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S1 E17: The Way We Say Thanks

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April shared an article called “Stop Making Gratitude All About You“, and asked for my thoughts on how it relates to nonprofit communications. We talk about:

  • other-focused gratitude (emphasizing the goodness and motivations of the giver) as opposed to self-focused gratitude (emphasizing on how the recipient benefitted)
  • how nonprofits can use other-focused gratitude to strengthen relationships with donors, volunteers and colleagues
  • how zooming in and out, in space and time, can help us keep things in perspective: staying mission-focused, picking our battles, and making sure we take good enough care of ourselves
  • stories and lessons from a visit with my 98-year-old grandma this week!

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S1 E05: Rescuing an Elephant Seal

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Bjorn, the baby elephant seal, talking to my kids by a rock

Bjorn, the baby elephant seal, talking to my kids by a rock

A few days ago my kids and I helped to rescue a baby elephant seal who had come up on the shore of a small beach in Santa Cruz, California.

I’ve heard it said that we make decisions with our hearts, and then later validate them with data. Hence the importance of nonprofit communicators appealing to readers’ emotions.

Well, this experience really underscored that for me. Not just creating the connection, but continuing it. Hear how I learned about The Marine Mammal Center, and how they’ve made it easy for me to continue being a part of their work even after Bjorn and I parted ways. Read more →