Strategy and Proactivity: The Corner Stones of Spark Group
At Spark Group, two of our all-time favorite talking points are about strategy and proactivity. That’s because we think if you were to boil down all our advice and resources for nonprofits to two simple concepts, here is where you would land! In fact, these two concepts, Strategy and Proactivity, are really what Spark Group was built around.
Have you heard the Spark Group origin story before?
If you’ve ever downloaded one of Spark Group’s free resources for nonprofit leaders from our Thursday Nonprofit Spark newsletter (more on that below!), you might have heard this story. On the introductory page to any of those resources, Spark Group founder Mary Gladstone Highland shares:
As a former Executive Director with nearly two decades working in the nonprofit sector, I know too well the pain of those daily fires leaders in the nonprofit world face. During my tenure leading an organization,
⛔I let myself become distracted by daily emergencies.
⛔ I worked too many hours and put off vacations.
⛔ I didn't ask for help.
⛔ I feared my never-ending inbox.
One day in my executive director role, I found myself dreaming about leaving the nonprofit sector, buying a gas station, and making “easy money." That was my wake-up call; it was time for things to change!
I ditched the gas station idea, and created Spark Group, to support nonprofit leaders in moving from a culture of reactivity to proactivity and achieving sustainability …. to stop putting out daily fires; and spark new ideas instead!
As a nonprofit leader, we know you likely feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you accomplish each day. It’s understandable! You’re trying to solve the world’s most pressing problems with limited resources. You know how to reach your clients and manage your organization, but it feels like you’re never able to cross items off your to-do list because of the constant daily fires that arise. That’s exhausting!
You need simple strategies and innovative support to increase your capacity while maintaining your sanity. You need to be strategic and proactive, and Spark Group was founded with the express purpose of providing just that kind of support!
For our followers who either have signed up for our mailing list (follow the link on our home page to join), as well as our followers who’ve signed up for our newsletter on LinkedIn, each week we share a short email digest containing our weekly blog post or podcast episode, a blog post from our archives, a link for a grant opportunity, and a free downloadable resource crafted especially to support nonprofit leaders in being strategic and proactive. We feature each resource for about a month, in the newsletter and on our webpage. Here’s a list of some of the resources we’ve shared:
Focus Group Handbook
Hiring Matrix
Year-End Campaign Pitfalls to Avoid
Your Guide to a Stress-Free Year End Campaign
Strategic Planning Questions Answered
Marketing Calendar Template
Proactivity Workbook
Fund Development Plan Workbook
Strategy Framework
Crafting Compelling Stories
Integrating Sustainable Design
How to Manage and Leverage Organizational Conflict
Donors in a Recession
Employee Turnover
Development Audit
If you missed out on any of the resources or would still like access, it’s not too late! You can always join our mailing list, or simply reach out to us. Spark Group is here for you. We'd love to get to know you more.
