FROM THE PRESIDENT 

LET'S HEAR IT FOR CHEERLEADERS 

Cheerleaders rule in Texas. Growing up there, I - like so many other young girls -  dreamed of one day being a cheerleader. Maybe middle school, maybe high school, maybe college, maybe one day reaching the ultimate goal - not just any professional football team, but the Dallas Cowboys.

After high school, though, I went away to Smith College (no boys, no football team, no cheerleaders). I found out that women's colleges in the Northeast have a very different view of cheerleaders. There I was told that women can and should accomplish things in life that are more important than being a cheerleader. I heard the message loud and clear, and yet, here I am years later realizing that I became a cheerleader after all. More than that, I organize and send out into our community hundreds of cheerleaders every year - the Compass volunteers.

I came to this realization after a recent meeting when I walked out thinking that nonprofits need cheerleaders. As a nonprofit, what would we like? Someone to acknowledge that we're doing a good job. Someone to notice the hard work. Someone to say that we should keep on going when the odds seem against us. Someone to cheer us on in good times and bad. This, I thought, is what nonprofits need. And then I realized that this is what Compass does. Compass volunteers, in for just a consulting gig, often end up being the biggest cheerleaders for our nonprofit clients. I hear it again and again from our clients who have enjoyed not just the consulting work, but also the personal connection and engagement of the volunteers.

At our Volunteer Celebration on May 27, we thanked almost 400 volunteers for their service this year. We also recognized our biggest cheerleaders. We introduced the Compass Inspire Award for the nine Compass volunteers who have served as a Project Leader on five or more projects. We also announced the Super Volunteer award for the 17 additional volunteers who have served as team members and/or Project Leaders on five or more projects. (See below for award details.) These volunteers have dedicated countless hours to supporting nonprofits in Greater Washington. They have helped nonprofits identify opportunities, create strategies, increase funding, professionalize boards, and keep on going though the challenges that nonprofits inevitably face. They have supported, listened to, sympathized with, and become big fans of the Executive Directors with whom they worked. They also motivated fellow team members to donate their time for the five- or nine-month projects.

We all need to know that someone has our best interest at heart. At Compass, we recognize the hard work being done on the front lines by local nonprofits, and we are thrilled to cheer them on. So to all the nonprofits serving the Greater Washington community from all the cheerleaders at Compass - five staff members, 17 board members, 383 volunteers (this year alone!) - know that we are on your side. We are proud to be your cheerleaders!

Have a great summer!

Suzanne

Compass clients must meet the following criteria:

• Have 501(c)3 status
• Have a minimum of three paid staff members and a minimum budget of $750,000
• Provide services that specifically benefit the Greater Washington community
• Not promote a specific religion, or religious or political beliefs
• Have an active board of directors

Compass offers consulting services in the following service lines: Board Development, Funding Strategy, Strategic Alignment, Strategic Planning (two-year projects), Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations, and Strategic Marketing.

The application is available on our website: Client Application 

If you have any questions about which project would be most useful for your organization or about the application process, please contact Kristalee Overdahl (koverdahl@compassdc.org) to discuss. 

Like our clients, Compass is a nonprofit that relies on donations to keep operations running. Since Compass doesn't charge for services, we rely on funding from generous supporters. This year, we've been able to provide consulting teams to 64 local nonprofits. Our fiscal year ends June 30. If you haven't donated to Compass during this 2014-15 project year, please consider making a contribution now.

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