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Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | I no longer write New Year Resolutions; I write goals year-round that include one or two BHAGS (big hairy audacious goals). I recently discovered I am most motivated by challenges that are beyond my comfort zone; I have a competitive gene. That means the goal may not be reasonable in […]
Julie Whelan Capell | I have created many program evaluations over my 30+ year career in nonprofits. Most of these have been evaluations of youth-serving programs like environmental education, arts programs done during school hours, and after school tutoring. And in my experience, the aspect of evaluation that is most often forgotten is getting buy-in […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | This week I want to return to the topic of Imposter Syndrome. It’s usually thought of as negative, but recent research shows there may be an upside. Basima Tewfik, assistant professor of Work and Organization Studies at MIT, found that some behaviors exhibited by imposters can actually help them outperform […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | People spend more time per week working than with their families.* This being the case, it’s vital that people work in healthy, supportive environments. Instilling and expressing gratitude is a simple way organizations can increase employee job satisfaction. What is your organization’s culture around gratitude and appreciation? If you’re hesitant […]
Julie Whelan Capell | You might think a program evaluation is all about counting numbers. Most nonprofits are pretty good at this! We like to count number of participants, number of acres, number of volunteers. But counting numbers is not a program evaluation. Numbers cannot tell us if our organizations are truly making a difference. […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | Most people feel self-doubt at some point in their lives. When fear of being unmasked as not smart, talented, or gifted enough causes stress, that’s called “Imposter Syndrome.” I was recently asked to give a presentation on imposterism and leading with confidence. I thought about coaching clients who’d expressed variations […]
Julie Whelan Capell | Ethics are to fundraising what seat belts are to a car. You barely notice them until you hit a bump in the road. And then, if they’re missing, you’ll find yourself in a world of pain. I have often been asked if I would accept compensation based on a percentage of […]
Julie Whelan Capell | Last week a client asked “what one thing can we do to improve our program evaluations?” That’s an excellent question, and the answer isn’t complicated. You don’t need to create a huge outcomes matrix or buy statistical software. Based on years of advising clients on outcomes and evaluations, I can tell […]
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC | Have you ever gotten to the end of a long day at work and ended up lamenting to your spouse or friends how you don’t really like your job or whatever is filling the majority of your time? My executive coaching clients frequently say: I don’t like how I spend […]
Julie Whelan Capell | If you don’t already know, I am a science fiction fanatic. So for fun this week, I’m sharing my top picks for best environmental scifi. Novel – The Stone Weta (2020 by Octavia Cade) – When women working in environmental science around the world realize their work is being censored, they […]
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