Building Your Coalition

The Benefits of Coaching as posted in the CCCBI "Voice"

Kayte Connelly — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:22:00 GMT

With the economy continuing on its bumpy ride, and right-sizing initiatives becoming standard, the case for professional coaching has never been stronger. Just as a sports coach inspires athletes to greatness, a skilled coach can support an individual, a team of individuals or an organization in the attainment of their personal or professional goals.

So what exactly is coaching? Let me paraphrase the International Coaching Federation (ICF) definition.

"Coaching

is an on-going relationship

focuses on clients taking action toward the realization of their visions, goals or desires.

uses a process of inquiry and personal discovery

builds the client’s level of awareness and responsibility

provides the client with structure, support and feedback.

The coaching process helps clients both define and achieve professional and personal goals faster and with more ease than would be possible otherwise."

In simple terms, coaches help individuals and organization get unstuck. They identify and eliminate the obstacles that stand in the way of goals.

Executives are turning to coaches to include them significantly in their organizational development solutions. Senior managers are introducing coaching to their teams to become more productive. Leaders are engaging coaches to deepen the strength of their staff/client relationships. 　

By gaining greater clarity about how their behaviors impact others, all of these groups realize a heightened ability to respond to issues of the staff and their customers.

Where/what is the proof that coaching works? Study after study demonstrates the effectiveness of coaching. Harvard, Stanford, Booz Allen, ICF and others have brought the following findings to the forefront in executive, leadership, organizational and nonprofit executive research.

Among the tangible evidence these benefits have been realized:

Increase in self-awareness
Setting better goals/team building
More balanced life
Lower stress levels
Empowering others
Self confidence
Self-improvement
Better project management
Improved communication
Understanding and honoring the perspectives of others

How would you hire a coach? (Call me NOW and let me know YOU WANT CHANGE!)
In the Greater Philadelphia Area, you might look to the Philadelphia Area Coaching Alliance (

www.philadelphiacoaches.org) or to the ICF (www.icf.org).

One of the most important skills you would be looking for is listening – who did most of the talking? Compatibility – what is your gut reaction to this individual? Integrity – will you be treated with respect, confidentiality and will commitments be honored?

Coaching is not for the feint-hearted. But it is for individuals who want more from their lives and/or their businesses and are willing to embark on a journey. Living authentically, with intention and with a renewed sense of purpose are certain outcomes for those willing to invest in themselves.

Wishing you all the best with your desired change!
Originally posted in the April/May/June issue of Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry "Voice" (on-line magazine)

How to Start a Movement - Lives On and On

Kayte Connelly — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:20:00 GMT

As many of you do, I belong to several groups in the social networking sites. Through one of them, this link was shared with me. But even before that, I became aware of TED through two different sources.

Fritz Petree is a fellow ChangeWorker who was directing me on some of the upgrades in our software managment system in early 2009. During our delightful conversation, we side-tracked and he gave me some great website links - TED being one of them.

Later that year, while I was working on a capital campaign at our local parish, Sr. Margaret Rose and I were exchanging ideas and we talked about an article that had been posted there and some of the works of Sir Ken Robinson. Amazing the way the world works.

Regardless, when you have a chance go here http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html
Derek Sivers has targeted another issue dead on!!! Go forth and be leaderful....Enjoy.

The Ever Consistent Change: A Leader's Friend or Foe?

Kayte Connelly — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:48:00 GMT

When the concept of change is broached by any individual, they are forced to embrace the notion that things will be different. How different they become can provide needed relief to individuals and organizations or it can, as it often has, wreak havoc.

Thus it is that we face change every day in our lives. Some choices that are made will withstand transitions; other choices that are made will maintain familiarity. It is the nature by which we ourselves support that change that can turn this force into an adversary or a desired colleague.

Countless stories simulate "only the strong" survive. Guidestar, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Fundraiser and other periodicals profess best practices and methods designed to prevent you from incurring undesirable experiences through case studies. Taken for what they are, what you do with these stories can strengthen your next strategies or make them wane.

To expedite change as an ally, engaging others productively results in some form of empowerment. Empowering yourself and those expected to do the work, drastically affects the level of control you have over any adjustments made in your organization. Whether it’s with staff, volunteers, board members or donors, the commanding interaction you provide can alter your stress quotient.

Let’s take a look at change activities facing all leaders at some time during their career:

1. Adapting easily to work culture changes. (These changes could be internally or externally charged.)

2. Finding distractions from the real nature of change in our workplace. (Can’t focus on the "big" changes necessary for us to survive)

3. Understanding the productivity triggers of fellow employees. (Knowing what prompts others into action.)

4. Exerting my power and influence because of my position. (Expecting others to do what I tell them because I am the boss, rather than listening to them and causing transformation.)

5. Communicating change to others. (No matter who the audience is, the bottom line is conveyed consistently.)

How you as a leader react to any or all of these activities is what will afford you a level of comfort or totally disrupt your plans. The amount of tension (stress) that you permit and how you manage it is what will guide you and your followers through change.

