Pro Speak: Slow Going but Growing

Spasiba. That's Russian for "thank you." It's the one word I got really good at saying while walking around Moscow. I'm big on appreciation, and live my life in a grateful way, so it seemed fitting that I would be thanking people halfway across the world when I visited them.

In October 2009, I had the distinct privilege of being invited to speak at the annual gathering of the Master School for Fundraising in Moscow. The Master School is sort of the go-to organization right now for nonprofits in Russia. I was invited to speak there after Master School Director Tatiana Burmistrova attended one of my sessions at the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference in New Orleans last spring. Needless to say, I said, "Yes!"