What Works
Each edition of this newsletter contains a section I call "What Works."
I'm in the process of writing a long article entitled: Why Organizations Thrive. The article will detail fifteen lessons I
learned while growing the Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV),
buttressed by my observations of dozens of other groups both in Oregon and
across the country. (I served as OLCV's
Executive Director from 1997-2009).
No one of these lessons is all that interesting by
itself. Collectively, I believe they are
a very useful set of principles that any Executive Director can use to improve
their organization's capacity to fulfill its mission.
Readers will have to wait a bit longer for the full article.
But here's an initial lesson from it:
Lesson 1: Pick some aspect of your program and get exceptionally
good at it.
No organization can realistically be the best at every
aspect of conducting its program. Yet, it's
important to be the best at something. Of course, it should be something where you
can articulate the strategic rationale for why the activity furthers your
mission.
At OLCV, we made a conscious decision . . . (read the full article)
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Recent Success Stories and New Clients
At the request of the River Network, I traveled to the River Rally, where I presented on the legal and strategic issues facing 501(c)(3) nonprofits when it comes to elections. Here's the Powerpoint that accompanied the presentation.
At the request of Friends of Family Farmers (FFF), I facilitated a meeting of a half-dozen organizations interested in how Oregonians grow their food and how the food is distributed.
Because one FFF (Friends of Family Farmers) client wasn't enough, I've begun working with Fences for Fido on strategic planning.
If anybody knows any other groups out their with FFF as an acronym, send them my way . . . .
Starting in June, I'll be working with the Sauvie Island Center's board
of directors and staff to assist with their 2010 fundraising campaign.
Also starting in June, I'll be working with Conservation Voters of South Carolina to help them overhaul their fiscal management systems.
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Will I see you at LCV's 40th Anniversary Dinner?
I hope to see some of you at the League of Conservation Voters' 40th Anniversary Dinner June 9th. If you'll also be in DC and want to meet on the 7th, 8th, or 9th, drop me an email or call me. |
