Betty Hines, W.E.W. Founder and CEO (she/her) WPO Platinum III Chair

What does it take to ensure that community engagement isn't transactional, reduced to a buzzword or checkbox, in building partnerships between healthcare and people with lived experience? Our Power session with the team from INSPIRE is up on the website, you can learn from their research process, best practices, and action recommendations what it looks like to make community engagement more authentic and transformational.

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In an era of heightened awareness around systemic inequalities, it's crucial for organizations to elevate their CSR efforts. Initiatives supporting Black-owned businesses can drive economic growth, dismantle barriers, and promote diversity. Despite making up over 4% of Canada's population, Black Canadians face significant economic challenges, with only 2.1% of businesses being Black-owned. Through supplier diversity programs, mentorship, and access to capital, CSR can empower Black entrepreneurs. Read more on Forbes: https://lnkd.in/ey7kygcS #CSR #BlackEntrepreneurs #EconomicGrowth #DiversityAndInclusion #SupportBlackBusinesses

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A great read for nonprofit teams by STAIGER | VITELLI and Associates LLC! "Normalize changing plans in response to changes in your capacity or the environment. Share changes widely and talk about why they’re being made. Regularly ask your team members what has or is changing in their plans."

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During Small Business Month, it's an excellent moment to contemplate integrating the WOSB certification into your portfolio. The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Certification presents a chance to tap into government contracts, as annually, the government aims to allocate 5% of all contracts to Women-Owned Small Businesses, offering numerous opportunities to deserving small businesses like yours. This initiative aims to bolster female representation in the business sector and to furnish opportunities that may have been previously unavailable. If your business is majority-owned and operated by women (51%), you may qualify to access a portion of these funds. At Women's Business Council Southwest, we provide this certification. It can bring opportunities that you didn't know existed.

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Register for our next Bootcamp, "How to Find Grants the Untraditional Way." Tuesday, June 11, from 10:00 am - 10:30 am via Zoom. The topic will be Register in advance for this Raising More Money Nonprofit Bootcamp: https://lnkd.in/eN96RJ6m After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. In this upcoming session, you will learn: Innovative strategies for identifying grant opportunities beyond traditional sources Tips for leveraging community connections to uncover hidden grant prospects How to utilize online platforms to find grant opportunities Best practices for approaching non-conventional grant makers

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Many thanks to Annabell Samuel for this thoughtful review of my book on managing and leading nonprofit organizations. Review by Annabell Samuel- "Everything rises and falls on leadership." This is a famous quote by one of the world's renowned leadership authors, John Maxwell. While many people have come up with contrary opinions to this, we cannot overlook the place of leadership in the progress and success of any organization. There is a school of thought that a leader is the one in a position to direct and instruct people on what to do. There's another school of thought that a leader is the one who takes responsibility for the success of any organization. However, in "Managing and Leading Nonprofit Organizations," Paul Dann tries to find a meeting point for both schools of thought. In this book, the author carefully examines what it means to lead in a nonprofit organization. In his view, management and leadership are the same in organizational settings. He uses his 40 years of managing and leading different nonprofit organizations to drive home this point. He also shows the reader how to practice leadership, develop their leadership styles, work with a team, manage organizational change, and so on. I am a student of leadership, and I have read many leadership books. From my opening statements, it is clear that my favorite leadership author is John Maxwell. However, after reading this book, I have come to love Paul Dann's leadership perspective. There were so many things he said in this book that opened my eyes to many aspects of leadership that I had never thought about. For instance, he said, "Many authors argue that leadership and management are two distinct practices and as a result they should be explored separately. My view is contrary to this, believing instead that management and leadership exist together." He did not just say this because he wanted to contradict what many people already said. He spent time in Chapter 4 showing why he adopted that school of thought. I liked the realistic approach to the author's writing. He was not merely dishing out nuggets for the reader to meditate on. He used practical and relatable examples to back up his points. For instance, when he talked about the negative effect of not engaging employees in leadership roles in an organization, the examples he shared were relatable. Also, I liked the burst-pipe analogy he used to advise readers on how to read this book. Here's my candid advice: "When you get to the last page of the last chapter, don't be in a hurry to drop the book." After the references list, there's an appendix containing practical tools you can use to implement what you have read in the book. Trust me; you don't want to miss it. There's nothing to dislike about the book, so I rate it five out of five stars. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to become a better manager and leader in an organizational setting.