Do you breed choas or discipline? Are there systems in place? How do you know when the preferred change has been attained?

To understand the tension in your environment, think about ability and challenge. Do you (and those around you whom you expect to do the work) have the knowledge, skills and experience to do it? How hard does it seem to perform the specific tasks to get the job done? If you could take a gauge and register these levels of ability and challenge, a tension meter would predict your level of success surrounding the particular task.

Is all tension evil? No. If we think about tension as energy, there has to be some level of energy surrounding a task to manage or modify it.

So, how can you adapt easily to changes at work, prevent yourself from finding distractions to tackle the big jobs, understand others, and communicate consistently to all individuals? And do you really want to expect others to act because you are "the boss?"

The paradox of experiencing harm from change or realizing good from change is in the hands of the instigator. When we permit ourselves to recognize what is, and aspire to what can be, change becomes our partner. When we fail to reflect intentionally towards the attainment of realistic goals, change imparts despair and desperation.

By taking control and thinking project activities through and assembling all risks, all costs, all negotiations and all time required, a systematic approach is launched. Mind-mapping such as this gives a project body; gives it warmth; gives it flexibility and sanctions friendly change.

Faced with the challenge for something you have never encountered, find an expert?

Do you expect others to fulfill duties they have never experienced before (as we do when change dictates downsizing or right-sizing)? Make sure your expectations are clear and that if training is needed, you provide it.

Not enough time to accommodate your new plan, re-arrange your priorities.

While we cannot prevent change from occurring, we can deliberately acknowledge it and create the desired results. Managing change, managing tension, gaining control purposefully will increase your circle of influence and make you a winner no matter what the occasion.

Need change? Contact kayte@bestprincipledsolutions.com today for a free 1/2 hour consultation. Or pick up the phone and call 484.769.2327. Don't delay!!

No Excuses for High Expectations

Kayte Connelly — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:22:00 GMT

This is not mine. But I enjoyed it so much I had to pass it on. In today's New Coach Connection, a listserv that I belong to, a fellow coach, Deborah Beatty shared: With time, women gain weight because we accumulate so much information
and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.
So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured,educated and happy.

Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, Good grief, look how smart I am!
Must be that's where the phrase 'Smart A**' came from!

With that thought in mind, I am reminded about a call I experienced recently, for a committee, where we were discussing a specific task. "My thoughts are that this group really doesn't act like a board, but more like a social club. They meet once a quarter; there was one committee report from the board in 15 months and that committee is comprised of one person." My comments were directed to the concept of boards acting like real boards.

I was chastised privately, for making that statement. Somehow among all of the staff reports, I found little evidence to determine how the board was performing their oversight and quite frankly, to me were a set of bobbleheads in appearance.

Perhaps, it was my feminity getting the better side of me. But if you took me to court for voicing my opinion, and I had to pull out the evidence, I'll bet my statement would hold and it would have nothing to do with either my age or my physique.

Well intentioned individuals are often stymied in their responsibilities, especially board members, because they have never been advised of their responsibilities. There are no excuses with today's technology and there should be no reprimanding for one's high expectations.

It is in the communication or lack thereof, that expectations often fail. I would encourage you to think about your own expectations - of yourselves and others and ask:
Have I done what I could do to permit others to succeed?
Have I done what I could do to acknowledge permission for others to fail?
Have I done what I could do to permit myself to fail?
Have I done all that I could do to permit myself to succeed?

The answers to those four questions are telling. And while we may choose to fallback on age, grace or physical attributes to shoosh expectations away, who are we holding ourselves accountable to for those expectations? Living authentically, while causing no harm is something to aspire to and I hope your summer is filled with such aspirations!

Becoming Engaged

Kayte Connelly — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:24:00 GMT

This posting was sent to me from my good friend Jane Runyeon. It was sent in October, 2008. I believe there is still some relevance to this premise. What do you think?

How long do we have?

How long do we have? About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury."

"From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years."

"During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. from bondage to spiritual faith;

2. from spiritual faith to great courage;

3. from courage to liberty;

4. from liberty to abundance;

5. from abundance to complacency;

6. from complacency to apathy

7. from apathy to dependence

8. from dependence back into bondage."

Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election. They still have some bearing on the nature of the business of government still being conducted.

States:

Gore: 19

Bush: 29

Square miles of land won by:

Gore: 580,000

Bush: 2, 427,000

Population of counties won by:

Gore: 127 million

Bush: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:

Gore: 13.2

Bush: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..." Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency" and "apathy" phases of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

I spent time with my step-son this weekend and he was concerned about the decline of affairs in the State of PA. His new girlfriend had lost her job with the recent budget cuts towards the end of last year. He was blaming "Uncle Eddy" as the Governor is referred to in the central part of the State.

