I just found out that my cousin Julie is on Barack Obama’s transition team. I had just emailed her asking her to donate to one of my favorite nonprofits in honor of my birthday, and she sent me this update about her career. Who knew I had a connection to O Man? It made me wonder whether all of us in the nonprofit sector might be leaving power on the table by not engaging everyone in our organizations to reach out to their networks for support.
Power is infinite. But in nonprofits, often we only mine power from the top: from the Executive Director or CEO, from board members, from our funders. We have to remember that there is power within our organizations, too. Right down to the receptionist. He could have a cousin who knows O Man, too.
Dr. Cathy Royal reminds us that power is not finite. It is not diamonds or tanzanite. We can share it, and we should share it.
And in a challenging economy, this is absolutely the time for nonprofits to share power throughout our organizations. Involve everyone in the strategic planning process. Engage each staff member in fundraising. You will never know how much power is in your network until you open the door for people to play a part.
Cozality on 
bsaunders on 
