Tell us your story For Impact!
“Dear Tom:
Thanks for the For Impact daily nuggets. I was feeling a little beaten down when I went to the first day and uncertain if we would make that months payroll. You gave me a real kick up the ass and we’ve had a stunning two weeks since – secured our funding to year end , been identified as a network for change in Irish Education by the National Council for Council and Assessment (with funding). – won our first co-research contact, had two brilliant Smashing Victorian Classroom workshops with 40 young people, architects, educators and artists and we are talking a different talk!
When I get back I look forward to lots of productive meetings to a whole new agenda with a new language!”John. Dublin, Ireland
We receive a dozen or so unsolicited notes like this each week. To you, readers, I can’t tell you what this does for our drive. We write at For Impact and publish resources as a way to support those individuals and teams that are changing the world. We do this to scale our impact beyond direct client work.
In the next few months we’ll be launching STORIES FOR IMPACT. This platform will capture and share stories like the one above and those at the end of this post. It will serves three purposes:
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It will be a place where others can visit and be enticed to drink the kool-aid. When organizations clarify their message, think big, commit to sales (focus on IMPACT), then more lives are saved, changed and impacted. I’m hoping you can help us put bright neon lights around the message!
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It will inspire and inform other readers and alumni. We got a note this morning from a training alum:
“I want you to know that every time I come back to the office with a contribution, I turn this on and dance for everyone.”
(Song is Salt n Pepa’s ‘Push It.’)
That’s funny. We want to share this funny, human stuff.
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It will speak to Tom, Nick, Kerry, Mike, Carol, Tim, Georgina, Steve, Christie-Marie, John, Robb, Dick, Phyllis, Melissa, Wolfie… all of us at For Impact and The Suddes Group. We pass this stuff around the office. It’s how we get high.
I’ve pasted a few stories at the bottom of this post but here’s the call to action:
SEND US YOUR STORY!
- Take one minute and tell us how For Impact (Daily Nuggets, Teleseminars, Training, eBooks, Partnership) has benefited your team.
Send your story to story@forimpact.org (this will go to Tom and Nick directly). -
Can be any tone. Serious… constructive feedback… fandom… pictures. We’re looking to hear how our words / thoughts are having an impact after you leave Eagle Creek. Remember, these will posted for the benefit of the rest of the For Impact community – imagine you were posting to a Facebook wall.
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COME TO BOOT CAMP. Our team will vote on the top ten stories (no criteria). Three of those top-10 will be randomly selected to attend boot camp. I’ll underwrite the attendance fee.
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“In 9 months [since boot camp] I have raised 320k!!! – which is 70k more than my goal. I have also been promoted from Leadership Annual Gift Officer to Major Gift Officer covering the West Coast.”
– Jason H. Colorado Springs, CO
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“I attended your presentation at the JA National Leadership Conference in Boston last July. I was so impressed with your ideas and your methods and I’m becoming an advocate of keep it simple and straightforward.
I’m NOT a fundraiser by nature – when I was little, my parents bought ALL my Girl Scout cookies, wrapping paper, and popcorn. And I was terrified of taking on that primary role when I let my VP of Fundraising go. To prepare, I used the model you gave us. And guess what? It worked! I am able to present our program and our outcomes in a new and engaging way. My investors see what we’re doing through the lens of solving drop outs, skills gap and free enterprise misinformation. Invariably I get “I didn’t know you were doing all that” and the meeting almost conducts itself. I’ve been asking for more and actually get it (some of the time).
I’ve also very successfully used this presentation (actually speech — I don’t use fancy visuals, etc) at Rotary / Kiwanis/ Optimist presentation as well as school boards.
Just wanted to let you know that you have definitely been “For Impact” in my career!
Thanks!”
– Barbara V. Moline, IL
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“Kerry,
I wanted to thank you again for taking time to ensure that I had your resume, for offering to talk to the President of Global AFC, and FOR GIVING ME THE CONFIDENCE TO KICK BUTT!!!!!
Thank you so much for helping us do this Kerry. I raised 45K in one month through GlobalGiving & this grant/partnership b/c of your fabulous/inspirational work. Now, off to work – I have a goal to achieve! 🙂
I really appreciate your being there for us unreasonables*. THANK YOU!”
– Maria. Nairobi, Kenya
*We get to mentor incredible people at the Unreasonable Institute each summer. Maria was an unreasonable.
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“Nick,
Since your team worked with us two years ago we’ve had a lot of funding results. You have to know that the real transformation has been several levels higher than that — and it’s significant. It’s in our culture, our attitudes… how we talk… what we believe… it’s in our impact, just like you preach.
We’ve had several ‘consultants’ over the years – they all did their thing and left. The Suddes Group messed with our DNA. That’s powerful stuff… lasting and really important work.
Preach on!”
Phil M. Orland, FL