As the conversation continued and concerns about the process being repeated again this year, and folks already blasting the Governor's new budget, I asked Marcus exactly which services that were not mandated (judicial and penal system), which of them (roads, education, regulatory etc.) was he willing to give up so taxes weren't raised.

I find conversation where folks continue to banter but don't want to give up anything that they have cumbersome.

How will you become engaged in our upcoming tax debates? How will you become engaged in our upcoming health care debates? Will you try to find all of the information you can? Will you start conversations with others listening to all sides of the story?

Let me know where you stand - somewhere between complacency and apathy or are you willing to do or say something? I'm curious.

Why and How I Use LinkedIn

Kayte Connelly — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:43:00 GMT

Using any of the social networking tools can be overwhelming. Initial questions come to mind:
What am I doing here?
How come people say this is so great? What's so great about it?
There are so many people here - how do I get their attention?
Who is an expert? How have they achieved that status?
Why do some people have 21,000 - are you kidding me - 21,000 contacts?
How much time is enough time to spend on any of the sites?
Which one is the "right" one for me?

I could go on. Many of you know I am the Queen of Questions - a questioneer, if you will.

Let me share with you some of the things I have discovered about social networking. It is just like networking but it's done somewhere in outer space. By that I mean, that when you begin working in any of the platforms, you immediately alert and invite many more individuals into your space that you could ever do at a single networking event.

That means that when you enter twitter, you have more than 250 million, yes, million individuals that may choose to follow you. Facebook permits you to have more than 125 million enter into your space; LinkedIn, 80 million at the time of this writing.

So if you are remotely claustrophobic, this may not be the place for you. But if you want to open up new vistages, new places for you to seek out best practices among your peers, to see what similar professionals in your line of work are doing around the world, then you may choose LinkedIn as a modest place for you to start.

In a short period of time, my involvement has taken me into countries I have never ventured; into conversations with new colleagues with whom I share similar or discordant trains of thought, provided me with opportunities to explore new territory and find safe places to hold conversations.

I have been interviewed for radio shows, podcasts, contributed to books and articles for professional trade magazines and conducted research for my own writings.

I have, very simply, been learning how to increase my influence to enhance my affluence.

I have been fortunate and with that good fortune, found it beneficial to share what I have learned with others. For that reason, upon occasion, I provide webinars on "how to" use LinkedIn for those who are beyond the beginners stage. I am by no means an expert - I learn something new each time I teach a class.

But here's what some folks have said about the trainings:
"Kayte's LinkedIn 201 webinar was a very practical and useful training session on how to use LinkedIn for online networking, positioning myself as an expert, and for business development. Thank you Kayte!" Keiko Hsu, San Francisco, CA

"This was a great orientation on how to use LinkedIn for business development." Pam Concannon, Philadelphia, PA region

"You did a great job of sorting out the confusion of the Linkedin system!" Linda Napier, Charlotte, NC

"I enjoyed it and started trying to put it to work yesterday afternoon!" Sandy Clitter, Delaware County, PA

For more information on upcoming classes (usually every other month, 75 minutes, reasonably priced), go to https://www.bestprincipledsolutions.com/Webinar.html

Becoming More Productive through Online Collaboration

Kayte Connelly — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:50:00 GMT

No one seems to have enough time to get things done. Goals, programs, products, services, customers, relationship farming, tending the herd, goals and family. Every minute of every day brings new demands on what little time we have to pay attention to them.

As you begin to set your boundaries, say “no” to more opportunities because they have nothing, not one thing, to do with your big dream, you may find yourself appreciating technology in bits and pieces.

There are a plethora of tools available on-line for you to take advantage of to improve your efficiencies.

Google rolled out a suite of such amenities which may or may not make your life easier when providing your services. Their on-line platform, which can be found at http://www.google.com contains a fleet of tools that transcend incompatibilities of computer software that you, your team, or a committee may be facing.

From a free e-mail service that links a thread of e-mails into conversations around one particular topic; to a calendar that can be shared and linked to your mobile unit; to word processing, spreadsheets and presentation abilities where you can collaborate until your product is just the way you wanted it.

This may or may not be what your particular group needs. But if you know about it, and check it out, it may prove to be of benefit to you. In my presentations, I frequently refer to an unknown source, “you’ve got to step up to the foul-line to be able to take a shot. You’ve got to take a shot to know if you’ll miss or make it. You’ll miss it a few times before you make it. But at least you’ve tried.”

And while we’re on the topic of Google tools, don’t forget your ability to develop your profile, alerts , analytics and other SE optimization tools for you to increase your visibility. Finally, to determine what’s working for you, check out BING.com and search for you or your company/organization. I was pleasantly surprised to find 14 pages, yep that’s right pages, about me and Best Principled Solutions. Woo hoo! I must be doing something right.

http://www.google.com

How do you accommodate your solitary fantasy?

Kayte Connelly — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:44:00 GMT

What does it look like? What does it taste like? Sound like? Feel like?

Do you focus on your dream where everything falls into order and you take charge of transforming your fantasy into one million realities? Or do you let things fall to happenstance?

