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Nonprofit leaders are often unable to get their board and staff more actively involved in fundraising. For as long as I can remember this has been a popular topic for round table discussions, webinars, conference sessions and more. Suggested solutions often include establishing “give and get” requirements; better/more training; team competitions; clearer expectations; offering rewards and incentives; and more.

TRUST. Such a heavy word! You know it when you feel it and you also are very aware when it is not present with someone or in a certain situation. I bet just reading that caused you to tense up and maybe even sweat.

This month, I’ve been walking in Garden of the Gods and listening to Andy Crouch’s book, The Life We’re Looking For. The book is about nurturing a sense of belonging, meaning and significance in life and leadership. In one chapter, Crouch explores two words the non-profit sector often uses interchangeably. Those words are “impact” and “influence.”

Looking through my bookshelf, I came across The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. I was gifted this book in my first few months as a fundraiser when a mentor of mine slid it across a coffee table in my direction with a credulous smile and told me there’s one contingency (you’ll have to read on your own to find out!) if I decided to follow its teachings.

As nonprofit and church leaders, we are often called upon to encourage others to give to our organization. But can taking a closer look at our own giving help us to be better at encouraging generosity in others?

I was hesitant to start reading Michael Oren’s book, Power, Faith and Fantasy: American in the Middle East from 1776 to the Present, thinking that it may be years before I finished. It’s more than 600 pages long!

A recent stroll through my garden reminded me of a lesson from Dr. Henry Cloud in his book, “Necessary Endings.“  In it, Dr. Cloud offers a great analogy related to the need for pruning to stimulate healthy growth.