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So far Wishnick has created 35 blog entries.

Thanksgiving 2021 – What’s Next!

Thanksgiving 2021 – and I have so much for which to be thankful. I am profoundly grateful to engage in meaningful work with clients, to benefit from rewarding relationships with colleagues and friends, and have the support of a loving and growing family.

Through wide-ranging conversations with clients, prospective clients, colleagues, and others, a theme has emerged recently: What’s Next. First one client, then another invoked this call to action. No one is treating it as a question. Nonprofits are declaring their intent. Organizations are reexamining how and what they do what they do related to staff and those in the communities they serve. As individuals and nonprofits, we have […]

Thanksgiving 2020

To quote just about everyone, 2020 has been a difficult year – one of struggle and deep loss. As we approach Thanksgiving, with and without family and friends to celebrate, may we embrace that for which we can be grateful.

Adaptability. Compassion. Creativity. Equanimity. Patience. Resilience.

[…]

Resilience in the Time of COVID-19

For weeks now, we all have been reading emails and website homepage notices outlining actions in response to COVID-19. As a consultant to nonprofits, I am deeply moved by the deliberations and decisions made by my nonprofit clients and other organizations I know. Daily, our clients are meeting human needs in profound ways. Most must push through to attend to their vulnerable clients and take care of their employees at the same time. Others are faced with the need to pull back for the safety and health of their staff and clients. Nonprofit responses are unique and situational. […]

Tips to Enrich the Nonprofit Board Experience

The cold open works for Saturday Night Live, not so much for a nonprofit board meeting. Isn’t it respectful of board members’ time to launch directly into the business at hand? Even though it may seem that way, I’m not so sure. 

Nonprofit boards are fueled by many things. Most notably, of course, is an individual director’s connection to the mission. And, effective, thriving nonprofit organizations are led by board members who are committed partners in their leadership and governance roles. To be successful in this endeavor, board members need to trust each other. And, to build trust, they need to know each other.  […]

Thanksgiving and What I Learned this Year

I love Thanksgiving. It is a joy to be together with family, to enjoy longtime traditions and to create new ones as the family grows. It is also a time when I reflect on the year about to end and that for which I am grateful.
 
Although this year is notable for celebrating 15 years of Wishnick & Associates, it is the work that makes every day special. Each engagement has offered the opportunity to renew client relationships or develop new ones and always to be part of an organization’s efforts to be more effective. Thank you to everyone I worked with this year and to those of you who […]

Ignore Infrastructure at Your Nonprofit’s Peril

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “infrastructure” as: “The underlying foundation or basic framework (as of a system or organization).”

Not particularly alluring.

Programs and services. Working with clients. Effecting change. Now we’re talking. Yet, without effective infrastructure, these are not achievable. […]

When a Team Member Isn’t Acting Like Part of the Team

“People always accommodate the most difficult person in the room.”
Shining City: A Novel, by Tom Rosenstiel

So many mission-driven organizations focus on improving and enriching the lives of individuals and families, enhancing communities, furthering understanding, and much more to make things better. Compassion and the desire to be responsive to needs is important in working with clients. However, when it expands into nonprofit management, manifesting as being slow to address the behaviors of a difficult staff member, it can cause dysfunction in the organization. In this post, I share one such scenario as a cautionary tale. […]

How to Talk About Succession Planning Without Causing Anxiety

I have never seen nonprofit executives and board members react with such discomfort as when someone mentions “succession.” There are usually awkward half-laughs, glances around the room to see how others are reacting, and then, a sense of liberation – finally, someone has mentioned the dreaded topic. The chief executive is concerned that mentioning succession will make the board think she/he is thinking about leaving. The board is concerned that it will send an unintended message to the chief executive that she/he should be thinking about moving on. If a founder is involved, let’s face it, the level of uneasiness skyrockets. […]

Are You Leading your Nonprofit with Courage?

Leading a nonprofit is hard work. Internal and external issues arise that demand attention, and the solutions may not be easy. When issues go unattended, they may become so significant that they potentially endanger the organization in some way. But this doesn’t need to be the case. With a strong leadership and skillful use of board meeting agendas, nonprofit executives and their boards can have the important conversations so they may be proactive and responsive and not caught off guard. […]

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