Archives:

As you know, I love to curate the best of what I find across the web and offer it up to you here in bite size pieces.  There’s a LOT to chew on in this issue because … I just found that many great resources for you! Find a topic that interests you, and… click away!  Whatever type of learner you are, there’s something here for you.

Sometimes you’ll find tactical advice. Sometimes it’s theory and science underlying the tactics. And sometimes it’s about adjusting approaches to the work in ways that can make a significant difference, not just in what you accomplish but in how you feel.

Speaking of feeling, I’m moved to share this musing from a writer and graphic artist I hold in high esteem:

We, as humans, like to categorize. It makes the world easier to digest.

We fit the people around us into labels: users, coworkers, competitors.

Then they’re no longer just people – they’re the boxes we’ve put them into. And we’ve removed the burden of feeling compassion.

Which is total nonsense.

The world runs on compassion. The world celebrates compassion.

We need to find that presence in ourselves.

We are only as much as what we can give to others.

— Hugh MacLeod, Gaping Void

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. Thanks again to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.  

Thank you for doing such vital and compassionate work, and giving to others on a regular basis,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ means a lot, and I am deeply appreciative. This is what enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box every week, give you access to all my webinars,  and offer up exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!

No joke, there are plenty of resources here to help you! I love to curate the best of what I find across the web and offer it up to you here in bite size pieces.  Find a topic that interests you, and… click away!  Whatever type of learner you are, there’s something here for you.

Sometimes you’ll find tactical advice. Sometimes it’s theory and science underlying the tactics. And sometimes it’s about adjusting approaches to the work in ways that can make a significant difference, not just in what you accomplish but in how you feel.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. Thanks again to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.

Thank you for doing such vital work,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ means a lot, and I am deeply appreciative. This is what enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box every week, give you access to all my webinars,  and offer up exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!

The leap

Marketing Philanthropy facilitation makes change happen. And for humans, the change is rarely linear. There’s a moment before and a moment after the decision is made. Some people find the moment thrilling, others are unnerved by it.

When a salesperson philanthropy facilitator fails to open the door for the leap, the customer donor is ill-served. The status quo is powerful and left to our own devices, many of us would fail to go where we hope to.

On the other hand, when the marketing and sales folks philanthropy facilitators push too hard, trust is broken. People end up being manipulated into actions that they’d rather not have taken, and relationships fall apart.

Forward motion happens when individuals and organizations decide to adopt a posture of possibility. And that’s enabled by marketers philanthropy facilitators ready to help them embrace that possibility.

— Seth Godin

I’ve edited Seth Godin’s words of wisdom to adapt them to the work of the social benefit sector. Yes, we are marketers. Yes, we are fundraisers. Yet, essentially, we are those things in service of philanthropy facilitation. And I see my job as helping you embrace your role as a “philanthropy facilitator” — someone who helps others find their way towards enacting “love of humanity.”

There are plenty of resources here for you to use to help you rethink the way you do things. Rather than saying “yes” and never getting around to it (which makes you feel bad), take some time to sort out the wheat from the chaff.  If you feel inspired to do something, learn to do it the right way. You don’t need to re-invent the wheel! You do need to stay tuned… pay attention… commit to learning… and evolve to working smart, not just hard.

This newsletter is designed to help you. I give you a taste of what’s working/not working for businesses and causes of all stripes. Sometimes it’s tactical advice. Sometimes it’s theory and science underlying the tactics. And sometimes it’s about adjusting approaches to the work in ways that can make a significant difference.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. Thanks again to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.

Thank you for doing such vital work,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ enables me to deliver original, in-depth, actionable articles direct to your in-box. Plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!

One sigh per yes

When a client, a boss or an employee makes a special request, it’s okay to get a little bent out of shape. It might cost you extra time or money, it might be a hassle, it might not be deserved.

And then you can say no.

But if you say yes, then it pays to be in it. 100%.

If you’re not, your yes was worthless. It ceases to be a favor if it comes with grumbling.

Holding a grudge means that our hands are too full to do our best work.

