Monday Motivation: Lets Not Complicate

I was taken with this. I am not sure where it comes from.

Friday Facts: Where is my remote?

Last year, a study by Logitech, the computer accessory and remote controls manufacturer, revealed that there's a nearly 50 percent chance that your lost remote control is stuck between your sofa cushions. Meanwhile, 4 percent of lost remotes are found in the fridge or freezer, and 2 percent turn up somewhere outdoors or in the car.

Linking to a Facebook post

Ever posted a great post on your Facebook and want to share it with someone else outside Facebook?

Sharing within Facebook is easy. Click: Share.
Sharing outside Facebook is easy but not as obvious.

On the post click on where it says when the story was published. The post will appear by itself with its url in the url box at the top of your browser. Copy and paste this and you have your link!

Monday Motivation: What a Relief??!!!

This makes me feel better about my lot and life:

"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It's quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that?s where you will find success." 

- Thomas J. Watson, the chairman and CEO of International Business Machines (IBM), 1924 until 1956

How about you..what is your reaction?

Friday Facts: Searching the web by..?

The Pew Internet & American Life Project study, published in Aug. 2011, found that 8 percent of Internet users do not use email or search engines. Somehow, this sizable portion of the online population manages to surf the web some other way… perhaps by typing in URLs by hand?

Wednesday World Changers: Unplugging

March 23 and 24 is US National Unplugging Day when individuals are being asked to unplug from digital communications for 24 hours. Originally conceived in the Jewish tradition, the organisers say:

"Shut down your computer. Turn off your cell phone. Stop the constant emailing, texting, Tweeting and Facebooking to take time to notice the world around you. Connect with loved ones. Nurture your health. Get outside. Find silence. Avoid commerce. Give back. Eat Together. "

The National Day of Unplugging runs from sundown Friday, March 23, to sundown, Saturday, March 24. 

How would you go with this day?

 

Monday Motivation: Opening our mouths-love it!

The Cowling Report Readership rises 30% in February

Thank you for your on going readership of this blog. In February, we increased the number of readers by a third. A lot of that growth was connected to a blog post on major, major changes to the Volunteer Centre funding arrangements in Australia.

While there were a lot of readers and a number of comments privately, not many commented on the blog.

I wonder why?

Other appreciated articles included:


Monday Motivation:Nelson Mandela: Inaugural Address - Published Jan 2, 2012

An older one- No More Free Training? Published Sep 8, 2011

Tuesday Tech: Korman Social Media learnings - a great one for agencies to reflect on the potential perils of Social Media:  Feb 7, 2012,

My blog post on The Facebook timeline continues to be popular. I will be writing soon about the changes for organisational pages with Timeline. First this Tuesday, I need to talk about the Google privacy changes.

Have a great March,

Friday Facts: whos reimbursing Volunteers?

In the Global Volunteer Management Survey, agencies were asked what benefits they provided for their volunteers. The total number of volunteers covered by the survey was 1,103,163 from 23 countries.

The results are listed below.

A few interesting points:

• the biggest was  reimbursement of travel or phone expenses (55.5%)- this means almost half of volunteers do not get one of those benefits
• parking (54.3%) came next
• free meals or drinks were provided to almost half of all volunteers
• 3.5 per cent of agencies pay their volunteers a regular cash allowance
• clothing on the job is  important with  43 per cent of volunteers being allowed to wear casual clothes and 19% getting a uniform
• 27 per cent of the volunteers are funded to do training or development
• a small number get additional benefits like club memberships, childcare and massages

Over a fifth of respondents chose the other category and saw the following as benefits:

• Social Events (2 per cent). One repondent noted that the agency provided socila events as a benefit but volunteers were expecetd to pay for them!
• References (1 per cent)
• insurance coverage which 1 per cent of agencies saw as a benefit (not an essential!)
• one Uk agency said they were not allowed to give benefits
• one said "Just being a part of our organization!" 
• one per cent said things like:  "self fulfilment", "Personal growth opportunities while supporting a cause they believe in"

What do you offer your volunteers - and why?

Nice Experience

I visited a food distribution centre today. The organisation feeds at least 500 households a month.

I was very, very touched when the CEO welcomed me by telling me he had attended my session at a conference in November.

As a result of the workshop, he picked up on of my points regarding measuring, assessing and telling the story of the impact of not for profits.

They made a pitch for funding to a very large petrochemical company and focused on the impact their work was doing to be told by the company rep: this is exactly what our Board is looking for when we are looking to donate.

They got their funding!

It is what makes me like my job.