Blog Posts & Articles
Looking for more insights and thought leadership on effective community impact strategy? Follow along for the latest.
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Lead with Clarity: Why Your Strategic Plan Doesn’t Require Certainty
Leadership is a Balancing Act Leadership requires navigating through a wide range of circumstances. You will navigate days where you experience unexpected wins or open doors, projects that outperform expectations,…
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Process Creates Change for People: The Case for Strategic Community Engagement
A Community Engagement Plan is Risk Management Let’s examine a real-world example of why your organization’s community engagement plan is not just a ‘feel-good’ effort. In 2025, GoFundMe Pro, intending…
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The Community Knows Who Shows Up: What Silicon Valley Teaches Us About Authentic Engagement
The Six-Figure Poverty Paradox The reality and challenges of making an impact in today’s professional environment arise from unexpected places and projects. In 2025, I worked on a strategic project…
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When Corporate Infrastructure Meets Start-Up Struggle: Why New Community Impact Initiatives Fail to Meet Expectations
If you are an executive leader starting a new program, mismanaged expectations may be setting you up for failure. When you build a program designed for legacy or impact, you…
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Strategic Planning for Social Impact: The Mid-Year Reality Check-in Guide
Summer is time for vacation – and for your organization’s mid-year impact check-in! Your organization likely had a strategic planning session about six months ago. Ideally, your organization has a…
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How to Start A Non-Profit: First Ask, Is This the Best Way to Create Social Change?
Non-profit organizations start because someone cares enough about a problem to do something about it. You likely are one of those people. You may have stumbled across this article because…
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Write Winning Community Developments Grants in 2024: The Three Elements Your Proposal Must Have
Question: What is one of the key misconceptions about grant writing, especially in the early stages of pursuing funds? Answer: Because grants are funds that do not need to be…
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Unlocking Grant Potential: Why Strategic Funding is Key to Your Organization’s Success
A Strategy for Community-Based Organizations: Maximizing Mission Impact Through Strategic Grant Planning According to Indiana University, foundations gave a combined $103 billion in 2024. The figure does not include individual…
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Avoid Costly Mistakes: 5 Essential Tips for Hiring a Grant Writer
Qualified organizations doing great work need grant writers for a variety of reasons. The reasons include: There is no wrong reason or time to hire a grant writer. A…
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Unlocking Grant Success: How Organizational Culture Can Make or Break Your Application
Leadership development is the number one most overlooked aspect of a successful grant application. In this context, leadership development means developing yourself as a self-aware leader who is intentional about…
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Top 5 Mistakes Nonprofits and Businesses Commit in Writing State and Federal Economic and Community Development Grant Applications
Avoid common mistakes on your next funding application! A grant application takes a significant amount of time and attention. On average, a state or federal grant can take 120 hours…
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Hope is Your Keyword for 2024
A reminder for the change-makers. Before I was a consultant, I was the Chief Executive Officer of a small CDFI credit union in Chicago. It was small enough that I…
