Branding
In the competitive and fast-paced world of nonprofits, the challenge of being one in thousands trying to make your voice heard is difficult. It’s not enough to simply be good at what you do – you have to find a way to differentiate yourself with a clear identity that supporters can relate to. Branding is a big word and can mean many things but approached thoughtfully with some basic understanding, it can be an important tool in raising funds, building support for programs and boosting public profile.
Shared Services/Shared Solutions
The nonprofit sector is increasingly looking to successful business strategies to achieve operational efficiency and effectiveness. Motivated by the need to ensure that scarce resources are devoted to the mission of the organization, and with ever clearer accountability to boards of directors and donors, nonprofits are exploring shared services strategies for front and back office functions.
Citizenship 2.0 – Harmonizing the Next Generation of Volunteers
Today, many active community leaders argue that no single sector – public, private or nonprofit – is capable of solving our modern day challenges on its own. A new dialogue is needed, and a more powerful focus on citizen involvement is required to collectively address these issues. Anil Patel provocatively explores the role that volunteerism plays in the context of the ‘greater good’. A newly coined concept of ‘Citizenship 2.0’ explores a more holistic approach to the challenges and opportunities relating to civic responsibility through the lens of volunteerism.
Working for Change with Minority Governments
Deal with the issues at a local level. Do good reconnaissance. Who is the elected or advisory level person that has interest at a policy level regardless of what part of the country they are from? Get to know these people and the people that know them. Open lines of communication and maintain a flow of creative material between yourself, the politicians and public servants. Always have a “plan B” in case your primary strategy doesn’t work. Talk to the other political parties. Understand who the “door keeper” is and once you get in understand who is sitting at what table. What kind of materials do they need? Understand that aspects of your issue may be more attractive than others (as well as the solutions) and don’t start with the most difficult material. “Low-hanging fruit” (simple, easy fixes) often provide common first ground.
Managing Risk
There are many definitions of risk and generally these definitions relate to the negative consequences of actions or events for organizations and individuals. This is increasingly reinforced in public service environments in terms of elaborate risk management frameworks and a focus on risk-preparedness for organizations.
Challenging Racism in Organizations
In March 2005 an Ipsos Reid Survey indicated that four million Canadians or one out of every six adults had been the target of racism. According to Statistics Canada, by 2017 for every 100 visible minorities that will leave the workforce, there will be 142 visible minorities ready to join the workforce. These statistics illustrate the long-term challenges that face Canada’s increasingly diverse workforce and the need to challenge racism in organizations.
Leadership
I’m going to talk about giving yourself the permission to be selfish. I believe, fundamentally, that if you’re going to renew yourself as a leader and if you’re going to have the energy that you need to make the changes to lead people in your organizations that you have to be selfish. It’s very much like when you’re in the airplane and the stewardess says, “In case of depressurization the mask comes down. But before you decide to put a mask on anybody else, make sure you reach for the oxygen and you put it on yourself.”