In frequent conversations with coaching clients, we have discovered the epiphany that we had to go through in our lives to start the process of truly appreciating it. It appears to be a generational thing, most of those who have found a new purpose to and for their lives and are actively taking steps toward attaining that fantasy after a life event of some consequence.

It could have been a birth, an illness, a death, a job change, a loss, an addition, but it was something of significance that made each of us take a step back, question ourselves “is that all there is?” and set a deliberate course of action that would bring us to a distinct purpose.

Not possible, some may say. I protest. As long as it’s legal, there is not much that you cannot do if you set your mind to it. You’ve read many stories about those that have achieved pinnacles in their lives, but they are empty shells because all of those combined achievements do not measure up to one moment of true happiness.

Yet, Katherine Hepburn encourages us to find one single fantasy that may bring you a million realities? How do you begin to fathom a million realities? Let’s focus on just one and take it from there.

Everyday, give yourself at least fifteen minutes for your dream. Give it a life. Draw a picture of exactly what it is or if you can’t draw, find a picture. Make copies of that picture and put them everywhere that you go. In your office, in your bedroom. By your phone, by your biggest distracters, put these pictures. Then, as you make choices during the day, choose consciously whether this particular activity has any bearing to how this has impact on your fantasy – your goal – your dream.

Everyday, during those fifteen minutes of “me” time, be still. Picture yourself inside of your picture. What will you be doing? How will you be dressed? What will you be saying? This is not easy – it is especially not easy for me. I can assure you that if you do this and make “me” time, you will eventually be able to make those priority choices easier.

Keep a journal. Write it down. There is something cathartic about putting your fantasy into words and bringing it to life. It is a commitment to hold yourself accountable and make things happen.

One fantasy may bring you one reality. But if you do nothing about it, you’ll never have tried, you’ll never have failed, you’ll never win.

Make some me time. Step up to the foul line. Put the pen in your hands. Bring it to life. Do something to make your life purposeful and stop permitting others to write your story for you.

On Tasting Adversity

Kayte Connelly — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:55:00 GMT

The taste of adversity to some is an unwelcome taste. It is viewed as bitter, harsh, distressful or just plain stressful. Think about the times in your life when you have been considered as an adversary, or a devil's advocate, or counterproductive because you sought clarity before coming to a resolution.

This could be particularly true if you are engaged in any type of activity that involves teamwork or civic work. You participate with a group of seemingly like-minded individuals who want to rush through some type of a proposal, or task, without due deliberation or a reasonable period of time for adequate input.

Let's take the State budgets for example. Right now (June, 2009), we have come to know and realize that the PA Senate has rushed through a bill that sorely destroys the cultural aspects of our Commonwealth, because it has stripped down any funding to the arts, cultural institutions, arts in education, impacted funding for libraries and other health and human service organizations and is tentatively wiping out the Earned Income Tax Credit.

As a citizen, we have the right to contact our legislators about said budget and why we are either in favor of it or are not. How we have been invited to participate may not be as blatant as a team meeting called for a work project. We are sometimes forced into our adversarial positions.

But the opportunity to dialogue about these types of issues is what benefits all of our civic society. The freedom that we have, as Americans, is something to be revered. And it is in that reverance, that adversity and lead itself to prosperity when and if the bitter, harsh and distressful conversations that we have bring benefit to our entire culture as a result.

I continue to flash back on an Americans for the Arts convention in the mid-1990's when playwright Tony Kushner remarked about the defunding of the National Endowment for the Arts individual artists programs. As a response to the outrage from the public funding of Maplethorpe and others like him at the time, there had been a severe restriction on continued arts programming funding.

Addressing the audience, Mr. Kuschner (Angels in America, author) stated:
"Ladies and gentlemen. The line has been drawn. You are either for the arts or you are a barbarian."

Hmmm...one has cause to ponder. Are we not harkening back to the times when such adversity by elected officials saying "No, culture is NOT important to us," that we have reason to become alarmed?

If prosperity should taste so sweet, it would be on the day that in this Commonwealth, the legislators "get it" and understand the importance of public funding - for a $8 return on investment to the economy for every $1 of tax payers money that goes into the coffers.

Would that the banking or auto industry be held to the same standard!

Harsh, bittersweet, I think not.

Genuine Listening

Kayte Connelly — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:08:00 GMT

"Genuine listening means suspending memory, desire, and judgment - and, for a moment at least, existing for the other person." Michael P. Nichols

Genuine listening comprises an intricate balance of art and skill. It is learned. It does not come naturally.

At our family gatherings, genuine listening means putting away all of the electronic devices and standing around the kitchen or sitting around the dining room table and not trying to one up the person who just spoke. It contains laughter, sadness, empathy and best wishes.

Genuine listening consists of turning off everything else in the immediate vicinity and giving all of your attention to whomever is speaking. One cannot be restless; one must be subdued. One can get excited by what they are hearing, but they are want to pass immediate judgement.

