Category: Blog

Blog / NPOutlook

Choosing Gelato and the Value of Values

I tried a new gelato café that opened riverside in my town in the Fox Valley this weekend and had to make a difficult choice from about 35 amazing flavors. Do I take a risk, venturing into some new area of taste, or do I stick with the familiar, with...

Read More...
Blog / NPOutlook

“Your young men shall see visions”: Importance of a nonprofit vision

As an organizational leader, do you have a vision? Is your organization focused on a clear and broadly understood vision of your corporate purpose and future? “If there is no vision, ” a 1599 version of Proverbs 29:18 reads, “the people decay.”  Without a vision, missions can stagnate or waste...

Read More...
Blog / NPOutlook

Trust Me

The tough work of building organizational trust. Trust is a provisional grant that if not supported by action will be removed. It’s a slippery word because of frequent violations! Trust took a hit with the Joe Isuzu farcical television commercials of the 1980s, and Ronald Reagan redefined trust as he...

Read More...
Blog / NPOutlook

7 reasons nonprofits flounder or fail

By Jim Jewell A group of our friends led a wonderful start-up that was trying to bring new perspectives to the environment cause, to reach faith-based constituencies who were not traditional supporters of environmental concerns.  They had the plan worked out on paper, and even had a foundation to underwrite...

Read More...
Blog / NPOutlook

7 Disciplines of Highly Successful Charities

How to build the trust that fuels program growth By Jim Jewell  In the last year, some two thirds of Americans responded to appeals from charities for support of projects to meet human needs, create new initiatives, advance faith, and reverse wrongs. Nonprofit organizations received $298 billion in donations and...

Read More...
Blog / NPOutlook

For Nonprofit Organizations there is no profit in broken relationships

Donor attrition has always been a problem in mass fundraising, where personal touches are difficult and the ability to communicate impact is limited.  Now, widespread personal losses in recent years and the failure of institutions of all kinds to prove trust-worthy have produced a dangerous culture of mistrust.  One consequence:...

Read More...
Blog / VALCORT DNA

Trust Gone Wild

The prerequisite of investment of time, money, and energy is a belief that what you invest in will be valued and will return a reward.  This holds true whether in financial markets, relationships, charitable giving, or the sacrifice of time to serve.  The return can be tangible or intangible, measured...

Read More...
Blog / VALCORT DNA

Eight reasons why your business may not be growing

You know you need to grow.  You need to innovate. And you need to change. But how?  To what? What’s blocking your growth? Lack of internal trust? Missing a robust sales pipeline? Unable to sell value? A resistant culture? Misallocation of resources? Missing or outdated strategy? Misalignment with a changing...

Read More...
Blog / Branding & Market Views

A Leader’s Secret Sauce – Heinz Kohut’s secret for leading change

Creating business transformation and market growth Heinz Kohut, noted 20th century psychologist and behaviorist, gave us insight into leading people to change. He, along with his colleagues and peers, found the old adage to be true:  “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Unfortunately,...

Read More...
Blog / NPOutlook / VALCORT DNA

The CEO’s new glasses (Lens of the Market)

One of the most difficult tasks in leadership is pointing the ship and keeping it focused every day, week, month and year, upon reaching a critical destination. To review: Having a clear understanding the values and vision of the organization (V of VALCORT) is essential for creating trust and getting...

Read More...