2022 Content You Don’t Want to Miss
It’s December, the end of the year is coming fast, and you’re likely stuck in this weird place of both looking back at 2022 and thinking about the future. We’re doing the same thing at Spark Group, which is why this week, we wanted to compile a list of our favorite content of 2022 so that you don’t miss out. Here it is! Happy reading!
Podcasts
Grant Writing and Funding:
“Learn From Holly’s Top-Ranked Grant Writing Podcast With Action-Plans, Strategy, And Advice For Building Your Grant Writing Expertise And Freelance Grant Writing Business!” *Check out episode #230: How Nonprofits can Share Stories of Impact that Honor the Dignity of Clients to hear Spark Group CEO, Mary Gladstone-Highland
Successful Nonprofits
”Gain insight to help your nonprofit thrive in a competitive environment.” We especially enjoy the episode entitled Podcasting for Nonprofits with Kristan McMahon on why every nonprofit should start a podcast.
Code Switch
from NPR: “What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between. This podcast makes all of us part of the conversation — because we're all part of the story. Code Switch was named Apple Podcasts' first-ever Show of the Year in 2020.” We especially recommend the episode named, Why Now, White People? which asks us to take a deeper look at our journey toward racial equity.
Sneak Peek - New Podcast Launching in 2023
You are the expert of your nonprofit organization. You work hard, know your organization inside and out, and seek thought partners to think through challenging moments and exciting new strategies. This show is a chance to have conversations with nonprofit leaders like yourself. In each episode, you'll hear from everyday, exceptional leaders of the nonprofit sector as they chat with host Mary Gladstone-Highland, CEO of Spark Group Consulting, about the critical issues that impact nonprofits and how they use their assets to provide creative solutions to complex problems. We don’t have a particular episode to recommend, as the podcast hasn’t been launched yet. But if you’d like to share an experience or your expertise as a featured guest on ‘The Nonprofit Experts’ podcast, reach out to us here.
Blog Articles
Below are our top-visited blog articles in 2022. They represent what nonprofit leaders like yourself are interested in knowing more about.
Four Types of Conflict That Arise With Stakeholders & How to Resolve Them
“Managing relationships with those stakeholders is a balance that sometimes leads to conflict. Competing agendas or territorialism get in the way and leave the participating parties to retreat to their camps. For this reason (and let’s face it, MANY other reasons), it is helpful to understand how to manage conflict as a nonprofit leader. One lens for managing conflict is to understand the conflict drivers.”
Program Evaluation and SMART Goals
“...organizational programming generally runs in cycles; programs rarely follow a single, linear process. Similarly, it’s very useful to think of evaluation as part of a cycle, rather than a linear process. This allows for more flexibility to consider the evaluation process at the start of a program cycle, rather than only at the program’s end.”
How to Start a Nonprofit: Hosting your First Board Meeting
“There is a lot to accomplish in your first board meeting. Today, we will discuss a typical agenda and the components necessary to set your nonprofit off on the right foot.”
Webinars
Here are two free webinars to help you think strategically about your nonprofit sustainability.
Integrating Sustainable Design
“Your path to nonprofit sustainability. This webinar is for you if you want to: Develop lasting strategies that propel your organization forward, ensure that your plans are accepted by your team, and guarantee that you have the confidence to lead a comprehensive process.
How to Manage and Leverage Organizational Conflict
“In this 50-minute webinar, you will learn how to determine what causes conflict and unique skills for how to resolve that conflict with stakeholders and individuals.”
Case Studies
Below are two examples of our work in action.
Avalon Institute:
A local Detroit organization providing care and advocacy for survivors of sexual assault systems is also at the forefront of change and prevention of sexual violence across the state and country. This organization’s expertise surrounding prevention strategies for sexual violence, human trafficking, and pediatric needs has led to an increasing number of requests over the past few years to provide training to various community organizations and corporations around the state and the country.
42Strong:
How does a community respond in the face of tragedy? An unthinkable horror occurred in the township of Oxford, Michigan in November of 2021, when a shooter killed four students and wounded seven other people at Oxford High School. The community of Oxford, family and friends of the victims faced the question no town or city should ever have to – though far too many have: How do we show our resilience while honoring the memory and legacy of those we lost?
Books
Grant Writing: The Complete Workbook for Writing Grant Proposals that Win
“Do you have an excellent project idea but lack the funding to make it happen? Grants supply financial support, but many people struggle with the process. [This book] answers your grant questions in a way that is easy to understand and sets you up for success so that your project ideas become a reality. It encourages you to ask the right questions, hand-holds you through practical exercises, and offers a map that includes paths to develop strategic relationships with funders.”
The 12 Week Year Field Guide: Get More Done In 12 Weeks Than Others Do In 12 Months
Are you ready to change your life? This hands-on template for implementing advice from the game-changing book The 12 Week Year is a study guide that makes it easy for anyone to apply the 12 week year to their own lives. Instead of getting bogged down in annualized thinking that produces pitfalls and saps productivity, follow along with this guide to redefine your “year” to be just 12 weeks long. By doing so, you’ll avoid complacency, begin to focus on what matters most, create better clarity, and develop a sense of urgency so that “now” is always the right time to act.