Genuine listening may be part reflective - simply stating back to the individual who has shared comments what you heard them say. This reflection is often a good idea. Particularly as one ages and words begin to have the same sound.

Reflective communication forgives misunderstandings and clarifies desired actions. It dismisses what may have happened at a former time and focuses on the now. The present is foremost.

Had genuine listening been used, how many predicaments could have been prevented? In your own lifetime, are there times, when you revisited conversations, weeks, months, or years later, only to find out one party was not fully present and did not hear what was being said?

Practice..practice..practice...and genuine listening will still require practice.

I raise this topic because of a recent hospital stay and other sterling episodes of "customer service."

Had someone paid attention to what I said, or read what had been written, perhaps, just perhaps, a repeat performance for a "pain" and the resulting trauma might not have occured.

As customers, vendors have an obligation to those who pay for services. How does this sound for some genuine listening?
"You think you got problems Lady. Get in line. You're one of 88 million customers." WOW. Was I put in my place! So glad to pay that bill - the problem lingers.

Every CEO, every professional, every customer service representative, let's make it every student, should spend time in a semester called, "Genuine listening." It would include etiquette, the art of conversation, time management and perhaps many, many word games.

I am hastened back to Father Bartel in Creative Writing at St. Francis University back a ways ago. Mr. Demetrius had us for English Composition and brought new meaning to the phrase "great teachers" but I heard this was to be a great class.

Father Bartel had us begin writing one word sentences for our homework assignments, gradually building up to 25 words. Each week as we read our assignments, do you believe that there was some genuine listening going on in the classroom? Absolutely. The shared respect fellow classmates had for each other to go through each report was heightened - rapport enhanced outside the classroom. But picking our words carefully, and with intention were foremost.

Could genuine listening benefit from exercises of this nature? Perhaps. I'd be curious to see research conducted that would measure improvement in customer processes and the impact of genuine listening had upon that delivery.

What do you think?

7 Websites to Support Your Year-Long Gift Giving

Kayte Connelly — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:07:00 GMT

There are approximately 1.7 million nonprofits registered with the IRS today. There are countless numbers of counterfeit nonprofits that have names just like them. It’s the end of the year.

As you prepare for your gift giving, how are you preparing for the onslaught of those hoping that you’ll throw a few gifts their way?

Do you know your style of giving?

Are you a planner; one who has their whole budget for charitable giving mapped out and spread evenly throughout the year?

Are you a joiner? Do you believe in joining an organization at a level where you receive certain social benefits? (special events, exhibitions)

Have you gathered your friends and become a giving circle, hoping to maximize your contributions?

Do you give on impulse? Do you let the fundraising propaganda tug at your heartstrings and permit that cause you may have never heard of collect your hard earned dollars because this plea was just too good to pass up?

Do you rely on inspiration and will you only write a check to the cause that provides a clear path on a journey to solving some social ill?

As year-end giving amps up for a tremendous close, you owe it to yourself to make donations to those organizations that are truly worthy. But, how do you decide which ones they are?

If you do nothing else, make sure the charity is legitimate. You could examine the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/index.html and see if the group has truly been given the nonprofit status. You must know the name under which the group organized, which can at times, be different than what’s on record.

The PA Bureau of Charitable Organizations maintains registration and financial information on over 9,500 charities soliciting in the Commonwealth. Is the organization you want to send your money to properly registered to legitimately solicit funds? http://web.dos.state.pa.us/cgi-bin/Charities/creport.cgi Those organizations prohibited from soliciting in PA are also noted.

Guidestar www.guidestar.org can also provide you with the last tax return from the organization (form 990). There, on page 2, you can see the ratios of how your money will be spent. Dollars are spread across general management, fundraising and program expenses.

You may also get a sense of the chief executive’s salary (if over $50,000) and the board members compensation, if any, should be readily available.

The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute and the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University found that ¼ of 220,000 nonprofits filing 990’s reported $0 fundraising expenses generating revenues of $1 million to $5 million; 13% listed $0 management and general expenses

Ratios do not necessarily tell the whole story. In the spring 2003, Nonprofit Quarterly, Jennifer A. Lammers states, "Choosing which charity to support based only on financial ratios is a little like choosing a restaurant based on how much it spends on advertising and marketing versus food."

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University has spearheaded additional research. From 1994 through 2004, it produced the nonprofit cost study, to better understand how funds are raised, the means for evaluations and methods for developing reports for funders and others to improve standards in this arena.

The Nonprofit Cost Study http://www.coststudy.org gives a pretty hard look at why there are so many variances in reporting styles and what makes one organization seem more financially astute than another.

To support the many nonprofit organizations that are trying to do the right thing and become more accountable, the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations has created a "Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Program" that is being replicated by the PA Association of Nonprofit Organizations (www.pano.org) and nine other states.

Other nonprofits may choose to go through the approval process being offered by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance at www.give.org.

