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The dog days of summer (in the northern hemisphere) bring with them a bit of time for reflection. As you laze on a beach (or visit one in a reverie, watching kids make sandcastles and dodge waves), take a bit of time for personal reflection. Breathe. Relax.  Ask yourself: What’s really important?

Which brings me to this week’s bit of wisdom…

“Is that the most important thing?”

“If you want to have an argument, to raise tempers or to distract, the easiest thing to do is start bringing up things that are easy to argue about.

Not the things that are important.

Because the important things require nuance, patience and understanding. They require an understanding of goals, of the way the world works and our mutual respect.

If someone keeps coming back to an irrelevant, urgent or provocative point instead, they’re signaling that they’d rather not talk about the important thing.

Which is precisely what we need to talk about.”

— Seth Godin

This may resonate on both a meta and micro level.  For today, I’d like you to think about this in terms of the people with whom you work.  Probe for what’s most important.  Don’t get sidetracked by the complaint about the messy desk, bathtub ring, toothpaste tube or whatever type of distraction is raised. What’s really at the bottom of the other person’s argument?

It’s only when you dig, thoughtfully, that you’ll be able to make sense of what might otherwise appear irrational.  Always consider:  Where might this person (e.g., your boss, board member, co-worker, direct report, donor, volunteer) being coming from?

You’ll find lots more wisdom and actionable tips in this issue of the Clairity Click-it.  As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price. For a modest $100/year donation you get all my new blog articles, monthly tips (July’s are now live!), bonus tips, templates and worksheets, course and product discounts, and access to archived posts, webinars, and podcasts. I am deeply appreciative for your support!  [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

Wherever you are, here’s hoping you’re managing to keep cool!

And I don’t mean just physically. As we begin to ramp up for the busiest part of the fundraising year, try to let cooler heads prevail. Hopefully, some of the wisdom you find in this newsletter will help you with great ideas to lessen your stress.

First, this week’s bit of wisdom…

Discernment in creativity

The hard part isn’t good ideas. It never has been.

The hard part is choosing.

Ask GPT for ten subtitles for your book, or sixteen ways to hold a surprise party, and you’ll be delighted at how useful they are. Ask Dreamstudio or Kittl for some logo designs, same thing.

There is creativity in discernment.

AI and templates have made it easier than ever to find pretty good ideas.

It doesn’t matter so much.

The hard parts have always been the guts to choose and the will to put in the effort to bring your choice to the people who need it.

“I don’t have any good ideas,” is a cop out.

— Seth Godin

You’ll find good ideas galore in this issue. As always, a big thank you to my Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price. For a modest $100/year you get all my new blog articles, monthly tips (July’s are now live!), bonus tips, templates and worksheets, course and product discounts, and access to archived posts, webinars, and podcasts. I am deeply appreciative for your support!  [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

Whether you’re celebrating Independence Day, Canada Day, your favorite team’s win, or perhaps a birthday with some sparklers on your cake, my wish for you this month is some brilliant light to illuminate your universe!

With this double issue of the Clairity Click-it, I hope to set off some fireworks in your brain. Pow!  Find something that makes a lightbulb go off, and use it to guide your way in the coming month.

As always, I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a broad spectrum of materials for a range of adult learning styles. A big thank you to my Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this month, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price. For a modest $100/year you get all my new blog articles, monthly tips (July’s are now live!), bonus tips, templates and worksheets, course and product discounts, and access to archived posts, webinars, and podcasts. I am deeply appreciative for your support!  [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

P.P.S. You’ve got a full month to digest this double issue, as I’m finally taking my first real vacation since the pandemic.  So, if you’re busy or traveling right now, tuck this away for a time when you can do a bit of summer reading. I’ll be back in your in-box before you can miss me!

June 13^th marked the 10^th anniversary of the Clairity Click-it Newsletter.  That’s 260 issues (whoa!), all chock full of resources I hand select for you from across the web. And nothing I select will cost you a dime! I search assiduously, read every single article before sharing with you, and only select trusted resources for webinars, podcasts, white papers, reports and the like.

How can I afford the time, you wonder? I can’t! Which is why I have some sponsors to help underwrite what is, mostly, a labor of love. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to see who they are, and maybe click on their links to learn more about them.  They’re all terrific resources for you, and definitely worth your attention. I also want to extend a special shout out to my lead sponsor, Bloomerang, for all they do – beyond just their wonderful product — to help nonprofits make lasting change in their communities and the world.

