Introducing Nonprofit Now! or The Wonderful, Challenging and Magical 2018

I’m excited to introduce Nonprofit Now!, my nonprofit consulting and coaching practice.  I’ll be helping social entrepreneurs through the process of registering as a nonprofit and partnering with existing charities to grow their fundraising operations, launch new campaigns and build their board of directors.  I’m also eager to coach their leadership toward being the most impactful leaders they can be. I’m focusing on these areas as they’re where I’ve had the most success and enjoyment in my 18 years of work in the nonprofit sector.    Please visit my website www.yournonprofitnow.com to learn more about the services I’ll be offering and my work and experiences.    

Now that the pitch is out of the way, I want to talk about 2018 and the impact it had on me personally and professionally - they are inevitably intertwined.   I’m grateful for everything that happened and confident they combined to lead me to the work I was meant to do. 

Last year started off with a tough challenge, particularly around family.  My mom experienced a rapid decline in her health. While I’m grateful she's getting the care she needs, the change in her life and her being is something I couldn’t have imagined.  It was a reminder of how fragile life is and the importance of living life to the fullest while you can. 

The year end brought similar revelations - but they were closer to home.  In late November I was about to have a procedure called an ablation to alleviate ventricular tachycardia (or vt, a rapid heart beat).  My cardiologist had seen several instances of vt related to the post-effects of childhood open heart surgery. While waiting for this procedure to start, the doctors noticed my very low heartbeat.  They suggested a combination pacemaker and defibrillator immediately. I’m grateful that after about five weeks, I’m back to running, light cycling and swimming is on deck in a week or so. This is the second time in three years, that a “happy accident” as my friend Bob Ross calls them, may have saved my life.

Professionally, this was also a challenging year. I continued to serve as ED for a high quality international service learning organization. At the same time, I struggled with my longing to contribute to a wider range of organizations.  I was also eager to coach others, particularly those in the nonprofit sector, something I’d been doing informally. Over the past four years, I’d been on the cusp of taking the plunge into full-time consulting and coaching but various circumstances got in the way.   With my newfound appreciation for making the most of life, I’ve decided to finally and fully go for it! I am now proud to be an independent consultant and coach - and a business owner.
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This is the first chapter of the Nonprofit Now! story.  I look forward to continuing this story with a growing cast of characters, successes, and challenges.  Most important, I’m excited to have the opportunity to help fantastic nonprofit organizations maximize their impact, achieve their missions and ultimately do the most good.  Please sign up to receive my posts and come to the site often as I look forward to building a community of nonprofit leaders and learners by sharing your ideas as well (Ok, a little more pitch).  See you again soon...