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Interesting insights in a recent report highlighting the remarkable influence of volunteers, by Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland. #CommunityImpact #InspireChange #Ascendnbs #ArleneSiller

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Foundation board and development council members are essential allies in advancing philanthropy. Yet, many leadership volunteers say they don’t have the information and tools needed to proactively and confidently engage. That’s why Accordant developed the substantive and attractive 2024 Foundation Board Member Handbook specifically to support and educate leaders. The board manual not only features best and emerging practices in foundation board governance but also provides context around trends, issues and data that impact board work. Learn more and purchase your manual today: https://ow.ly/rsTc50Rl3PO #healthcare #philanthropy #boardgovernance #leadership

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Panic alert: Often, nonprofit board members are reminded it’s their job to raise money for their organizations… But they don’t know how to start. Don’t know how to tell the story. Don’t know how to be compelling. When David Langiulli and train boards, we meet board members where they are (sometimes hiding under a pillow) … and guide them. We use values and many other potent tools from the coaching world. We help them raise money. How do we help them raise money? One place we start is with values. Here are three of my personal values: 1.      Be Present 2.      Accept what is 3.      Act with courage Those are words and concepts that I feel aligned with. That I try to live by. And that I used as a front line fundraiser. Aligning with our values helps guide us toward what matters. Knowing our values helps guide us towards what feels magical and delightful. Articulating our values can help us walk away from situations where what we care about is being stepped on. And values work is a way to become a potent fundraiser: When we connect our values to the cause we want to raise money for, we shine. Are you a board member who needs help feeling resonant with donors? On a board in need of some training? Reach out to learn more. #fundraising #nonprofit #nonprofitboard #philanthropy #coachingculture

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Simple changes make a huge difference, directly and indirectly. ELMINA B SEWALL FOUNDATION we offer alternatives to a report: sending in a report created for another funder, having a conversation with the program lead, answering 3 to 4 open ended questions, or in some instances, attending a convening or small group conversation with other grantee partners where staff capture themes from the conversation. we want to learn about the field, about the organization as a whole, what opportunities and challenges they seez what trends they see and what they're excited about. we also turn the lens on ourselves as we know one of the few things we can actually control is how we impact our partners. We want to learn how to be a good partner and what else we can do to support our partners as we are committed to their success.

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Black businesses, including small businesses and contractors, play a vital role in the economy. It's essential to recognize their impact and importance in policy-making discussions. For policymakers and advocates of change, here are six actionable steps to consider. Supporting Black entrepreneurship and innovation benefits not only underinvested communities but all of society. Please read and share this article below if you identify as a changemaker! https://lnkd.in/g_FDBvMr

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Many of you already follow Donna, but everyone should read this article - slowly. Thanks for your guiding wisdom, Donna (gotta brag again, #mcgregorfundtrustee)

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💰 Funding alert: The 2024 $1M Impact Prize launches today and is seeking applicants! It is an honor to serve on the Prize committee for the Impact Prize, a major initiative designed to reward those at the forefront of workforce innovation. In its inaugural year, the Prize is seeking those taking action to drive positive change in today’s rapidly evolving economic landscape: the problem-solvers and innovators bridging gaps by increasing access to family-sustaining wages, career progression, and social mobility for people from all backgrounds. This $1 million open call award is a cornerstone of the Iovino Family Foundation’s long-term commitment to advancing economic prosperity for more people in the United States by promoting skills training, entrepreneurship, and investment in innovative learning technology. The Impact Prize is accepting applications now through May 24, 2024. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits with an annual operating budget of less than $5 million for at least two of the last four fiscal years. To register your organization and learn more about the 2024 Impact Prize, explore www.theimpactprize.org. #workforcedevelopment #highereducation #innovation #futureofwork #jobquality

