Uplifting Blog

Do you know that Workaholics Anonymous exist? Perhaps we don’t hear much about it because overworking is often admired rather than recognized as a problem. And besides, who would have time to attend? I know I didn’t. A client recently took a two-week vacation. She is the Executive Director of a school that doesn’t have students during the summer. I was delighted for her—until I learned that she had forwarded her work calls to her cellphone and hadn’t turned on an out-of-offic

I love rom coms; they bring joy, hope and good feelings. This past rainy Saturday I watched 27 Dresses, ready for a relaxing feel-good movie. When suddenly, my nonprofit brain kicked in. As I watched Jane say yes to being a bridesmaid again, and again, and again I realized she wasn’t just wearing bridesmaid’s dresses. Every dress represented another responsibility she’d quietly picked up. Years ago, I too was wearing too many bridesmaid dresses at the office. If something

May and June were difficult for me. Perhaps they were for you, too. If you've noticed fewer newsletters, fewer LinkedIn posts, or a little less of me showing up, there was a reason. If you've taken one of my courses or heard me speak, you know I teach a simple framework: Mindset. Knowledge. Imperfect Action. I believe meaningful change happens when we shift our thinking, learn what we need to know, and then take imperfect action. So how did that framework help me during one o

Your board knows fundraising matters. They know the organization needs resources. They may even agree that fundraising is part of their role. Yet many boards still hesitate to participate. What if the issue isn't a lack of commitment? What if we're sending mixed messages? We tell board members that fundraising is about relationships. We say it's about building community, sharing impact, expressing gratitude, and connecting people to a cause they care about. Then we walk into

Once again, I was recently asked: “Why does my board avoid fundraising?” It’s a reframe of a common question. I always hear something underneath it, self-blame. It is as if the Executive Director was quietly asking, What am I doing wrong? I told her, “It may not be your fault. And it may not be your board’s fault either.” She looked at me, slightly puzzled. I said, “It might simply be the language we’re using.” Here’s what science tells us: your brain is constantly scanning

Listen to what you’re saying about your board. This one sentence may be shaping more than you realize—your tone, your leadership, and their response “My board won’t fundraise.” It’s a statement I hear from so many Executive Directors and Development leaders. It’s also the statement that has many of you signing up for my courses. And I get it. It usually comes from that familiar frustration: “Once again, the board didn’t step up… didn’t make connections… didn’t bring in the m

Have you ever watched a perfectly competent, intelligent, successful board member completely shrink the moment fundraising comes up? Cue the body language shift. Tight shoulders. Nervous laugh. Sudden fascination with the agenda packet. You might think, here we go again. Resistance . What if it’s not resistance? What if it’s also about biology? The good news is that when we understand what’s happening in the body, it gives us a way forward. The VAGUS NERVE, which helps re

I hear this more often than you might think: “Our board is supposed to bring in money… and they’re not.” This is usually said with fatigue, disappointment, frustration, and a sense of being let down. And I understand why. Fundraising is written into board job descriptions. It’s mentioned in recruitment conversations (hopefully). It’s assumed in strategic plans. So, when revenue doesn’t materialize from board engagement, it feels personal and that something isn’t working. Most