Posted on Friday, 24th April 2009 by chris wignall

Taking part in an excellent seminar today at the Tyndale Centre for Leadership. Peter Dickens from The Iris Group is talking about strategic planning. He’s very good. We’ve spent some time talking about Core Values. Peter makes a strong case that values needs to be the starting point of developing vision. This is contrary to [...]

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Posted on Thursday, 23rd April 2009 by chris wignall

How can we connect our donors with our vision in a meaningful way? Every nonprofit leader I meet with wants more than just dollars from donors; they want a deeper connection. In a few cases it is possible to take the donors to see the projects and programs personally, but the costs of doing so [...]

Posted in Philanthropy, Vision | Comments (1)

Posted on Thursday, 23rd April 2009 by chris wignall

One of the greatest challenges I see many organizations having is staying focussed on their core vision and competencies, particularly when the needs and opportunities are so diverse. This is amplified in organizations in which program staff work remotely and with great trust and independence from the main office. A recent conversation with Brady Wilson [...]

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Posted on Thursday, 23rd April 2009 by chris wignall

I really believe there are few things more beautiful in this world than adoption. The idea that someone would take in and include as family a child who is disadvantaged and has no claim on such treatment is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen of what humanity can become. Today I read the [...]

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Posted on Thursday, 16th April 2009 by chris wignall

An interesting piece from the Stratford Social Innovation Review today that relates to some leaders I know, including myself not too many years ago. Here’s a taste: Let me tell you about this guy I know. He’s a young, energetic nonprofit leader in his field and in his extensive volunteer work as well. We are [...]

Posted in Leadership, Partners, Resources | Comments (0)

Posted on Thursday, 9th April 2009 by chris wignall

How is the economic crisis impacting the world’s most vulnerable? Our partners at Opportunity International have something to tell us about that. Bottom line: More people are going to be desperate. With that despair comes a lot more potential for exploitation and evil, but those who are doing microfinance well are positioned to sustain and [...]

Posted in Partners, Philanthropy | Comments (0)

Posted on Thursday, 9th April 2009 by chris wignall

I have read and passed on books by John Maxwell many times. It is no stretch to suggest that he is among the most influential figures in both Christian and corporate leadership over the last couple decades. Recently, John Maxwell was arrested for carrying a concealed handgun as he attempted to board a plane. You [...]

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Posted on Thursday, 9th April 2009 by chris wignall

We are thrilled to add our congratulations to Mina Wahidi on her recognition as Burlington’s Citizen of the Year. Mina is the Founder and Director of Compassion Society, and part of the Catalyst mentoring program. Her dedication to those in need in her community, her care for volunteers, and her willingness to be bold in [...]

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Posted on Wednesday, 8th April 2009 by chris wignall

Wednesday May 15th is the application deadline for the Catalyst Scholarship through the Halton Learning Foundation. If you, someone you know, or someone who knows someone you know will be graduating from a Halton public high school this year please encourage them to consider applying. Details here.

Posted in Catalyst | Comments (0)

Posted on Monday, 6th April 2009 by chris wignall

We are very pleased to be launching our new website. In many ways it is long overdue and the degree of improvement is phenomenal. Take a look around, it’s pretty simple. We wanted a clean and professional look, easy functionality, and the ability to keep things up to date frequently. For us, Craig Fairley at [...]

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