Bottom line: it’s your money and it’s your business decision. You want to give to an organization that shares your same values. Do some investigation on where you will place your hard earned money.

If you find that the charity that you want to give to does not meet your new found criteria, perhaps the best gift you could give them is a letter explaining why you have decided to dedicate your dollars towards them improving their administration.

Or send them a link to the former sites and ask them to sign the Nonprofit Constitution which will commit them to making necessary change to live up to the right to the public trust that was given to them when they were granted tax exemption status. http://www.nonprofitcongress.org/constitution Penalizing your cause may not help it to become more fiscally responsible. Directing your money towards a specific activity, like training for governance and financial reporting, may be a better way to go. Happy giving!

To receive timely tips such as this on a more regular basis, sign up at www.bestprincipledsolutions.com for my e-zine.

What is YOUR LEGACY FOR GIVING? Tired of giving band-aids, when a tornequet is needed? If you or your company could benefit from support in developing your giving plan, please contact me at kayte@bestprincipledsolutions.com.

Starting with a Fresh Attitude

Kayte Connelly — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:06:00 GMT

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. " Winston Churchill

In former jobs, I have managed up to 50 staff and over 300 volunteers in different organizations. One of the beliefs I held, shared, and lived by was that mistakes were permitted; it meant you were trying. Sometimes mistakes would demand critical action - such as developing new procedures; hiring more staff; offering more training to lower the risks.

The premise was that I wanted individuals to try, to take risks and solve problems themselves and to encourage them to blossom and flourish. I gave them permission to fail and to learn from their mistakes.

So Mr. Churchill's words resonate with me because you have to keep plugging along to make things work, despite small setbacks. Managing your workload in a busy organization during tough times can be a difficult chore. No matter where you work, you often find yourself aligning your job, your department or your division's resources with that of the organization or corporation for which you are employed. You probably do that with regularity.

But, how often are you stepping back and looking at YOUR mission, YOUR vision, YOUR values and strategy for YOURSELF? When was the last time you took inventory of your dreams, your needs? Was their a first time that you took inventory of your dreams and your needs? Is it time for a fresh attitude, for a resurgence of enthusiasm?

Take a minute; get out a piece of paper and think about these things. Well actually, it may take a few minutes.

Who are you? Write down your values; your success stories; your stories that brought you humility or other lessons that you've learned in your life.

What are your overall objectives in life? When you are dead and gone, what do you want to have accomplished? How do you want to be remembered?

Okay, now make two columns. In one column, write down what you want in your life. Next to these items, put a checkmark next to the ones you need - the ones you absolutely must have to survive. How can you transpose these?

Now, think about where you are working. How does where you are working fit into any of your objectives or values?If it's a perfect fit, good for you!! If it's an acceptable fit, there are probably some things that you could do to make it better. If it's a nonfit, what are you doing there?

Beginning this fall, in addition to teleseminars that I'll be offering, I'm going to offer group coaching as a means of additional support. There, you will have an opportunity to be coached on specific issues that you bring to the table within the security and safety of a group.

If you are living a life that is not acceptable, you could hold yourself accountable for making change. You are the only one who can make that step. I wish you all of the successes to need to keep your enthusiasm for life high on your priority list. This fall, give yourself a fresh start with a reinvigorated attitude.

If you'd like more information about Group Coaching, contact me at groupcoaching@bestprincipledsolutions.com

"Kayte Connelly has been instrumental in coaching me to better organize and set priorities for my start-up business. I can say without equivocation, that she encouraged me to follow through and hold myself accountable." Celeste Walker, creator and President of Words and Actions a voice and speech coach/consultant.

Connecting YOUR Organization to More Money

Kayte Connelly — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:33:00 GMT

Promotions and Your Campaigns

You are in the business of raising funds for your mission. You should have a method of collecting names from every resource to encourage readers, visitors, event attendants, and members to go to their next level in their commitment to your organization. How you promote your organization is integrally tied in to your level of success.

How to re-think that campaign:
1. Assess your current promotional efforts. Is your website fluid? Is it current? Are you posting progress every month and celebrating your milestones?

2. What does your website look like? Is it vibrant, does it look inviting?

3. Are you cluttering up your message? People like stories, not the same old stuff. How focused is your website on people?

4. Are you thinking people, not necessarily patrons? Yes, you want people who visit your website to eventually become a believer and join. How are you leading them to water?

5. Do you have the means to potentially collect the names of the people who visit your website? What are you doing with those names?

6. Are you giving them emotional experiences, or flat ones?

7. Are you encouraging them at every possible venture, to participate somehow in your programming – either through a short news blast, a special promotion or an update?

8. If you stage events, are you inviting your reading public? How? What about those names you collected?

9. Do you have plans for external communications, your regular monthly media blasts to the general public through the media that celebrate your milestones?

10. Do you have an "official" spokesperson, or is it anyone’s game? Do volunteers have the authority to speak on behalf of your entire organization? How about dissenting committee or board members? Will they speak on your behalf to the press?

