NonProfit PRO November/December 2020 Member Spotlight

Q: What is the most important lesson you learned in 2020?

A: Forget work-life balance, embrace the blend! Balance implies two sides of a scale that are stable, even and separate, a concept that never jived for me. This year snatched away the commuting transition time and turned our living space into a living-office-school-gym-staycation space.  And it hit me: I’ve spent my career burning down silos to create systems that were more robust and resilient. What part of that shouldn’t apply to the best parts of our whole selves, too? Learning to give myself, and others, the grace to blend makes me a better mom, colleague and friend. Take that, 2020!

Shannon McCracken
CEO
The Nonprofit Alliance

A: For over 20 years, I’ve thought donors gave in certain seasons, motivated by regular rhythms. 2020 has completely upended that. We’ve seen donors give. And give. And give. We’ve seen nonprofits hit December donation levels in March. And April. And May. And June. When nonprofits saw a dip in giving in July, we discovered a fascinating correlation: Donations slowed when asking stopped. Fundraising staff got tired before donor generosity gave out! 2020 is leaving me even more grateful for donor generosity. And for being able to get a front row seat of it.

Marc Pitman, CFRE
Founder
The Concord Leadership Group

A: 2020 was the year I learned (or better said, confirmed) that our industry is, in fact, capable of rapid and dramatic change. Not only are we capable, when we embrace it, we can achieve extraordinary outcomes. I learned that in times of crises, we embody the best of humankind. This year, we faced multiple, unprecedented challenges, but we did not face them alone. We turned to each other — colleagues, agency partners, peer organizations and more. Together we reframed the way things are done to align around what we need to get things done. As I look back on this year and consider the organizations we partner with at Pursuant, I celebrate the accelerated transformations so many organizations achieved and hope that we always remember what we are capable of.

Kelley Hecht Stewart
EVP
Pursuant

Editor's Note: This Member Spotlight was originally published in the November/December 2020 print edition of NonProfit PRO. Click here to subscribe.