Shannon Williams
Agape Love
Greek has many different words for love. In my professional life, I am blessed to see beautiful examples of phila (brotherly love) every day through our nonprofit partners. But today, I want to talk about agape—unconditional love. This month my parents celebrate 50 years of marriage…
Read MoreA Tale of Two Events
Last week I had the privilege of attending two virtual events, on back-to-back nights, for organizations I care deeply about. Both organizations delivered goodies in advance of the event to make it feel special. That is where the similarities ended. Here is a side-by-side comparison: …
Read MorePeople Are The Hardest Part Right Now
Hard. Difficult. Challenging. Exhausting. Overwhelming. Nope. I am not talking about the pandemic. These are the adjectives I am hearing over and over from nonprofit leaders describing what it is like to manage their teams right now. Managing people through the pandemic, the call for an e…
Read MoreRunners Run…Even in a Pandemic
If you know that our younger son is a collegiate runner, then you probably have heard me say. “Runners run.” Runners run when it is hot, cold, raining, tropical storming, sleeting, or snowing. They run when you are on vacation, Thanksgiving Day, their birthdays. They run. Carso…
Read MoreDoors, Inequities, and Implicit Bias
Last week Staci Barfield and I participated in a webinar from Nonprofit HR about race and diversity practices in nonprofits. The slide below really stood out to me. I am starting to realize that there are many inequities that I never see or think about because they don’t apply to me…
Read MoreSummer of 2020
I suspect a lot will be different this summer. Even the weather in the Triangle this week has not been typical. When I entered the nonprofit sector in 1993, summer was considered a downtime—a slower pace. A time to come in a little later, leave a little earlier. Generally, get ahead. …
Read MoreGraduation During A Pandemic Yields a Strategic Refocus
Our younger son, Carson, graduates high school this Sunday—sort of. He will put on his cap and gown. We will drive to the school. He will jump out of the car and onto a makeshift stage. His name will be called, a photo snapped, and a brief video captured. He will get back into the car…
Read MoreA 12-Step Guide to Your Next Fundraising Call
Leading with transparency is my personal go-to. In our current environment, I believe transparency in fundraising is absolutely essential. When you are talking with your donors (and I absolutely think you should be) it is time to keep it simple and keep it real. Here are 12 steps to conside…
Read MoreRacism: It's Real
Last week I attended, along with some of my Armstrong McGuire teammates, the Groundwater Training hosted by the YMCA of the Triangle and led by Monica and Jennifer from the Racial Equity Institute. One of the opening images included a picture of a single dead fish and another of a massi…
Read MoreThree Things I Learned at Our Annual Staff Planning Retreat
Earlier this week our team of nine spent a day-and-a-half focused on strategic planning. We are at the midpoint of our three-year plan, so we evaluated our progress and set goals for 2020. Beyond affirming that our team is comprised of amazing humans, here are three key takeaways that may ap…
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