LUE-42 Enterprises February 2022 Ezine

I Believe In Fairness, Fun, And Sharing What I’ve Learned With The People Who Make This Planet A Great Place To Live

Issue 132, February 2022

We are already one-twelfth of the way through the new year. Funny how that works!

Easily half of my January was observed from a low vantage point, and the other half was closer to mountain-top. I understand that many of us would love to string together a few days of being "even keeled" instead of riding all the lows and highs. Hang in!

I didn't make any 2022 resolutions but I did recommit to a few things that are good for me but kind of lost their shine over the last year. I am blessed to have good people in my life who help me get back on track. As I reflect, I have had some amazing mentors that got me this far and I remember them now with fondness and gratitude.

My creativity has been restricted to some odd little sewing projects and cooking. What I really want to do is write, but alas I still lack inspiration. Thankfully, people are still writing and performing plays and although it's hit and miss whether theatre doors will be open, I was delighted to see Jason Kenney's Hot Boy Summer The Musical by Byron Martin and Simon Abbott. Collectively, we really needed to laugh about some very not-funny things. This did the job.

I am back to studying (currently beer, governance, and EQ in that order). My football team appears to have taken fan feedback to heart and this, combined with CFL free agency, means Twitter is full of news that makes me hopeful for the upcoming season.

In February I am going to do a roadtrip or two as well as visit a sloth at West Edmonton Mall. If I were in northern Ontario I would go take a goat on a winter walk (here's how).

Wishing you a wonderful February with less shoveling and no slipping on ice.

/lmwe

"We tell ourselves stories in order to live.“ -- Joan Didion

“Our very survival depends on our

ability to stay awake, to adjust

to new ideas, to remain vigilant

and to face the challenge of change.”

– Martin Luther King

Non-Profit Trends Report

The good people at Salesforce.org have just published their 4th Nonprofit Trends Report. This is a survey of 1250 nonprofits of various sizes and types, worldwide (including 250 from Canada).

Here are the (very) high-level findings:

In Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Perception and Reality are Disconnected (this is broken into Board, Executive, Manager, and Staff)
Nonprofit Staff Face Increased Challenges with Mental Health (we'll need higher Emotional Intelligence to navigate this)
The Workforce is Facing a Historic Shift on How Work Gets Done (staff retention, skills no longer fitting needs, elimination of bricks & mortar offices, and a "digital first" approach all factor in)
Fundraising and Marketing Are Changing Permanently (even if you're not a charity/don't do fundraising, this section is interesting)
Nonprofits Are Concerned About Expenses, Yet Outperformed in Fundraising (technology and partnering will be needed to raise funds)

Canada's top 5 challenges were:

Achieving diversity and inclusion goals with employees, volunteers, and clients.
Online fundraising and payments experience.
Retaining staff (voluntarily leaving, not part of a layoff or furlough).
Demonstrating impact measurement to existing and potential donors.
Training employees on new technology tools/solutions.

Please download the free 4th Nonprofit Trends Report. Yes, you will get a call from someone at Salesforce to see how they can help you. It's worth it.

Here is the report.

/lmwe

Some People Who Made Life Better in January

MaryJane Alanko, Rob Bresciani, Robert Bronk, Shelley Carmichael-Silins, Patricia Darbasie, Janis Dow, Leo Ezerins, Liz Garratt, Jim Gwartney, Julia Kopala, Lynn MacAskill, Pat Macdonald, Pamela MacDonald-Wolk, Moira MacKinnon, Kelly McClung, Sherrill McGilvray, Andy Northrup, Paul Rechner, Lori Schmidt, Joan Seath, Mike Smith-Knutsen, Donna Stonehocker

“Be nice to people... maybe it'll be unappreciated, unreciprocated, or ignored, but spread the love anyway. We rise by lifting others.”

― Germany Kent