Take these questions and answer them to chart a new course to fundraising success. For a complimentary fundraising assessment write me at kayte@bestprincipledsolutions..

Another Board Guerilla Moment - July 2008

Kayte Connelly — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:24:00 GMT

When's the last time you took the pulse of your board of directors.? Are they sitting around the table nodding their heads in approval for the first half of the meeting when the perfunctories are presented?

Do they understand your vernacular? Are any of your board members glazing over when reports are given or fumbling with their PDA's and glancing at their watches?

Do you encourage your board to speak, or to come in, say "aye" and leave? Every organization has its own unique language -- for at least a few terms or phrases.

Dedicate at least 10 minutes a board meeting to refresh your board's vocabulary about your specific programs and outcomes. Familiarize them with new programs or community outreach programs.

Empower them with knowledge and then hold them accountable to achieving your mission.

It will gain you strength as your board can speak wisely on your behalf and do greater good in your community, wherever that may be. An empowered board is a healthy board, and healthy boards produce wellness, balance and sustenance.

For more information on developing your board governance, your individual board plans or your organization's guerilla board moments, contact me at Kayte@bestprincipledsolutions.com.

To receive additional tips for governance and other nonprofit philanthropy concerns, sign up for my e-zine at www.bestprincipledsolutions.com.

LinkedIn w/Chip Lambert; Making Social Networking work for Professionals

Kayte Connelly — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:09:00 GMT

Do you have questions about HOW-TO use LinkedIn? For example:

Does it matter if I have 10, 200 or 500 connections?

Why are recommendations important?

How would someone locate and then ask a celebrity guest for a special fundraising event?

How to gracefully reject a connection from someone you do not know

How to graciously step away from making a permanent recommendation to someone who has the potential to generate embarrassment through association

How to have your organization or business to develop a "cult" following ultimately raising your profile and making more money?

These are samples of the types of questions you can ask Chip during a teleseminar on August 6th. For registration, go to https://www.bestprincipledsolutions.com/LinkedIn_w_Chip_Lambert.html. Only 250 callers will be permitted.

For updates on additional teleseminar opportunities as they arise, sign up on my contact page while you are there.

Do You Know Where Your Dollars Are or How They May Impact Your "grands"

Kayte Connelly — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:28:00 GMT

In a recent interview on NPR’s Radio Times, author Jeremy Scahill ("Blackwater: The Rise of the Wrold’s Most Mercenary Army") interpreted the public debt in a very meaningful manner.

"One trillion dollars" he said, "is the equivalent to $100,000 per day for a period of 82 years." That’s just one trillion.

When you start putting things in perspective, and you talk with your boards or your corporate sponsors or your local government officials, how frequently are you thinking forward to the impact of your decisions on the seventh generation?

How are your actions or lack thereof, impacting seven generations down the line?

Donald Barnhouse, WFMZ commentator, recently criticized Michelle Obama for her statement that things are not better off that they were years ago. Demonstrating how much better off we are, was the fact that he boasted more Americans have air conditioners than we did 10 years ago.

He didn’t present any facts that we are more in debt to pay for those air conditioners; are using more energy and making greater demands on the environment; or that global warming is responsible for any of the tremendous weather divergences the world has experienced.

Take a few minutes, go the extra mile, and consider how to measure the impact of where your dollars are going. Your great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren, who will probably be paying off the interest on our national debt, think about them. They will appreciate it.

Fundraising Tips from A Previous Newsletter

Kayte Connelly — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:46:00 GMT

Periodically, one of my e-zines is dedicated to fundraising efforts. Here are some excerpts from one of the March issues.

The next round of selected grant and other opportunities which have been gleaned from a variety of resources. There are many others which may be related to your personal or professional goals. This information can be used in conjunction with your Individual Fund development Plan (IFP). For assistance in developing your personal or organizational IFP contact Best Principled Solutions for more information or participate in the expanded complimentary teleseminars series listed below.

Finally, when is the last time you had a fundraising audit completed for your business development strategy and what have you done about those findings? Are you on target with your funding for this year?

In this month's issue, I am taking a different tack. Please take a minute to read through a critical article on Fundraising to put this Business Development Issue into perspective. Once you have completed reading it, you will find yourself or your organization among the tens of thousands of other very similar mission driven causes, and you may find yourself lacking in the obvious critical component the individual donor.

The purpose of this publication will somewhat morph into familiarizing you with grant opportunities as in previous issues. But it is more important that you become familiar with individuals and start focusing on your relationship development with individual donors, or individual corporations. When you are able to match the 75% individual donor statistic, you will know that you are well on your way.

Grants may seem like the catchall and I will continue to post this auxiliary tool. However, there are truly other areas where your energies should be focused.

Where do you begin prospecting for Individual Donors? One site could be Lamb Research Understand where the money is coming from. A variety of databases from political donations to those higher salaried professions may be researched here. This is time intensive; but if you are truly interested in finding more individuals, this may be a place for you to commence your efforts.

