I love Scout Camp. I’ve been a “camp guy” for the better part of 30 years, in just about every capacity. I’ve been a camper. A Scout leader. A scout camp commissioner, an administrator, instructor, inspector, and a lifeguard… and it’s been an absolute blast. But probably the best thing about going to camp is watching … Read more
Scout Campfire Skits It’s almost summer. Time for Scouting groups everywhere to get ready to go to camp. It’s also about the time when den leaders everywhere are thrust into the unwitting role of producers and directors of skits at Day Camps everywhere. Every year at day camp, I’d get hit up by den leaders … Read more
I love finding cool stuff – especially cool ways of raising money. This past week I stumbled across GivingGrid and, man, I think it’s cool. When I saw GivingGrid, I literally let out an audible yell. As a professional fundraiser, this is the exact sort of thing I was looking for over the better part … Read more
This evening I’m running practice for my son’s Little League T-Ball team. The regular head coach has to be somewhere else, so I’m subbing. It got me thinking of the first time I volunteered to coach a Little League team, back in 1998. I think there’s a pretty good lesson to be learned from it, although … Read more
Summertime Recruiting – The Season of Yes Summertime recruiting is one of the great opportunities for reaching a lot of people that most groups tend to let slip away. The first month that I was the District Executive for Boy Scouts in Aroostook County, Maine, the temperature never got about zero. I thought of this as “the … Read more
One of the keys to non-profit success is a connection to your community – and not your community in the abstract. But specifically, who are the leaders in your community? Who are the people who know everyone? Who’s involved in everything? Who do you need to be talking to in your community in order to … Read more
Volunteer Prospecting Recruiting volunteers is a daunting task. Most people would rather do just about anything else rather than ask for something “for nothing.” So the key to success is volunteer prospecting. Most people would also much rather take the easy way out. They know they need money, so they want to run to the … Read more
Why and How to Hang Flyers When you’re looking to get the word out, the key is to use as many methods as possible. The old adage that someone needs to view your message 7 times before they act has something to it. So going out to hang flyers is a great low-tech way to … Read more