If you’ve been along for the ride for a while, I hope you’ve gleaned some useful nuggets to help you in your work, and maybe even in your personal life. If you’re new, welcome!  I love sharing insights, research and practices from other disciplines, including psychology, neuroscience, behavioral economics, mindfulness, for-profit marketing, and more. If you’ve found this newsletter thought-provoking, educational or just plain practical, please forward it to a curious colleague.  They can subscribe here for free.

But why stop here?

ENROLL in ‘Clairification School’ (modest annual charge to cover my costs) and receive access to ALL original articles (including 1,000+ article archive) + exclusive members’ only benefits: bonus content with actionable tips and ‘how-to’s,’ specific monthly tips, access to webinars and podcasts, and generous discounts on products and courses. Get your exclusive member benefits here! ANNIVERSARY ENROLLMENT SPECIAL: In honor of this anniversary, anyone who enrolls in the next week will receive an additional bonus e-guide — “Use Gratitude to Build Relationships that Pave the Way for Future Gifts” — jam-packed with actionable tips.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Even if you don’t care about all the Clairification School benefits, and are happy just being on the Clairity Click-it newsletter list, if you enjoy reading it and want to send a little love my way I promise to send it back.

This week’s bit of wisdom…

Skipping the good days

Part of the luxury of living near the ocean or the mountains is that you can be picky. If the surf or the powder isn’t great, leave it for the tourists. Good is insufficient, wait for the great moments…

When we’re young, or the project is going really well, it’s easy to waste the good days. After all, there will be another one tomorrow.

What becomes clear, though, is that good days are precious. When you’re feeling even a little creative, don’t wait. Write it down, roll tape, speak up. When you’re feeling reasonably healthy, go for a walk.

They’re all good days, if we choose.

— Seth Godin

June is bustin’ out all over, and nature beckons. Don’t waste it!  And don’t waste your creative sparks when you feel them either.  If any of the content you unlock in this edition of the Clairity Click-it sparks your imagination, do something with it. Don’t tuck it aside to think about tomorrow. Too often, tomorrow never comes.

Set aside a little time to explore, and see what you find. What calls to you? Pick at least one thing to click on. What did you learn? What did it make you think about doing differently? Write it down and calendar a time to dig into it a bit more sometime next week.

As always, I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a broad spectrum of materials for a range of adult learning styles. A big thank you to my Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price. For a modest $100/year you get all my new blog articles, monthly tips, bonus tips, templates and worksheets, course and product discounts, and access to archived posts, webinars, and podcasts. I am deeply appreciative for your support!  [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

This blew my mind:

Seth Godin wrote people are really making good use of the free AI on his blog – and so far, it’s pretty trustworthy. I gave it a try, and these were the results.

I asked “How do you choose a good vacation spot?”  After all, it’s that time of year! AI answered with:

When it comes to choosing a vacation spot, Seth Godin doesn’t directly provide a method or criteria, but he does emphasize the importance of the journey, destinations, and perceived risks in our lives in general in his post on Destinations, risks and journeys. He states that our everyday choices about destinations shape the journeys we take, and along those journeys, we experience both risks and an internal narrative about those risks. With this in mind, you could consider selecting a vacation spot that provides a meaningful or enjoyable journey, with a balance between the desired destination and the risks you are willing to take or encounter.

Remember, the destination isn’t the journey, and your perception of the risks is up to you. Consider a vacation spot that resonates with your interests, allows you to enjoy and learn from the journey, and includes risks or challenges that are within your comfort zone or that inspire growth.

It then gave me links to five blog posts if I wanted to know what Seth actually said.

Whew!  Such a great answer, and not at all superficial to my mind. In fact, it’s a good philosophy to apply to shaping donor journeys. And perhaps your personal career journey as well. I like the idea it should be meaningful, enjoyable and balanced.  Food for thought.

Speaking of food for thought, you’ll find plenty in this issue of the Clairity Click-it. Set aside a little time to explore, and see what you find. I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a broad spectrum of materials for a range of adult learning styles.

As always, a big thank you to my Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price. For a modest $100/year you get all my new blog articles, monthly tips, bonus tips, templates and worksheets, course and product discounts, and access to archived posts, webinars, and podcasts. I am deeply appreciative for your support!  [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

This week’s borrowed wisdom:

The empathy device

It’s interesting to realize that mirrors weren’t perfected until a few hundred years ago. Human beings spend a lot of time considering our own appearance and our own feelings and most of all, our own needs.

