The Extra Rocks We Carry

December 21, 2010

A new Facebook friend recently called on the phone. Actually, Gary is an old friend, although we haven’t communicated in years.

The last time we talked, neither of us had families, neither of us had been diagnosed with cancer and neither of us had yet launched our careers. In the course of getting caught up, I told him of my wild adventures with the American Red Cross and he regaled me with even wilder stories from his career as a trooper with the Colorado State Patrol.

We stretched each other’s memories as we recalled experiences we shared in our carefree, youthful days when we both lived there in Colorado. I’m sure our macho memories have marinated over the years and the stories are now relived with greater gusto than when they actually occurred.

One incident, though, needed no embellishment. It actually happened just like this: Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Duane Hallock

Taylor Saalfeld — My Part in the Difference

December 15, 2010

Taylor Saalfeld

Guest Post by Taylor Saalfeld

Over the past few weeks, I have had quite a bit of time to sit with the question, “Why do you want to work in the nonprofit sector?”  And to be quite honest I have been wrestling with this question and how to state my reasoning more than I would have ever thought.  My struggle is a result of trying to capture my heart and place it in writing.  In my best attempts to do so, the following is what has resulted.

I want to make a difference.  “Well isn’t that the goal of every nonprofit entity operating today?” you may ask and to that I would respond, “yes.”  But my difference is a result of who I am and where I have come from.

On Thanksgiving, I was blessed with the opportunity to sit with my father and grandfather and watch a WWII documentary on the History Channel about the 8th Air Force.  I will never forget the emotions played on my grandfather’s face as he watched this documentary.  As a veteran, B-17 pilot in 8th Air Force, 34th Bomb Group, he was reliving his history and the pride for the difference that he, along with his fellow brotherhood of airmen, made was evident.  This pride I have only seen matched on the face of my father, who battled in a very different war.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Duane Hallock

I Hate Fundraising When…

December 7, 2010

‘Tis the holiday season! As winter approaches, nonprofit solicitations are swirling around me faster than snowflakes in a December blizzard.

Though I’m no Scrooge, I’ll admit that I hate fundraising when it is…

  1. Not relevant. The fact that you need money is not my problem. You won’t get a contribution from me by telling me how desperate you are. My advice: Make your case by explaining how my world will be a better place when I give to your cause.
  2. Based upon guilt or fear. If your cause is worthy of my support, don’t play mind games to manipulate my behavior. My advice: Make me feel smarter by investing in your organization.
  3. Not differentiating. Every nonprofit is aggressively raising money, especially this time of the year. Unless you can show me how your cause is the best investment in things I care about, you’re just making noise in an already noisy world. My advice: Focus on the unique niche that only you can fill.
  4. Coerced. If I’m forced to give, you may achieve a short-term result. Trust me, though:  I’ll forever resent being strong-armed and I will look for ways to distance myself from your organization at the earliest opportunity. My advice: Give me a choice and invite me to voluntarily join your team.
  5. Treated as an end objective. Fundraising is a means to an end. It’s purpose is to help an organization have adequate resources to fulfill its mission. A nonprofit does not exist to raise money, but rather it raises money so it can continue to exist. My advice: Talk more about your mission and less about how much money you need.
  6. More interested in my money than in me. If we don’t have a relationship, then I’m probably not going to give. Any farmer knows you cannot reap a harvest until you’ve planted the seed, nurtured the crop and waited patiently for nature to take its course. My advice: Give me ways to make philanthropy a natural expression of my relationship with your organization.

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Posted by Duane Hallock

Chandra Clark — Why I Have Chosen a Career in the Nonprofit World

December 2, 2010

Chandra Clark

Guest Post by Chandra Clark

I have chosen to pursue a career in the nonprofit world because I am passionate about transforming lives. It’s my heart’s desire to lead a successful faith-based nonprofit organization specifically designed for children and young women. My passion is best described in poetic form:

ALIVE

I am from brokenness, rejection and fear

I am from slander, gossip and malice

I am from broken virginity, broken vows and a broken heart

I am from “I love you” only to find that it wasn’t love at all

I am from a tarnished body image and a façade to protect the wounds

I am from vanity used as a replacement for a lost identity

I am from father wounds that run deep to the core of the soul

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Duane Hallock

Introducing Student Guest Bloggers

December 1, 2010

Last month I was honored to speak before a class of university students preparing for careers in the nonprofit sector. Our topic of conversation was social media.

We talked about the trends in social media, ways to use social media in a nonprofit organization and the blurring of our personal and professional lives.

We even discussed using social media tools for personal branding. I shared my thoughts on using Facebook to differentiate oneself when launching a career. I challenged the students to use social media to “brand” themselves in an open, transparent and authentic manner. Then, to encourage them to develop their own online presence, I did something I’ve never done.

As an experiment, I invited each student to become a guest blogger here on my personal site. I offered this space to anyone in the class who wanted to share why he or she had chosen to pursue a career in the nonprofit world. A couple of students accepted the invitation. Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Duane Hallock