Let's look at some well respected Foundations. Where can you fit in to their giving strategies?

Remember to look at past recipients to determine how you may have a similar program but differentiate yourself enough to measure your objectives with a unique impact.

American Express has three major initiatives and funds some organizations for ongoing projects. If you fall under Cultural Heritage, Leadership or Community Services, you may have found a match. If you go to their website, you will find more information. For a complete listing of their 2006 grant list, go to http://home3.americanexpress.com/corp/gb/pdfs/2006grantslist.pdf

The Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation will seek and fund innovative projects which advance solutions to basic and enduring problems and will focus its grantmaking in the areas of art, the environment and learning disabilities. Their efforts will reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of their family forbears and the founder's distinction for foresight, imagination and risk taking. They will pursue their mission so that the Foundation will also engender family unity, equality, and mutual respect, and serve to educate family members in philanthropy, service and stewardship. http://www.tremainefoundation.org/

Here's a watchdog organization for donors:

American Institute of Philanthropy, a national charity watchdog service whose stated mission is to maximize the effectiveness money contributed to charity by providing donors with the information they need for making more informed giving decisions. The Institute published The Quarterly Rating Guide and Watchdog Report. http://www.charitywatch.org/

A Board Tip for Fundraising: Recruit board members who can provide pro bono services, especially design, printing, copywriting, etc. For artists, don't forget to call upon your own "board." Who have you surrounded yourself with, that may support your efforts by providing a discounted service or bartering?

Want more? Sign up now at www.bestprincipledsolutions.com/Contact for complimentary e-zine services.

Coaching Minute

Kayte Connelly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:02:00 GMT

"If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader." Dolly Parton

Have you identified your legacy? Do you know how you want to be remembered? Are you too busy sweating the small stuff that you forget what it is your life is all about?

When is the last time you had a chance to think about your priorities? Have you checked your personal plan to see if you are steering your ship towards your dreams? Do you have so much total control, that you are missing out on life's simple pleasures? Are you inspiring others to work with you or are you entrapping them to work for you? Is your relationship with money exactly where you want it to be?

Take a minute. Sit back. Focus. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Focus. Catch up with yourself. Focus. If you are being the best that you can be, congratulations.

Can you state that you are the best boss, the best employee, the best board member, the best mom or dad or sister or brother? Are you surrounding yourself with the best support systems to realize your dreams? Who will be there to catch you if you fall, to carry on if you get ill, to support you when you have doubt? Do you have a mentor or a Master Mind group to whom you can turn for solutions with everyday life?

Are you accountable for your actions? How have you acknowledged and celebrated your successes? If you could sum up your life in a phrase, how would it read?

If you would like a free consultation on how you can master changes in your life that will bring you to a better place, inquire at freeconsultation@bestprincipledsolutions.com

Board Member Guerilla Moment

Kayte Connelly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:59:00 GMT

Board Orientation - As a board member, you have a right to understand what your legal responsibilities are. If you have not received a board orientation by your third month of acceptance, you may need to re-think your appointment. Materials such as your organizational chart, annual budget, a copy of the last year's tax return (990), a copy of your by-laws, committee descriptions, any policies and program descriptions should be forthcoming.

Many organizations are now turning to creating a board report card and an Individual Board Plan (IBP). After receiving your appointment, and completing orientation, your board member skills would be assessed and supplemental information to enrich your board experience would be provided.

If you are in need of such services, there are many additional resources available to assist you in developing them. Check out the Resource Page at http://bestprincipledsolutions.com/resource/html at the Best Principled Solutions website for more support.

Board Member Guerilla Moments are listed frequently in my e-zine. In the future, I will post samplings of these here in my blog. Look around while you're here.

Do you have other aspects of board development that you could present to your board in 3 minute snippets at a board meeting?????? The best solutions come from you.

Grant Tips

Kayte Connelly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:55:00 GMT

The process of writing grants can seem to be overwhelming. If you tackle it in pieces, you will be assured a better response for your particular cause.

Do your research before you begin.

1. Clearly identify grantmakers whose programs parallel with the goals of your program and you organizational mission.

2. Be descriptive but don't waste words; most times they are counted. Use action words wherever possible. Compel your grantmaker to fund your program/project. Invite them to your platform through words. Energize your sentences with exciting language.

3. Always do exactly what the guidelines tell you to do. If you are directed to submit 15 copies signed with fresh signatures by the chief elected officer in blue ink, have that individual sign 15 copies in blue ink.

4. Contact the organization to clarify any questions you may have. There is usually staff to assist with any concerns

These few tips will get you started. If grantwriting is not your area of expertise, explore research and writing options by contacting me at kayte@bestprincipledsolutions.com. Go to my website at www.bestprincipledsolutions.com and sign up for my newsletter to find out more information on teleseminars for how to write grants and receive funding.