LUE-42 Enterprises February 2023 Ezine

I Believe In Fairness, Fun, And Sharing What I’ve Learned

With The People Who Make This Planet A Great Place To Live

Issue 145, March 2023

Freezing days, above seasonal days, vast blue prairie skies -- I like them all. Especially the skies. The calendar flipped over a month and while we are all thinking spring, it is snowing lightly where I'm sitting. That's okay.

In the last month I saw several theatre productions, all of which put me in a good (or at least 'thoughtful') frame of mind. I even saw one of my own plays. The folks at Infinite Imagination reimagined our script in an interesting way, and I got to see it at the beautiful (seriously, beautiful!) Bailey Theatre in Camrose AB (est. 1911). Fierce Women of Alberta brought three plays together as a fundraiser for a local women's shelter. By all accounts it was a successful weekend, plus I got to hang out with friends I never see enough in a different town (with 2 breweries).

I enjoyed a long weekend in Calgary and got to sit in a hot tub in the snow and enjoy some good winter beers.

Of course friends, beer, and road trips aside, I spent a bunch of time in board meetings and writing policies and bylaws. I wouldn't be me if I didn't, right?

I am beyond thrilled to report that I purchased a couch. This may not seem like a big deal, but it is the first one I've ever owned that I chose and bought for myself. I send out gratitude for all the other couches that held me over my lifetime, but this one is Mine and it is Fabulous. I am giddy about it. Go figure!

February is a month of many reminders of what (who) I have lost. I am so grateful for the friends who came out to help me honour Brian's birthday (and dad's and Grace's and...). Friends really do help lessen the burden of grief.

So if February was about theatre, loss, and my first significant piece of furniture, I wonder what March will bring... Please stay well, dear readers.

/lmwe

"I think I'm a great example of

'What are the odds?'"

-- Jennifer Coolidge

High

Performing Boards

I enjoyed a recent issue of Notes on Nonprofits by Alyce Lee Stansbury re the best parts of high performing boards. It's nothing you haven't heard before, but I appreciated the reminder and how simple she made it all sound.

Great boards:

1. Take work seriously

They arrive on time and come prepared. They don't want to waste time hearing reports of things that have already happened.

2. Strategic plan

They adopt a strategic plan and use it to guide the board’s work and agendas.

3. Self-assessment

They self-assess and learn more about governance.

4. Recruit with focus

They recruit new board members with intention and share expectations of attendance, committee service, personal giving, fundraising, etc.

5. Executive Director evaluation

They have a regular and meaningful ED evaluation and compensation system.

6. Build relationships

They know part of their job is building and maintaining stakeholder relationships.

7. Donor stewardship

They take care their donors and patronize the businesses who support their mission.

8. Promote mission

They promote the mission in the community on a year-round basis.

9. Technology

They invest in technology and use data to inform decision making.

10. Term limits

They utilize term limits and support careful selection of leaders for the organization.

How many of these is your board doing?

/lmwe

Microcredentials for

Non-Profit Professionals

Forbes recently brought together a panel of NFP experts to recommend microcredentials for those of us working in this area. As someone with more than three decades in the NFP sandbox, I am always interested in finding "new" professional development ideas. Just thought I'd share their ideas with you. There is so much to choose from, and I can't disagree with any.

Communication
Multiculturalism
Nonprofit Management
Life Coaching
Negotiation
Presenting
Change Management
Influencer Marketing
Digital Fundraising
Fundraising Management
Information and Data Systems Literacy
Data Analytics
Project Management Foundations

Here is the article.

Some People Who Made Life Better in February

MaryJane Alanko, Kirstin Baxter, Lora Brovold, Ronnie Burkett, David Cheoros, Chantelle Chevrier-Painter, Debra-Lynn Cloutier, Andrew Dyck, Graham Faulder, Andrea Ferguson, Liz Garratt, Beth Graham, Mike Hicks, Joe Howdle, Sue Huff/Kevin Tokarsky, Dave Hughes, Kimberley Hunter-Lee, Lynn/Don MacAskill, Karen MacKenzie, Jeff Mawson, Janey McCurdy, John Mellec, Dan Panek, Mary Paul, Louise Reinich, Joan Seath, Mike Smith-Knutsen, Janelle Sproule, Donna Stonehocker/ Jim Gwartney, Theresa Tsoukalas, Chris Wood, Peter Wood

“The only thing that makes things even slightly bearable is a friend who knows what you're talking about.”

-- Eve Bablitz