The Penny Consulting Group – The Penny Consulting Group

Fundraising 365: Think Beyond #GivingTuesday

Nov 28, 2016 | Posted by The Penny Consulting Group in Fund Development | Comments Off

I have never been a fan of #GivingTuesday. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for organizations looking for ways to diversify funding and increase their income, but I think this has become more of a trendy day and fundraising efforts can be strategically focused and targeted elsewhere. I am not the only one who is not a fan of #GivingTuesday. Brady Josephson wrote an interesting piece in Huffington Post in 2014 about how he hated #GivingTuesday. Now I won’t go that far, but I…Read more …

Building Trustworthy Partnerships

Aug 1, 2016 | Posted by The Penny Consulting Group in Collective Impact, Partnership Development | Comments Off

“Collaboration happens at the speed of trust.” Regardless of the business or field you are in, there is nothing more important than being able to trust the people you do business with each day. Whether it is the people you work with regularly within your office or partners you collaborate with on a monthly basis. If there is no trust, then successfully achieving your collective goals will be difficult, to say the least. So how do you build trustworthy partnerships? Keep reading and I will…Read more …

Learning How to Get Out of My Own Way

Jan 27, 2016 | Posted by The Penny Consulting Group in Leadership Development, Self Awareness | Comments Off

When I launched my company in May, I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. I was excited about taking my career to a different level. I was afraid that after working for 16 years in a “9-to-5” and having a steady pay check that I may not be able to survive financially. I was nervous about sharing this new venture with my colleagues and what they would say about my business ideas. I was doubtful that I could really make this work for me in the…Read more …

It’s the Season for Change: Stepping Up Your Game

Aug 11, 2015 | Posted by The Penny Consulting Group in Leadership Development, Self Awareness, Strategic planning | Comments Off

It’s hard to believe that there are only a few weeks left before we reach the official end of Summer and the days start to become cooler out here on the East Coast. While I enjoy the relaxing and lazy days of summertime, there is something about this season that makes me want to try new things, to step up my game and gain new skills. I don’t know if it is because things slow down a bit and my brain has a chance to…Read more …

Your Roadmap: Determining a Vision for Your Organization

Jun 3, 2015 | Posted by The Penny Consulting Group in Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Strategic planning, Visioning | Comments Off

Do you remember that one thing you were excited about taking on when you started your current job or your last job? I can still recall, as if it were yesterday, how excited I was about accepting a position as an Executive Director and sharing my vision for the organization. I was so proud of myself with all of my detailed prep work and research I did on the organization’s history. I really wanted to show my new Board of Directors that I did my…Read more …

Letting Go of the Ledge and Doing the “Thing” that Scares You the Most!

May 7, 2015 | Posted by The Penny Consulting Group in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Inhale……. Exhale…… Inhale…… Exhale….. Inhale…. Exhale…. Inhale….. Exhale…. Why is it so hard to remember to breathe when you are afraid? Especially when you are making, what you consider to be a life-changing decision. You have told yourself a million times that it is all going to be okay, that your return on investment looks promising, that what you are about to do is so worth it, and so on and so on. Yet, that fear of the unexpected, the “what is yet to…Read more …

Beyond the Business Card Exchange: Strategies for Developing and Cultivating Partnerships

May 5, 2015 | Posted by The Penny Consulting Group in Partnership Development | Comments Off

One of the greatest lessons I have learned in my years of working within non-profit organizations, is the importance of creating and sustaining good partnerships. Whether I was trying to engage a potential funder, connecting with new board members or collaborating with an entity on a future project, it was imperative that I had a very good relationship with these individuals. In my opinion, one of the best aspects of working in non-profits are the amazing relationships you create along your journey. Connecting with people…Read more …

Do you have E.D. PTSD?

Mar 21, 2015 | Posted by The Penny Consulting Group in Capacity Building, Fund Development, Leadership Development, Organizational Development | Comments Off

Recently, a colleague and I were catching up over coffee and swapping stories about our careers. As a previous leader of a non-profit (me) and a foundation (her), we both shared how we had no desire to run another organization anytime soon. Maybe never. We chuckled at the thought that we may suffer from some sort of post traumatic stress syndrome. But then we began to have a serious conversation about the reasons why we felt this way. What was it about our previous experiences…Read more …