You Already Have Enough: How This Impacts Our Leadership (Part 2)
By Dr. Scott Rodin, Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Consultant Key Insights Scarcity thinking quietly shapes more leadership decisions than many of us realize and often leaves leaders anxious, defensive, and exhausted. Gratitude precedes abundance. Jesus gave thanks for what was already in His hands before the miracle of multiplication. Contentment is not complacency. Leaders […]
You Already Have Enough (Part 1)
By Dr. Scott Rodin, Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Consultant Key Insights I’ve been around enough ministry leaders to know that many are haunted by a gnawing sense of discontentment. It may not be obvious. It may even sound like the longings of someone wanting to serve God more. Have you ever caught yourself saying […]
Grateful Disappointment
by Scott Rodin, Senior Consultant & Chief Strategy Officer The title of this blog post seems self-contradictory. Recently I’ve come to discover it is not. Here’s my quick story. For the last five months I have been training hard to be part of a small team of people to climb Mount Baker in Washington state, […]
When Should You Start Strategic Planning?
by Scott Rodin, Senior Consultant & Chief Strategy Officer I often get asked about the timing for strategic planning, and a recent conversation I had with an organizational leader highlighted the key considerations most organizations face. Here’s how it went: “Scott, we’re thinking about starting strategic planning, but I’m not sure about timing. When’s the […]
When the Plan Is the Problem: How One College Turned a False Start Into a Fundraising Success
Scott Rodin, Senior Consultant/Chief Strategy Officer A few years ago, we were approached by a respected Christian college preparing for what they hoped would be a transformational capital campaign. They had big dreams, ambitious projects, and a strategic plan they were proud of. But there was a catch: the plan was seven years old. From […]
Why Strategic Planning Is No Longer Optional
Scott Rodin, Senior Consultant & Chief Strategy Officer Over the years, I’ve asked hundreds of nonprofit leaders and boards for their opinions on strategic planning. The response has been varied to say the least. Some roll their eyes and recount failed attempts in the past that led only to frustration. Others shrug it off as […]
We Are Never More Like God Than When We Give
By Dr. Scott Rodin, Chief Strategy Officer A pastor greeted his congregants at the door after the service. He had just preached on generosity. A disgruntled man met him with a growl, “Pastor, I can’t believe you spent a whole sermon just talking about giving.” “What else should I have preached on?” the pastor inquired. […]
Five Characteristics of a Great Strategic Plan
By Dr. Scott Rodin, Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Consultant If the words “strategic plan” conjure up for you images of an interminable document that bears little connection to your daily work life, you are not alone. According to Harvard Business Review, an estimated 60-90% of strategic plans are never fully launched. All strategic plans […]
God Has a Plan, Do You?
By Dr. Scott Rodin, Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Consultant “If you don’t know where you are going any road can take you there.” (Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland) I admit, I am not a cat lover. But there is much wisdom in the Cheshire Cat’s response to Alice’s inquiry about which road she should […]
Five Ways to Ensure Your Fundraising is Blessing Your Giving Partners
A few years back I accompanied a nervous pregnancy center executive director and a kind but quiet board chair on the most important invitation visit they would have for their capital campaign.
The Four Most Neglected Steps in Strategic Planning and What it May Cost You
By: Scott Rodin, Senior Consultant/Chief Strategy Officer Ask any five strategic planning consultants about the best process for writing a plan, and you will get five different answers, sometimes varying widely in both product and approach. Even more vexing, ask ten nonprofits about whether they have a current, relevant strategic plan driving their daily decisions […]
How to Write and Use a Theology of Development
We make dozens of decisions every day in our work of raising kingdom resources. These decisions are shaped and driven by our understanding of what will be most effective and aligns with the values of our organization. While we are aware these underlying motivations exist, it’s not often that leaders in development invest the resources […]