January 31, 2020
REI works with nonprofit professionals on self-care, cause selling
Nonprofit professionals work hard every day with limited resources which can result in burnout if they do not embrace self-care and the organization does not nurture a culture of well-being in the nonprofit workplace.
Sharon Harris Floyd, the philanthropy ambassador for the Rural Education Institute, and Trishonda Roberson, executive director of the Reach Center in Rocky Mount, hosted a three-hour interactive workshop based on Beth Kanter’s book, “The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact without Burnout.” Together, they introduced why it is important to incorporate self-care and well-being as an organizational strategy and culture norm into your workplace.
Participants learned how important it is to take care of yourself so your WHY doesn’t get lost in the daily grind. They discussed insights on creating and embracing them to ensure their resilience in the face of significant challenges and ideas for developing an action plan for both for themselves and their organization.
Sharon Harris Floyd also worked with Tony Beall, director of the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University, to present “The Power of Cause Selling: How to Solve the Nonprofit Dilemma, Stand Out from the Competition, and Thrive in ANY Economy” to more than 100 nonprofits across North Carolina at the 2019 Conference for North Carolina’s Nonprofits.
Participants were introduced to the mindsets and activities that drive cause selling – an approach to fundraising based on the well-established “relationship model of selling” in the for-profit world. These nonprofit leaders discovered how personal intentional connections have never been more important, how to cultivate loyal donors, and explored how strategic relationship-based activities encourage ongoing donor engagement.
Some of the anonymous comments on the “Kudos” board at the conference said:
- “Sanford Philanthropy gets it and loving that ECU is in our own backyard!”
- “We are excited about the opportunity for professional growth for the nonprofit sector, thanks ECU!”
- “Who doesn’t like FREE…looking forward to the monthly webinars, thanks for adding me to your contact list!”