise taxes that are imposed on private foundations.(READ MORE)