— Seth Godin

Are you holding a grudge that gets in the way of your best work? If your plate is too full, make some time this week to consider what you can say “no” to.  And when you’re saying “yes,” be sure you have the resources to put your best foot forward.

There are plenty of resources here for you to use to help you rethink the way you do things. Rather than saying “yes” and never getting around to it (which makes you feel bad), take some time to sort out the wheat from the chaff.  If you feel inspired to do something, learn to do it the right way. You don’t need to re-invent the wheel! You do need to stay tuned… pay attention… commit to learning… and evolve to working smart, not just hard.

This newsletter is designed to help you. I give you a taste of what’s working/not working for businesses and causes of all stripes. Sometimes it’s tactical advice. Sometimes it’s theory and science underlying the tactics. And sometimes it’s about adjusting approaches to the work in ways that can make a significant difference.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. Thanks again to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.  

Thank you for doing such vital work,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box. Plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!

In my last issue I talked about the extinct ostracod and channeled Seth Godin’s post on the subject. Today I offer up a non-extinct creature, but one with a similar message to offer if you don’t want your organization to suffer the ostracod’s fate.

ostrichism

MEANING:

noun: The act or policy of refusing to face reality or unpleasant facts.

ETYMOLOGY:

From the erroneous popular belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand when facing danger. From Old French ostrusce/ostriche, from Latin struthio (ostrich), from Greek strouthos. Earliest documented use: 1834.

NOTES:

The ostrich doesn’t really bury its head in the sand. This flightless bird puts its head and neck close to the ground for camouflage. Also, they nest their eggs in holes in the ground. It’s the largest (up to 9 ft or 2.7 m) and fastest bird (43 miles/hour or 70 km/hour) on the planet and can kill a lion with a kick. If you ever upset an ostrich do not bury your head in the sand. Try apologizing. If not, be ready to be ostracized.

USAGE:

“Deciding that ostrichism is the better part of valor, I keep my eyes closed.”
Adam Davies; Mine All Mine; Riverhead; 2008.

— from A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg

I hope you’ll open your eyes to all the resources here, and use them to help you rethink the way you do things. Tried-and-true is worth its weight in gold, but tempis fugit. Sometimes you have to throw out the old (not all of it) to embrace the new (not all of it). To do your best work, you have to stay tuned… pay attention… commit to learning.

This newsletter is designed to help you. I try to give you a taste of what’s working/not working for businesses and causes of all stripes. Sometimes it’s tactical advice. Sometimes it’s theory and science underlying the tactics. And sometimes it’s about adjusting approaches to the work in ways that can make a significant difference.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. Thanks again to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.

Thank you for doing such vital work,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box. Plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!

Ostracodish

The ostracod is extinct. Over millions of years, with good reasons at every step, it evolved to become the creature it was.

And when we add up all of those little steps, we end up with a creature that was no longer fit for its environment.

Organizations develop like this. So do work practices, cultural systems and “the way we do things around here.”

I’m sure there was a really good reason twenty years ago for all the steps that are now involved in the thing you do right now, but your competitor, the one who is starting from scratch, is skipping most of them.

Every day we get a new chance to begin again. And if you don’t, someone else will.

— Seth Godin

I hope you’ll find resources here to help you rethink the way you do things. What you’re prioritizing now may be swell but, then again, maybe not. Perhaps there’s something that will lead to greater engagement and investment.  Think about it. Should you be beginning anything anew? To do your best work, you have to stay tuned… pay attention… commit to learning.

This newsletter is designed to help you. I try to give you a taste of what’s working/not working for businesses and causes of all stripes. Sometimes it’s tactical advice. Sometimes it’s theory and science underlying the tactics. And sometimes it’s about adjusting approaches to the work in ways that can make a significant difference.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. I’d like to again thank my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.

Thank you for doing such vital work,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box. Plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!

Do you have a tuner?

Piano tuners have a vital job… and very few pianists do that work themselves.

Who maintains your tools?

