Sunday, 3/30/08 - Opening Night Reception
It was wonderful to see such a great turnout for the Opening Night Reception. I enjoyed chatting with James Phelps (Development Director for ACLU of Oregon & Chapter Diversity Chair). Later in the reception, the conversation grew to include Aaron Pearlman (Portland State University & AFP Oregon & SW Washington Chapter President), Kim McNamer (Oregon Zoo Foundation Major Gifts Manager & Chapter VP Professional Development), and Katy Hostettler (Providence Foundation Major Gifts Officer & Chapter President Elect). Eventually, Teresa Domka (ACLU of Oregon) joined in the conversation as well. Visit http://www.afporegon.org/ for more information about the AFP's Oregon & Southwest Washington Chapter.
As the photos show, San Diego isn't always warm and sunny, but the people are!
Sunday, 3/30/08 - Kevin Carroll
What's your red rubber ball? I'll bet reading this website or hearing Kevin ask this question in person might be the first time it was asked of you. When posing this question, Kevin is really encouraging you to think about what gets you excited. What makes you feel as if you're having an impact? His presentation was creative and engaging. While I didn't hear all of the talk, I did get to see him throw many a red rubber ball into the seemingly endless audience of competent, committed, and caring fundraisers. His remarks helped me focus on how important it is to see a culture of abundance and opportunity. There are plenty of resources and opportunities awaiting your cause. His presentation with its focus on youth and sports underscored the importance of cultivating a willingness to learn as you did when you were a child. Look for opportunities to be creative . . . To inspire . . . As Kevin would say, "what's your red rubber ball?" To learn more, visit the official website of Kevin Carroll Katalyst, author, speaker, and agent for social change at http://www.katalystatlarge.com/
Saturday, 3/29/08 - Management School
Saturday's Management School led by Bernard Ross, director of The Management Center proved a welcome departure from the usual staid education sessions. His presentation offered a lot of humor including much waxing poetic about opera, the differences between Scotland, England, Canada, and the US, and other topics. In terms of management school content, Bernard focused on four management concepts/tools - Dashboard Data, Boston Matrix, Ansoff's Matrix, and Emotional Intelligence. Through many exercises including using our hands to approximate the size of a box, he engaged us at creatively and challenged us to be more succinct and visual in our presentation of data. With so many fundraising executives and funders mistaking outputs for actual outcomes, it is a challenge to stay focused on the data that matters.
Bernard also helped us assess our Emotional Intelligence in management. According to wikipedia, Daniel Goleman's EI model outlines four main EI constructs:
- Self-awareness - the ability to read one's emotions and recognize their impact while using gut feelings to guide decisions.
- Self-management - involves controlling one's emotions and impulses and adapting to changing circumstances.
- Social awareness - the ability to sense, understand, and react to other's emotions while comprehending social networks.
- Relationship management - the ability to inspire, influence, and develop others while managing conflict.
Overall, Bernard Ross's "Management School" presentation provided a lot of useful tools for me to use in my work as a consultant and volunteer. For more about Bernard Ross, visit http://www.managementcentre.co.uk/
Look here tomorrow and beyond for a more thoughts on fundraising savvy, AFP sessions, and San Diego! Thanks for visiting! The Adept Fundraising Diva