The market produces a shift. When it’s a fair and open exchange, the customer gains in power. As a result, the selfish merchant or producer loses market share until they figure out how to build empathy into their work.

It’s not for you, it’s for them.

And if you do a good job of making it for them, then you get your needs taken care of.

Big companies and monopolies and other institutions seek lock-in so they can go back to looking in the mirror instead of paying attention to what their customers and prospects need and want.

— Seth Godin

What a great philosophy to apply to nonprofit fundraising: Look out the window, not in the mirror. Lead from empathy, love and gratitude. The work you do isn’t for you, it’s for them – the clients, volunteers, donors and community who rely on you to help them make positive change happen.

My wish is this issue of the Clairity Click-it helps you find one or more resources to help you look out the window to create a better world. Set aside a little time to explore, and see what you find. I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a range of materials for a range of adult learning styles.

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please consider getting access to all my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts, bonuses and other content via enrollment in ‘Clairification School.’ I am deeply appreciative for your support!  

This week’s borrowed wisdom:

“Boundaries are levers

And assertions are maps.

Which means that:

Budgets

Timelines

Plans

Decision trees

and projections

are nothing to be afraid of. They’re a gift. They give us the chance to act as if, to describe a possible future and then to lean against them as we work to create the place we seek to be.”

— Seth Godin

My wish is this issue of the Clairity Click-it helps you find one or more resources to help you define some boundaries you can use as levers in your work to create a better world. Set aside a little time to explore, and see what you find. I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a range of materials for a range of adult learning styles.

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please consider getting access to all my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts, bonuses and other content via enrollment in ‘Clairification School.’ I am deeply appreciative for your support!  

This week’s borrowed wisdom:

“The Ukrainian army is a present-day example of the power of adaptability, creativity, and resilience. And the Ukraine war, one of the latest examples of the weaknesses of rigid leadership.

Russian decision-making is highly centralized. Commander’s intent is seldom revealed, and innovation and initiative are severely punished. They are paying the price.

Ukraine on the other hand is more decentralized, agile, and motivated. Zelensky is leading from the front, communicating transparently and frequently, conveying hope, and portraying, through visible and undeniable action, personal bravery.

The Ukrainian army embodies General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s sentiment that “what counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” And part of that fight comes from the ability to pivot creatively and consistently show up in the face of uncertainty.

As Bruce Lee guided, “Be water, my friend. Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup…You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

This advice applies not only to martial arts or military maneuvers but to management and leadership too.

Everything is improv. The “what” and “how” are always shifting, hence the importance of conveying the “why.”

If the why is clear, teams of any kind (military or otherwise) can adapt to changing circumstances, achieving the intended outcome in surprising ways.”

–– Hugh MacLeod, Gaping Void

What’s your “why?”  It’s super important to distinguish it from your “what” and “how,” as it’s what current and potential supporters most care about.

The Clairity Click-it exists to bring you a range of borrowed wisdom from across the nonprofit world so you can resource, learn and digest at your own pace, and come up with new and better ways to adapt to changing circumstances and do your job of changing the world.

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please consider getting access to all my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts, bonuses and other content via enrollment in ‘Clairification School.’ I am deeply appreciative for your support!  

The Clairity Click-it exists to bring you a range of voices from across the nonprofit world so you can resource, learn and digest at your own pace, and come up with new and better ways to do your job of changing the world.

Seth Godin wants to help you too!

How to change the world

All successful cultural change (books, movies, public health), has a super-simple two-step loop:

AWARENESS
TENSION
–>Loop<–

It’s easy to focus on awareness. Get the word out. Hype. Promo.

I think that’s a mistake.

Because awareness without tension is useless.

The tension is like pulling back a rubber band.

WHY would someone who becomes aware take action?

Is the action to buy the book? To change one’s diet? To vote?

And then the third step, so important it’s often ignored, is:

Why would the person who became aware and then experienced the tension and release… tell someone else?

So, to recap:

• Tell 10 people.
• Create tension among the 10 so they take action.
• The action causes each of them to tell 10 people.

— Seth Godin

Spread your nonprofit’s word!

Create some tension that causes people to take action.

And use some of the wisdom gleaned in this weeks issue of Clairity Click-it to help you. As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please consider getting access to all my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts, bonuses and other content via enrollment in ‘Clairification School.’ I am deeply appreciative for your support! 

P.P.S.  Scroll to the bottom for some post-storm photos I snapped.