The Front Porch
Blue Ridgers know the front porch to be more than a place. It’s an experience. It’s a sharing of ideas, challenges, questions, and stories. Here, the BRI “Front Porch” blog is a virtual version of that gathering. Join the conversation!
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of interest to you.
PRESIDENT’S LETTER…from the desk of Heather Adams
Hi dee hi Ridgers! If you are like me, you might be in a bit of shock that it really is mid-December and we really are at the end of a decade. The start of this decade was the start of my time at BRI! Do you know what that means? It means in 2020,
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Another Conference in the Books
From the front porch…(while sitting on my back porch): Another BRI conference in the history books. Andrea did the job we all expected her to do. She did it with excellence, quality, imagination, perseverance, dedication, love, and commitment. The conference reflected all that. Here are a few of my takeaways: We are a family of
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Ownership vs. Leadership
Just like no one truly owns a beautiful forest and no one truly owns a coral reef, nonprofit organizations were not set up to be owned by any one individual. Sole ownership of a tax-exempt entity is counter-intuitive and the antithesis of the sectors’ original intention. Single person “possession” of a nonprofit entity is not
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Grief, Gratitude, and Community
First, I am asking for your understanding. As most readers of this post know, my life was turned upside down at the end of July. On May 17 I retired — a welcomed and joyous occasion. In mid-July, my plan to buy a house and retire to my favorite place in Florida became a reality.
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Creating a Crosswalk for Collaboration
Reposted from Arts In Action Blog Post from 9/9/18: This week I was on a Skype call with a colleague who lives overseas and we were discussing the challenges of building an effective international work team. Knee-deep into our chat, I stated: “it’s almost like we have to build a crosswalk, and develop a safe
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Specializing in the Wholly Impossible
When I started my work with nonprofit organizations over two decades ago, I was introduced to a phenomenon—Nannie Helen Burroughs. Born in 1879, the granddaughter of former slaves, Ms. Burroughs desired to be a school teacher; however, without a proper college degree and, in one case for being “too dark,” she was refused employment in
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What’s Going On?
Prior to BRI week, listen to the tracks of Marvin Gaye’s album “What’s Going On.” Then read the lyrics. Apart from being great music, the themes are timeless and it seems as though Mr. Gaye is reaching across the years to speak to you as a social sector leader. From “Right On:” Some of us
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Power Family
I am pretty certain that my lineage does not include links to royalty or political power. I do not believe any of my ancestors have run for, been born into or held any type of political office. We are the opposite of the Kennedys, the Bushes, the Carters, and the Harrisons. We are not a
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Feeling HOT! HOT! HOT!
Living the American dream is taking a toll on our body and minds. I don’t mean to generalize, but most Americans have exhausted themselves– mentally and physically. This constant pushing ourselves in every direction: at work, at home, with family obligations, we are burning out at arapid rate. We have become a society of constantly
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Unintentional Bridge Burning
repost from www.artsinactionllc.com Are you burning bridges without even knowing it? Are you confused sometimes when you get a less than enthusiastic reply from a donor, grant funder, supervisor, colleague, direct report or a vendor? Have projects that you thought were on course, suddenly exploded, leaving you flabbergasted and defeated? If so, it may be
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