Surprises...

Remember when you were a kid how you loved surprises? There was nothing more fun that an unexpected present, an unscheduled trip to do something special, some event that was totally random and delightful?

Now, not so much. In our maturity, and given some time, we’ve learned that we like to be prepared, have our bases covered, know all the consequences before we act. In other words, the element of surprise can be a bit disconcerting for us now that we comprehend that it’s not all fun and games.

It used to be that the nonprofit arena was not afforded the same intense scrutiny as the for-profit world but that changed dramatically a few years ago, and understandably so. It was a little of the “one bad apple….” scenario and wham bang, expectations and demands shifted for us all.

Total transparency is the new more acceptable concept in today’s culture. No secrets, no hidden agendas, open communication, total honesty. In the business and the nonprofit worlds, best practices demand that people divulge all the intimate details of their lives in an attempt to have no surprises. This can go a bit far and become a legitimate threat to our personal lives and our right to privacy. But taken at its face value, I believe it is an attempt to regain that honestly and innocence that we, as a society, seem to have lost somewhere along the way.

What we need to find is a healthy balance between the two. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the pendulum would swing back just a little and we could once again experience that sense of pure delight, without any unease, when we sense a surprise coming on?

Dead Tree Standing

Last weekend I took a wonderful walk through the woods with some life-long friends. As we ambled along and talked, one of my colleagues stopped dead in her tracks, looked up and said, “Dead tree standing”, referring to a tall tree in our path that had no foliage left on its bare trunk.
She then said, “I recently attended a lecture on the importance of leaving dead trees standing. The reason is that their root systems are so intricately entwined with their neighbors’ that by taking them down, it jeopardizes the support of all the neighboring trees.”

I started thinking what a great metaphor this is for life. Each trees’ root system is so intricately entwined with its neighbors’ that if disturbed, it could weaken the forest. And as individuals, many of us, when depleted or ill, continue to depend upon the root systems of our more healthy neighbors for strength.

Apply this same metaphor to philanthropy. Many nonprofits are facing drastic times and the people who depend on them face perilous days ahead. Those of us still standing tall with healthy branches and vibrant leaves have to reach down deep to help provide an infrastructure for others to build on. That is the principle behind Partnership in Philanthropy (PIP). The skill sets and expertise that PIP consultants bring to struggling organizations is like the root system that can help them stand tall in the face of economic woes.

Fresh Produce

I recently spend an hour ambling through a Farmer’s Market. Everywhere I turned there were signs for “Fresh Produce.” And I thought to myself how wonderful it is that year after year the earth yields up fresh, tasty, nutritious fruits and vegetables with little or no effort at all and how difficult it is for us to produce the same kinds of results.

I do try to keep my ideas fresh and relevant; my projects inspired and imaginative. But my day to day tasks prevent me from keeping the ground moist, taking the time to look up at the sun, and plucking away the weeds that tend to strangle my crops. Try as I may, my garden gets parched and unappealing.

As harvest time is fast approaching, my “new year’s resolution” is to make this year’s crop count as among my very best; plump, juicy ideas, creative tidbits, and above all, fresh produce that is consistently safe for consumption in this very challenging growing season.