The Influential Nonprofit: Episode 113: Life Is Better With Influence! Real Stories!
Christina Danese, Development & Communications Manager at Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech. Clarke’s mission is to teach children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk.
Kylie Herbert, director of development for Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County in Anderson, SC. We provide a pathway to affordable homeownership for low-income individuals and families living in cost-burdened and substandard housing.
Colleen Hafner, the CDFI Director for Rise Community Development in St. Louis. Her organization works to ensure comprehensive community development can take place in the St. Louis region. She focuses on capital access for small businesses and nonprofits doing that work.
Release the outcome. Focus on building relationships and in making people feel seen and heard. Listen and empathize while also moving the conversation forward.
Recognize the value that you can bring to the table with your skills and experiences. Show up as your authentic self and see things through the perspective of others, always striving to give value to them rather than convincing them to give.
Listen intentionally to people and recognize what part of the decision-making process they are in. Are they ready to “go”, are they in “slow-go”, or is it a “no”? Read people’s energies and meet them where they are.
Stay sovereign within no matter what the external circumstance may be. Manage your output of energy and own your value. Other people don’t give you your value, you give yourself value.
Letting go of the outcome was huge for me - just going in to build that relationship and having an outcome I wish were in mind, but not letting it rule the day.
The overall feeling that I have, in approaching funders, partners, or people we have to mend relationships with is so much more confident, because I'm approaching it from the perspective of seeing things through their perspective and what their needs are, and how, if we are meant to work together, it's because we're both trying to fulfill both of our needs.
Listening more carefully, more intentionally - hand in hand with that is learning how to listen for where the person you're having the conversation is. Are they “go”, “slow”, or “no”. Identifying that has really been helpful in gauging what I need to do next or not do at all.
Reach out to Christina Danese at:
Website: www.clarkeschools.org
Reach out to Kylie Herbert
Website: www.habitatanderson.org
Reach out to Colleen Hafner
Website: https://risestl.org/
ASK FOR AND RECEIVE ALL YOU WANT NEED AND DESERVE WITHOUT FEELING REJECTED, INEFFECTIVE, OR PUSHY.
Learn to manage your mindset, lead yourself and others more effectively and have the meaningful conversations that drive your most important work.