Damage to the Los Angeles and California economies, including close to $30 billion in lost of output and more than 150,000 lost jobs has had an adverse impact on the nonprofit sector and many charitable organizations. The recent economic crisis caused the nation’s more than 75,000 grantmaking foundations to cut their 2009 giving by an estimated 8.4 percent-by far the largest decline ever tracked by the Foundation Center.

“This training is especially important for nonprofit organizations because many have felt the tremendous impact of a spiraling economy and securing money from a diversified funding strategy is paramount. Grant writing and proposal development provides one important means of garnering funds,” says Mr. Walker. He goes on to say, “many nonprofits have realized the necessity of collaborating with other agencies as foundations nationwide become more selective in their giving.

For more information about this topic or the grant writing workshop visit
http://www.waa.bz/grantworkshop.html

Hear Short Message from Workshop Presenter!

What risk aren’t you taking that you probably should be taking?
What risk are you taking that you probably shouldn’t be taking?

(Pasadena, CA) – (August 28, 2010) – Walker & Associates relaunches it dynamic podcast series, Nonprofit Insights to provide solutions, advice, and helpful tips for executives. Rodney D. Walker, President of Walker & Associates, discusses many of the key issues facing nonprofit organizations. “I am really excited to offer executives and leaders within the nonprofit sector some valuable information that is practical and relevant to their needs.”  The podcast has been warmly welcomed by the nonprofit community and is a source of concise and insightful information.

“Rodney teaches people how to write grants, among other things, and he is an exceptional teacher and business coach,” says Diane Tegarden. As an Affiliate Faculty member of Regis University, he is accustomed to teaching senior leaders the industries best practices. “Rodney also has a knack for understanding the client’s needs and tailoring steps to create the best solution,” says Naomi Takeuchi.
This series, which is offered free on at http://www.waa.bz/resources.php , focuses on major challenges facing non-profits. The first installment, Building the Board You’ve Always Wanted, addresses why boards are so important to nonprofit organizations, some of the challenges of building a strong, vibrant board of directors and what mistakes a nonprofit can avoid. Also included are tips to help build a strong board of directors. Future topics include Writing Award-Winning Grant Proposals, Attracting Volunteers, Fundraising Essentials and Building Your Organization’s Capacity.

If you’d like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rodney D.Walker, please call 626.797.2222 or e-mail info@waa.bz

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Bring this interactive workshop to your organization. Call today!

Visit me today at www.rodneydwalker.com

The U.S. Center for Disease Control estimates that up to 90% of doctor visits in the U.S. may be triggered by a stress-related illness.  Listen to these five tips to help you deal with your stress.

Coach, help I'm stuck!

Have you ever been stuck before?  Whether it is in your business, an unhealthy relationship, or a dead end career, the fact remains that being stuck is an absolute awful and yucky feeling.  However, the good news is that you do not have to remain stuck.  Here are five keys to help you get unstuck:

1. Reflect briefly on why and how you got stuck. Take a few minutes to diagnose what is holding you in this frustrating pattern.  What decisions did you make or what circumstances got you in this unpleasant place.
2. Refocus your attention on where you want to be.  Paint a picture for yourself of how your situation would look if you were not jammed in.  How would you act differently?  What kind of freedom and joy would this bring for you?  What other feelings and emotions would being unstuck bring to you?
3. Resolve to let go of whatever is keeping you stuck. Determine that today is the last day that you will passively allow your situation to keep you trapped and boxed in.
4. Reprioritize your actions and time.  Think about how you will do things differently. This will most likely mean readjusting how you have addressed your challenges in the past.  Repeating the same negative or passive action is a recipe for remaining trapped.
5. Regain the confidence to move forward. The key to getting unstuck is taking those important steps again and again until you realize that you are no longer boxed in because you made some corrective decisions and acted up on them.  Go forth and your confidence will grow as you proceed.

Be sure to take advantage of my complimentary life or business coaching session. Schedule your phone meeting with me right now.

7 Tips to Help You Stay Motivated

Q: How Do I Stay Motivated to Achieve My Best in Business?

Being a business owner is a wonderful adventure that is filled with highs and lows.  It is much like life in that it comes with challenges.  Here are seven tips to keep yourself motivated to achieve your best in business in spite of the hurdles:

1. Be clear about what you desire to achieve with your business. The name of the game is defining what you want to achieve and breaking these things out into bite size pieces so that you can achieve your goal.  It is much like the saying, “how do you eat an elephant?…one bite at a time.”

2. Be focus. The more clarity and focus that you have will provide you with a confidence to go full speed ahead with your business; however the lack of clarity can have the adverse impact.

3. Review your goals frequently. I recommend reading your goals daily or at the very least weekly to be mindful of the direction that you are going and evaluate how you are progressing towards that goal.

