Regardless of one’s political affiliation, the fact that President Obama’s second inauguration coincides with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day provides an opportunity for reflection on many levels. When Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963, many people thought that his dream was impossible. Given how divided the country was at that time, one can appreciate how … [Read more...] about The Value of Impossible Dreams
vision-setting
The $100 Billion Challenge
In an effort to help people “Think Outside the Box, ” I have developed a new exercise that I invite you to try out as you create visions for the future. One of the problems in getting people to think creatively is that we are so immersed in our resource constraints that it is difficult to break free from them to dream of what we really want. So here’s the exercise: Tell a … [Read more...] about The $100 Billion Challenge
Ritz & Disney at Grandma’s House
You need to take your seriously ill child out of town to a doctor that will give them the best care possible. Where do you stay? If Grandma lived nearby it would be nice to stay with her, where you know you would have a loving and caring environment. But she doesn’t live there. It would be great to stay at a Ritz where you know you would have a high quality hotel room and … [Read more...] about Ritz & Disney at Grandma’s House
How to Predict the Future
Don’t try to predict it. Create the future! Some people spend a lot of time and effort trying to predict the future. They study all kinds of data and trends to try to figure out what the future is going to look like. And then they create a vision and goals that they think will fit with their future prediction. Instead, I suggest that organizations start by identifying … [Read more...] about How to Predict the Future
Mission, Vision, Money
Last week I was asked to serve as the opening speaker for the Major Gifts track at a nonprofit fundraising conference. In summary, I said that an aspirational Mission & Vision are the pathways to Money. In fact, this is the most important path to take if you want to raise BIG money for your nonprofit. Mission. The aspect of Mission I encourage nonprofits to focus on … [Read more...] about Mission, Vision, Money