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Gain practical insights into the importance of sector investment in the sustainability of community prevention initiatives in the latest New Prevention Employee Webinar on June 17 at 3PM EST. Register at https://lnkd.in/ezg25254

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We have a lot of work to do when it comes to health equity across the U.S.             Racial health disparities exist in every state. Even in states with above average healthcare systems for all racial groups, Black and Native Americans are far more likely to die early from preventable deaths than white and Asian Americans. Racial disparities in health are driven by factors inside and outside state health care systems. "The policy choices that federal, state and local leaders have made over many decades have led to economic suppression, unequal educational access, and widespread housing segregation, all of which have contributed in their own ways to worse health outcomes for people of color." Racial health disparities are further perpetuated by less insurance coverage and unequal access to quality primary care. We have a long way to go to achieve health equity — but it is possible. According to the report, we can bridge the gap by ensuring universal, affordable and equitable healthcare coverage; strengthening primary care systems and improving delivery of services; and investing in social services. Let's work together to ensure everyone regardless of race or ethnicity can access their full potential to live long, healthy lives.

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As diversity programs face increasing legal challenges, this case marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle for racial and gender equity. The Fearless Fund’s efforts have been a beacon of hope, addressing the stark reality that less than 1% of venture capital funding reaches businesses owned by Black and Hispanic women. This is infuriating, but we cannot let it slow us down. #Equity #SocialJustice #FearlessFund #BlackWomenEntrepreneurs #DEI #VentureCapital #SupportBlackBusiness

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And that's a wrap: Cohort 10's Nonprofit Leadership Advancement Program with Business Volunteers Unlimited and Ratliff & Taylor concluded on Friday with Julie Clark taking us on a deep dive into building, cultivating, and managing stellar boards. Here are some quick noteworthy highlights ⬇️: ➡️ Cuyahoga County has 16,769 (!!!) active nonprofit organizations (out of 116,704 total in Ohio). Attracting talent to your organization is already a challenge, but the competition for attracting all-star board members is steep, as well. ➡️ There are seven main board functions as team: 1) determine mission, vision, and strategic direction; 2) establish and strengthen community relations; 3) Select and support the chief executive; 4) develop funding resource; 5) provide financial oversight; 6) ensure legal and ethical integrity; and 7) develop the board. Those seven steps are critical for the operations of the board and your organization. How many functions does your board currently follow? ➡️ It might sound like common sense, but the best board members have a clear role and a sense of accountability. Julie said, "There's a great difference between SITTING on the board and SERVING on the board." Members should walk away from meetings with a sense of purpose. Speaking of... ➡️ Good meetings have 1) a clearly defined purpose, 2) a carefully prepared agenda and tools, and 3) an effective leader and facilitator (often the chair). Prepare ahead of time and loop in the board well ahead of your discussion. --- This five-session program was easily the best, most valuable professional development experience I've ever had. Each session gave me and the other participants applicable tools that we could immediately use to not only better ourselves as leaders but also boost up our teams around us. If you've kept up with my high-level recaps from these sessions, you got just a taste of the lessons I've learned over the past couple of months. However, it's simply something you should experience yourself. If you're interested in learning more or joining next year's cohort, reach out to Tricia Stevenson or contact me and I'll connect you with the right people. Thank you, BVU, Ratliff & Taylor, and every single person who made these sessions possible. I can confidently say I'm a better leader today than I was just a few months ago because of you. And thank you to our JA president Al DiFranco for giving me the chance to participate! #WhereIsTAToday #RatliffAndTaylor #BVU #BusinessVolunteersUnlimited

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