Top 5 of the Week

This week I found so much inspiration in Gartner's Smarter with Gartner newsletter. Below are some of the videos that stuck out to me along with some other things I found inspiring or interesting this week:

1. Partnerships and Collaborations

Forming internal partnerships with influencers across your organization can help you drive change and action much faster than standing on your own soapbox without that social credibility. Check out how the analytics department at BYN Mellon found influencers to disseminate their data analytics findings and how it earned their team a place at the decision-making table.

I've seen the same benefit as a Partnership leader. How our external partnerships were received and valued changed when influencers in the sales, operations, customer success, and marketing departments began telling stories from their perspective about my team and partners' impact. Data and stories delivered through internal influencers earned us a seat at the table and further investment from the company.

2. Nonprofit Management Trends

This op-ed written by Tina M. Barber, MPA struck me as important to share and acknowledge.

Equity in funding and support is not just a nice-to-have, it's crucial to achieving a better world for all. We cannot ignore and undersupport the most vulnerable populations and expect to create a just society. As a community, we must hold ourselves accountable to recognize when deeper investments are needed and to take action. This responsibility extends to protecting our LGBTQ+ youth and broader communities from the discrimination, isolation, and harassment they face daily. Let's ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to make society more equitable and just. We can do better, and we should.

3. Favorite Tech

I have two today :)

If you're struggling with keeping up on LinkedIn, you gotta check out Taplio . It is a great tool and is constantly getting new updates and enhancements. Well worth it if you need inspiration and guidance to stay engaged on LinkedIn.

Also, keep an eye on Boodle.ai. Shawn Olds and the team are doing some pretty cool things to make life a lot easier for us all. I tried out some of their role-playing and strategic planning bots and was very impressed at the results and how I could keep the information the AI bots shared organized in the tool.

4. Leadership

What are CEOs thinking as we go into 2024? My #nonprofit friends, what will this mean for you? How can you help #CEO's with their biggest priorities? How does this impact your fundraising and engagement strategies?

https://youtu.be/ePfzAgJSfcs

5. Personal favorites

Knitting has been my comfort these past few months. I love the mix of creativity, learning, and movement it provides me. Knitting is a proven therapy tool, which is why I support?Project Knitwell. The organization offers knitting programs in the DC metro area to introduce those facing crises and challenging moments to the joy and comfort of knitting.

I recently finished my ugly hat and am currently knitting two socks at a time. Not sure if I'll keep them or gift them but they are coming along nicely and are a joy to knit.