Perhaps it’s a computer with all the software that goes with it. Do you have a world-class pro, someone who is up-to-date, skilled, innovative and empathic making sure that they’re working well? Or are you doing it yourself, muddling through?

If we have mediocre tools, why should we expect great work?

Or perhaps it’s not the software or the hardware that needs tuning. Perhaps it’s our attitude, our approach to work, the way we deal with possibility…

A self-representing lawyer might have a fool for a client, but the rest of us are probably suffering from tools that aren’t what they could be.

— Seth Godin

I’m a big proponent of continuing education. Especially in the fast-paced world of today, where trends, attitudes and technologies change rapidly. If you want to do your best work, you have to stay tuned… pay attention… commit to learning. It’s why I’m beginning this issue of the “Clairity Click-it” with a special feature on current trends.

This newsletter is designed to help you. I try to give you a taste of what’s working/not working for businesses and causes of all stripes. Sometimes it’s tactical advice. Sometimes it’s theory and science underlying the tactics. And sometimes it’s about adjusting approaches to the work; this can make a not insignificant difference.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. I’d like to again thank my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.

Thank you for doing such vital work,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box. Plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!

When the future arrives

It used to be easy to put off the future until after you retired or died. We could live with the world we had long enough to avoid dealing with significant cultural or technical change. Sure, teenagers might listen to loud music or have long hair, but that didn’t mean you had to.

And there were parts of the world where the future would arrive five years after it had reached California or Kenya. Plenty of time to prepare.

But now, thanks to the network and to wired culture, that insulation is gone.

The future is here. It’s not going away. And a new future is going to be here tomorrow.

— Seth Godin

Whoa!  The future is here, and it’s undeniably uncertain. What a challenging time in which to do fundraising. And what an exciting one!

Yesterday is SO yesterday. And nonprofits everywhere are learning “business as usual” not only isn’t, but won’t ever be again. Virtual events? Check! Online meetings with major donors? Check! Cryptocurrency gifts? Mass text messaging? QR codes? Artificial intelligence?  The list of the new goes on and on.

At the same time, there’s a lot about the old that’s well worth learning and revisiting. This newsletter is designed to give you a taste of it all. Tried-and-true and trends. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, tactics, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. I’d like to again thank my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.  

Thank you for doing such vital work, and may the year ahead bring many blessings,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box. Plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more.

All the stuff

Markets often persuade us that we don’t have enough.

Communities remind us that we do.

— Seth Godin

In the time between now and the New Year, take time to enjoy your family and community. And even your stuff. Gratitude season didn’t end with Thanksgiving. It’s year-round, especially for those of us fortunate enough to work in the social benefit sector. If we all do our job of facilitating philanthropy well, we will find the way to get to enough for all.

Please enjoy this holiday week reading, listening and viewing list for inspiration and guidance. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, tactics, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. I’d like to again thank my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout this crazy year.  

Thank you for doing such vital work, and may the year ahead bring many blessings,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box. Plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more.

UYBJ

This is an absolutely terrible acronym for a really important idea.

Use Your Best Judgment.

Don’t wait for someone else to take responsibility. Don’t wait for perfect. Don’t wait to find this exact situation in the manual or in history.

Use your best judgment.

My preferred abbreviation is: Go go go.

Not with a guarantee.

Not with someone to blame.

Simply because we need you to lead us.

— Seth Godin

To use your best judgement you need resources to help you form that judgement. I’m here to help. That’s why I offer this collection of curated resources every other week. It’s all about helping you find the ideas, strategies, tactics, templates and tools you need to go, go, go. Find a few things that speak to you, and… get clicking!  I’d like to again thank my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, without whom I wouldn’t be able to set aside the time to find all these goodies. I hope you enjoy these resources as much as I enjoy finding them for you.

Thank you for doing the world’s important work during this incredibly busy and challenging time.

You are important, and I am grateful for you,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. I hope your end-of-year is amazing! If you find value in Clairification, your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ is a blessing. You’ll be able to read every single article I’ve ever written, plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, monthly tips, bonuses and more.