How to transform leadership, governance, and talent engagement to ignite your mission
This blog post is the fourth in a series of success stories featured in our 2012 Annual Report.
Like many projects, The Abundant Not-for-Profit began as an audacious idea.
We had no budget to support a project of this magnitude. There were many other – more urgent – priorities. Not to mention we’d never undertaken anything of this scope. And yet, we believed a book would spread our message further and faster than ever before. It could reach and inspire forward thinking not-for-profit leaders we might otherwise never meet. Blaze a new path to sustainability for the sector.
It was also a golden opportunity to walk our own talk.
Military strategists spend significant energy and time contemplating the relative value of retreating, holding the battle line, or exploding with unexpected force to secure that next foothold. I’ve been thinking lately about how someone in an interim role (me, in this case) can apply this analogy to contemplate possible paths for most effectively leading an organization, for a time-limited period, at a specific moment in the organization’s life cycle. [more ...]
This blog post is the third in a series of success stories featured in our 2012 Annual Report.
By Kevin Ronaghan, Vantage Point knowledge philanthropist
Randy Schaefer’s interest in becoming a knowledge philanthropist grew from his previous experiences in the not-for-profit sector. “Volunteering on boards and in other not-for-profit roles made me aware of how important effective management and stewardship is,” he says. “As a result, I’ve developed the belief that knowledgeable and effective executive directors and board members are essential to achieving the impact each organization intends.” [more ...]
Intensity increases when we apply greater energy over a shorter period of time. That is somewhat counterintuitive. Common sense might suggest that adding intensity would deplete our energy. Yet applied in the right way, intensity actually has the opposite effect.
Think about workouts. For years I tried to regularly hit the gym. My goal was to go four times a week for an hour each time. I was never able to maintain this schedule and therefore never saw results. Then I started working with a trainer who increased the difficulty of my cardio and weight training, while decreasing the amount of time I spent at the gym. The end result was more progress, more quickly and with more commitment (I’m still regularly working out eight years later).
Many people perform better and become more energized when facing higher intensity challenges. Their drive often comes from stepping out of their comfort zone to take on a higher level of responsibility. [more ...]
This blog post is the second in a series of success stories featured in our 2012 Annual Report.
By Kevin Ronaghan, Vantage Point knowledge philanthropist
Vivian Smith’s work as a knowledge philanthropist was not something she sought out; rather, it found her. “It was in the days when Vantage Point was still known as Volunteer Vancouver,” she recalls. “I was co-volunteering with one of their employees on a committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She told me that her organization was looking for volunteer facilitators for its board development program, and thought I would be well suited for the role.”
Once that initial connection was made, Vivian’s passion for training and facilitation quickly took hold, and her contributions grew in scope and responsibility. Following her work in the board development program, she became a knowledge expert for the fundraising component of Vantage Point’s Leaders Lab. Her success in that role gave her the confidence to accept an invitation to lead Governance Lab in the Fraser Valley – a role she continues today. [more ...]
I’ve been on a mission for the past few months to “date” a not-for-profit organization and explore a possible “long term relationship”. Eventually, I’d like to join a board of directors, but first I’m looking for a short-term volunteer project that will allow me to get to know the organization’s culture and values.
I have reached out to four organizations and let them know my short and long term plans. Each has offered me a role on a committee with a one to two year commitment. I’ve politely declined all their offers.
I believe many people, like me, want to contribute to your organization. And yet we may not want to jump right into a long term commitment. Do you structure your work in a way that allows you to intentionally engage skilled people on a short-term basis? [more ...]
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info@thevantagepoint.ca
T: 604.875.9144 F: 604.875.0710
1183 Melville Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6E 2X5
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