It’s a proven fact that most people would rather stay home than walk into a room full of strangers under the guise of networking. OK, I don’t actually have any stats on this, but I think most of you will agree with me :) There are, of course, a few of us who feel like we’ve won the lottery every time we get to chat it up with a complete stranger, but let’s face it, most … [More]
Finding Joy in the Midst of Stress
No matter what place in your career you find yourself, it is likely there has been a time when you just did not feel as passionate about what you are doing as you would like to. We hear about “burnout” so much that we almost expect to get to a point where we are no longer happy with our jobs. At the risk of sounding like I have rose-colored glasses permanently glued to my head, … [More]
Why the 4th Quarter Is Critical!
The sales year has four quarters in it — and the 4th Quarter is the most important of the year. “Q4” is the quarter that has a double impact to your performance. First, consider that sports coaches always teach their players to compete until the end of a play, a game or a season. Many sporting events are not won until the last minute or play of the game. Yogi Berra’s famous … [More]
Moving from a Bored Member to a Board Member
As a young professional 10 years ago, I was so excited to join my first board. It was one of those board positions that you just inherit when you get promoted, but you really have no clue what they are doing or why you should care. In my case, it was a city board for workforce development. My only training was a day-long session on Robert’s Rules of Orders. But, I did get to … [More]
Breaking Ground, Celebrating Community
On May 12th, nearly 200 community leaders, donors, volunteers, staff members and other special guests gathered to celebrate a milestone event in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s history — the first groundbreaking on a new building on the campus in more than 25 years. The event celebrated the first step in the construction of a new building that will house a relocated and … [More]
On The Board and In The Spotlight: Shelley Cohn
How long have you served on these boards? Fortunately for me, I have the honor of serving as the board chair of the Arizona Community Foundation and the board president of the Desert Botanical Garden simultaneously. I have also served as a board member for both of these organizations for more than ten years. What drew you to this organization? I am passionate about both the … [More]
“Who Has the Time” and Other Questions on Nonprofit Advocacy
Recently, a prominent nonprofit leader told an audience of people from public charities and private foundations: “Nonprofits have a duty to advocate on behalf of the people who have no voice, to demand social justice.” Many nodded in agreement while others waited for him to get onto something they hadn’t heard before. One audience member was heard muttering, “Yeah, but who has … [More]
The Nonprofit/For-Profit Connection: ICAN and Intel
The City of Chandler is known as a high-tech industrial city and a great place to live. What you might not know is that in the Downtown Chandler area, many families struggle to provide for their children and keep them safe from local gangs. For the last 25 years, ICAN: Positive Programs for Youth, a nonprofit established by Henry Salinas, has helped Chandler youth and their … [More]
Working With Nonprofits
There are many ways for a business to contribute to our great nonprofit enterprises. Some of the simplest ones are writing a check or gifting goods and services. One way we help nonprofits is by working with them and taking the time to guide them in the world of risk management. In most cases, the revenue we earn handling their insurance isn’t enough to cover our costs, but it … [More]
Impact of Minimum Wage Law
The impact of the new minimum wage law continues to unfold. The average of wages prior to Prop 206 was $9.25, 15 percent over the previous minimum wage. We will incur another 5 percent increase in 2018, 4.8 percent in 2019 and 9.1 percent in 2020 to get to the full $12 rate. Small increases to our contracted rates this year narrowed the gap between cost of service and rates … [More]