4. Surround yourself with other business owners. Find some other friends or colleagues that you can draw strength and insight from.  Discover how they cope with and overcome their business challenges.  Ask them for tips, advice, and best practices.

5. Take time to reflect on how you can be more effective. I recommend that you take at least 20-30 minutes each week to take a look at yourself and your business to evaluate what is working and what is not working.  What should you be doing more of and what should you be doing less of (i.e. more marketing and less development).  What should you stop doing all together?  Do not continue to make the same mistakes.

6. Get a business mentor or coach. The majority of the Fortune 500 executives have executive coaches, it is no secret that having a business mentor, motivator, seasoned coach in your corner can be a great investment into helping you become more productive and achieving your goals.  Some studies show as much as a 500% return on investment.

7. Be balanced and be sure to laugh and play just as hard as you work. Rome was not built in a day and neither will your business, so remember to take some time to have some fun and do not take yourself so seriously.  Go for a long walk and clear your mind.  Exercise, ride a bike, volunteer with your favorite charity, or go dancing.  Life is too short to simply be a stressed out entrepreneur trying to achieve some goals.

Finally, don’t wait for change, make the change!

So, how do your stay motivated?  Share your tips, comments, or advice below:

But Why?

1. Some are simply are unaware of their responsibilities and roles and avoid fulfilling them which leave them and their organization at greater risk for liability issues. How can a board member fulfill their responsibility if they are unaware of what is required of them?  By not ensuring that your board members are fully aware of what is expected of them in their role and responsibilities the organization may be at risk for conducting itself in a manner that is illegal.
2. Some forfeit their responsibilities by not attending meetings and/or rubber stamping decisions made by other board members. Just because a board member is absent from a meeting or several meetings does not prevent them from being held liable for the bad decisions that other board members make during their absences.
3. Some knowingly put their personal interests in front of the organization’s best interests. Boards have the collective responsibility to ensure that none of the board members are working in their self-interest.   How do you do this? What standards need to be established to prevent this from happening?  These are some of the issues that need to be addressed to help you develop a board that is high-performing.  If a board allows one or even a few other board members to work in their own self-interests, it runs a great risk of having to pay severe fines and even do jail time.  The IRS and attorney generals do not take these matters lightly, so invest into laying a great foundation for your organization.

Learn more about my Nonprofit Board Development Resource Package now!  You will be glad you did.

Question:

I am interested in starting a business and was wondering what things I should do first?  Any advice?

Answer:

Some people dream about starting a business and other take the necessary steps to start a business.  If you are going to a start a business here is some helpful advice:

• First, Look inside. This means that you should explore your heart to see what you are passionate about doing.  What special skills, talents, or abilities you have a knack for?  What kind of experience and knowledge do you have that others would value and be willing to pay for?  What type of services, or products, would you like to offer?  If you are going to start a business it makes sense to do something that you enjoy while you earn a living.

• Secondly, Look outside. See who else is doing something very similar to what you want to be doing that you can learn from. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when there is a tire company in your very own back yard. You might have to learn from afar by reading, finding a business mentor, or getting specialize training.  Yet, this will be well worth your time, because you will not be going at your business blindly with out a sense of direction of what others are doing to be successful.  So, do your homework before you launch out and remember to keep your day job, because starting a business is the easy part, but growing your business will take time.

“Dare to Dream…Put actions behind your dreams…and you will find your dreams have become your new reality.” -Rodney D. Walker

What are the essential elements to begin developing a strong nonprofit board?

Answer:

So you want to develop a strong nonprofit board, but are not quite sure where to start?  Here are 7 tips to get you moving in the right direction:

1. Make an investment into yourself to learn how an effective board is suppose to function. There are many books and audio training available. There are sure to be some classes in your area.

2. Learn the various roles and responsibilities of a board member (be sure to note the legal and fiduciary obligations). Also learn the role of the executive director and how it differs from the board’s role.

3. Start off with some good, brief, yet sound bylaws (ideally, 9 pages max.) that addresses challenges that may arise with absentee board members, conflict of interest issues, and terms limits)–avoid those 20 page cookie-cutter-vanilla bylaws that no one (and I do mean no one) on your board will read.

4. Check on the cost for some good D & O (Directors & Officers) insurance because most people that serve on boards will appreciate the added protection.

5. Get a consultant or coach to help you to avoid those costly mistakes that most newcomers will make.

6. Train your board from day one and make board development a high prior in your organization.

7. Try to get a board that bespeaks of being able to govern a nonprofit (not just your friends or family members–trust me, you will be glad you did). It will be great to have someone with legal, marketing, nonprofit accounting, fundraising, and a financial background.

Here is a quick start to get you going. Check out my blog and look at the article on “How to Build the Board that You’ve Always Wanted” at http://www.rodneydwalker.com