I don’t want to change. I hate change. I am there with you. Change is unpredictable. It is hard work. It can be dangerous and messy. No one likes it. Well maybe some do. I like what change can bring. New ways of doing good things better. Doing them more efficiently.
Change can mean new relationships and new possibilities. It is all messy though. If you are going through change, it is important to hold on to the steady. What is not changing can be more important to remember than what will be different.
Today on our Bold Leading Podcast we will be talking about 4 things that should not change ever. Can I say that? 4 things you should not change today or ever.
I'm Dave Sena from Bold Leading, This is your Bold Leading Podcast. We know life for nonprofits can sometimes get complicated and confusing. When you need a trusted friend to help you face the future without fear or panic, Bold Leading is here for you. Visit us at boldleading.com today.
The world has shifted. We will all experience the ongoing repercussions for years to come. What we do today will make a big impact for our nonprofit, our communities and the causes we serve. Things are different. They will not go back to normal. Change is happening to all of us.
Today, I received a message from a friend of mine in Canada. He is starting a new business venture or side hustle as he continues to do his day job. He wants insurance for the future and freedom to chart his own course.
Nonprofits today want the same thing. We want to impact the world despite the cost today, despite how hard it might be. There are people and causes that are so important that we need the freedom to take action now.
The first thing that will not change is that we need resources to do what we need to do. Recently, I was talking with a business owner in the retail business. They are looking for ways to do things cheaper and more efficiently.
That is the second thing that will not change. We have to be human and have human connections with people that care about the causes we care about. It will take people to change the world. If we are going to win through the changing times, we must be sure we remember we send email to people not email addresses. We leave voicemail for people not for phones. We send mail and letters to people not street addresses.
I was on a call with a nonprofit leader who has been raising millions of dollars for the last 30 years. He was asked what advice you have for fundraisers. He said he was not the best fundraiser but he has learned one thing. Find as many volunteers as possible to fundraise for your organization. They will help connect you to champions in your community that will help raise the money to do great things.
That leads me to the third thing that will not change. We must tell great stories to people no matter the channel or medium. Stories from the heart and stories from the numbers will help us share a message of hope. One person can be changed. One person can help bring change. We get to connect them to each other.
As a nonprofit organization we are the UPS or postal service. We get to give an opportunity to people who want to make the world a better place. We get to invite people who are eager but uncertain that things can be different. We give hope that violence, pain, homelessness, hunger and so many other maladies do not have to be the whole story of a person or family's life.
We have to be consistent and crafty storytellers. We need to be everywhere we are invited and often invite ourselves. When I was a new executive director for a homeless shelter, I traveled thousands of miles telling our stories to churches, business groups and any other gathering I could. We called, thanked and emailed, often telling stories, showing pictures and making sure people knew they were helping people. Real people. People who needed a helping hand.
The fourth thing that does not change is that real people and real causes matter today. There is work to do. As one nonprofit I work with says, we have to take time to turn love into action. I love that. I do. We have to be people of action to help those who need our strength. We have to give our strength away.
The one thing that should not change and cannot change... you cannot let your passion and the fire inside of you change. Burnout is not an option. Passion can be redirected and rewired but shall not and will not go out. What we do matters. What we stop doing matters.
We are in a human story together. You and I. As you listen to or read these words. We are in the human story together. If we are going to change with the times, we must gain resources, tell stories well, be human, and remember why we do what we do and never let our passion die. If you are struggling through the overwhelming sea of change and need help finding a way through, find your team of people that can help you find a new steady.
Sign up for our email newsletter or like us on facebook. We are here to help you every week with words of encouragement and practical solutions. Together we can be bold as we face and sometimes instigate change.
CHange can mean new relationships and new possibilities. It is all messy. If you are going through change, it is important to hold on to the steady. What is not changing can be more important to remember than what will be different.
Together we are part of a human story. Let’s be Bold Together.
I'm Dave Sena from Bold Leading, This is your Bold Leading Podcast. We know life for nonprofits can sometimes get complicated and confusing.
When you need a trusted friend to help you face the future without fear, Bold Leading is here for you. Visit us at boldleading.com today.
