Solutions For Good

It is that time! Summer brings bright and energetic interns to your organization.   Interns can be of such great benefit to a nonprofit organization, as you know, and working with you is a fabulous learning experience for them.   So, w hat is the best way to make it a win-win situation?   We've all been the victim of and/or the culprit of a not so well thought out intern experience.  Not the best situation, right?  Even thought you are very busy, prepare for your intern's arrival.  Read the advice and articles below for helpful suggestions.   And know you will need to spend time with your intern  throughout her/his time with you to provide guidance, structure, and learning opportunities.  The goal is two-fold-- good learning experience for the intern and helpful work product for the organization.  Consider what you do well in engaging volunteers or AmeriCorps members at ...

While my brain is on a constant, frenetic overload from all the information on the web, I have to say, I am a glutton for learning more!   I want to sort through the not-so-hot things to get to the  HOT stuff.   Efficiency is key in this process of gathering good information on the web and not wasting time on the less than “hot” items. What's hot ?  Hot is what is up-to-date or the newest trend. In this case free, quality, curent, relevant information for nonprofits. There are some    some great free webinars and online trainings that various organizations offer on nonprofit management topics.   This is an efficient way to continue your professional development.  My biggest frustration is that I miss too many of them!   So, we have to know where to find the hot stuff and get on their email list, follow them on Twitter, or whatever works for you to stay connected. Below I have  shared several of my favorite places ...

Seize the opportunities of the New Year. 1.      ReServe Maryland   connects the state’s nonprofits and public institutions to experienced professionals 55+ (ReServists) who want to reinvest a career's worth of skills to strengthen their communities. 2.       Socialbrite provides social solutions for nonprofits.   They offer client services for a fee and also great free resources, tips, calendars of events, and more in their Sharing Center , “a free learning hub for nonprofits and change-makers”. 3.      Baltimore Community Tool Bank   offers an inventory of tools, shovels, rakes, drills, etc., to help nonprofit organizations, religious and educational institutions, community groups and their volunteers increase their impact. 4.      Pinterest lets you tell your organization’s story in pictures.   T his social media tool is quickly rising in popularity.    ...

        On Tuesday November 27, 2012 , charities, families, businesses and individuals are coming together to transform the way people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.   It’s a simple idea. Find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to join in acts of giving. Tell everyone you can about what you are doing and why it matters. Join a national celebration of our great tradition of generosity. And together we’ll create ways to give more , give better and give smarter . http://givingtuesday.org/     I love this idea.  Take the purchasing power of the holidays and turn it to the organizations in our community that make a difference in people's lives all year.  Many people do volunteer and donate during the holidays already, so this serves as a commencement or framework to centralize and celebrate the efforts.    The website provi...

  Tell Your Story toThousands of People Through Images. Pinterested? As some of you know Pinterest is a social media site.   Yes, another one! I have been dabbling with Pinterest and reading about how nonprofits can best utilize it.  While I'm no expert, I thought I would share some of what I have learned. According to Association of Fundraising Professionals it is now the 3 rd largest social media site and the 16 th most popular website on the entire web.   The topics on Pinterest are endless. This popularity is most likely because of the visual images shown on Pinterest with less text than other social media sites.   So, it may be time to get on board. It could be easier than you think!   What is Pinterest? Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board or scrapbook where you “pin” images, with embedded links, to a pinboard that you have created.   You can have several ...

Hello, I got married earlier this month to a lovely man. My new last name is Scherr-Adams.  My email address will remain the same. kscherr@kssolution.com Thank you!

Sailabration was a HUGE success and a great time for Baltimoreans and others that came to town to be part of it.  I'm proud to have worked on it along with a great inter-agency team of people and over 600 volunteers!  Sail Baltimore, Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, and Star-Spangled 200 were all-stars in making sure this event was so successful.  I was contracted with Baltimore Office of Promotion and Arts to work on this event and learned so much about ALL that they do.  Check out their website or Facebook page! I am very impressed with the talent in their office and the professionalism in managing such large events (Artscape, for example).  This is a great group to volunteer with as well.  They understand the value of volunteers and will treat you well.  And their events are fun, fun, fun! I am proud of Baltimore... looking forward to more War of 1812 commemoration in 2014 in Baltimore.  Meanwhile, there are smaller event...