Ryan's Ruminations

Several years ago, I had a series of interviews for the position of Director of Development for a private school. This is the story of how I responded to the chair of the school's development committee; it wasn't pretty but it got a powerful and important message across that changed the way the school viewed its fundraising efforts!

Its not always easy but it is crucial that the fundraiser always know what's going on in their organization. Not only does being in the know avoid embarrassing situations but knowledge is one of the most valuable commodities of the fundraiser.

We all get bills in the mail. But how often do we get, not just a thank you note but a handwritten thank you note?

Lianne Forman, founder and Executive Director of Communities Confronting Substance Abuse (CCSA), shares her family's incredible journey in confronting the specter of substance abuse when they discovered her daughter was abuse drugs. Out of the depths of their pain, Lianne and her husband created CCSA as a support system, a shoulder to lean on for other families struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. Lianne offers some deep insights into the challenges of confronting abuse and how CCSA is working on the local level to bring awareness of the issue to the fore simply to help others going through the fight of their lives.

For more information about CCSA, how they can help and how you can help support their important mission, visit time2talkaddiction.org or email to [email protected].

Sir Richard Branson said, "If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!" Opportunities come in different forms and often by surprise. Embrace these opportunities for your own personal growth. And listen to my story about answering the knock at my door!

"What you wear is how you present yourself to the world...Fashion is instant language." ~ Miuccia Prada

Meet Solly Hess, Director of Institutional Advancement at the Orthodox Union's West Coast division and the founder of SolTalks, Solly's energetic and impactful motivational speaking company. In this episode, Ryan and Solly discuss the importance of knowing who you are in order to be the best you can be. We also dive into some discussions about a few of Solly's favorite movies and how he discovered his passion for the not-for-profit world at a feather factory.

Solly can be reached at [email protected], on Facebook and Instagram (ouwestcoast).

What does Dr. Evil, played by Mike Myers in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, have to do with your not-for-profit organization?

Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn have a feature called "stories." In this episode we discuss utilizing subtle social media tools to give your donors insights into who you are on a more personal level and create daily touch points with your donors.