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The Power of ProInspire: Appreciating Community in Times of CrisisBy Megan Grimaldi, PNLC member As we step out cautiously into the world again, in the midst of what seems like a never-ending cycle of crises, I hope that we maintain this renewed appreciation for and commitment to creating equitable communities that grew out of the pain of the last two years. In Au…
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How are we practicing Collective Reimagining?“At ProInspire, we have been creating space for people to share their individual experience, and then understand it through the eyes of a collective.“ At ProInspire, we took the last few weeks of December to reflect on what we did and learned through our work in 2021. As an organiza…
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Aligning Values: What’s Undermining Your Organization?“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”– Brené Brown Advancing racial equity within organizations builds upon the work of “Leading Self” and “Leading…
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A Conversation on Centering Relationships“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” – Lilla Watson and Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970s Neriel: First, I wanted to ask you what the commitment…
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Exploring Identity: The Day I Found Out I was BlackPart one of our four-part Commit to Shift blog series I vividly remember the day I found out I was Black… It was in the Shaffer’s hallway, as the sunlight pierced through the glass front door. Moments before, I had been playing happily with Emily and Greg. I can still hear the sound of our…
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Observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Three Learning OpportunitiesOn Friday, October 8, 2021, President Biden signed the first-ever presidential proclamation declaring October 11 Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Today and every day, ProInspire acknowledges the vast contributions, sheer resilience, and rich culture of our country’s first inhabitants and their d…
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Earthquakes, Hurricanes, a Persisting Pandemic… Is it Time to Revisit Your Employee Benefits?As a Haitian American who currently has family on the ground in Haiti impacted by the recent earthquake, I am working through a lot of heartache and grief. Since the 2010 earthquake and before joining ProInspire, I have worked in Haiti, organizing mobile medical clinics and supporting disaster relie…
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Practical Examples, Personal Discovery and our Leadership PracticesThe importance of practical examples to contextualize race equity practices seems to be a running theme in our recent training and workshops. Last week we were invited by LeadersTrust, an organization that invests in people at the heart of change, together with its sister program, the Resilience Ini…
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Holding Space When People Are GrievingThe past month has been filled with so much pain all around us and constant reminders of the harm that white supremacy causes every single day. Police killings of Black and Brown boys and men, mass shootings, anti-Asian violence, enduring Derek Chauvin’s trail and the re-traumatization of George F…
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Why Inner Well-being is Foundational to Race Equity WorkBy: Kate Loving, Manager In our last update back in May, ProInspire Director Bianca Anderson discussed our strategic shift from competencies to leadership practices to build inclusive work environments. Feedback from partners and advisors helped us focus on how and why leadership practices can be a …
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From Competencies to Practices for Race Equity ImpactBy: Bianca Anderson ProInspire began working on this research in 2016, analyzing existing leadership literature, interviewing thought partners, and bringing forth our own knowledge on what it means to lead. We’ve identified 16 practices (previously called competencies) that connect to leading with…
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Top 10 Tips For Making The Most Of Your FellowshipBy Kate Loving, ProInspire’s Marketing and Communications Associate Reposted with permission from PCDnetwork.org Fellowships can be one of the most valuable experiences of your professional and academic career. Whether you are transitioning into a new sector or are traveling to research or wor…
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The Design Principles Guiding Our Competency Model DevelopmentBy Sandy Stonesifer, ProInspire’s Advisor for Leadership Development As ProInspire’s CEO Monisha Kapila shared in a blog post earlier this year, we are in the process of defining a competency model for social sector professionals. Our team spent the past few months reviewing existing literat…
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Learning a New Skill – Lessons from a 4 Year OldThis week, my daughter Meera turns 5 years old. Over the past six months, I have learned so much from her dedication to learning a new skill – riding a scooter. Here are some lessons from Meera on learning a new skill that are relevant at any age: 1. Pick a skill In the spring, […]…
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Rethinking LeadershipBy Daria Hall, ProInspire Alum and Vice President, Communications & External Relations for America’s Promise Alliance – “We’re all born into certain circumstances with particular physical traits, unique developmental experiences, geographical and historical contexts. But then…
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ProInspire CEO featured in Drucker Institute article on Managing the BossDrucker Institute, a social enterprise whose mission is strengthening organizations to strengthen society, recently interviewed ProInspire Founder and CEO Monisha Kapila for an article on Managing the Boss. The article, featured in the Institute’s bimonthly Monday* magazine, builds on Peter Dr…
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ProInspire Faculty Member Featured in Huffington Post BlogTiffany Quivers, ProInspire faculty member and leadership development consultant, was recently featured in the Inside the Office blog series on Huffington Post. In this piece, Tiffany discusses her work and reveals some of the motivations and inspirations that helped shape her both personally and pr…
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Leading the Way: ProInspire launches development of a competency model for rising social sector professionalsBy Monisha Kapila I am excited to share that ProInspire has launched an initiative to define a competency model for rising social sector professionals, with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The result will be a framework that can serve as a guide for social sector professionals who want …
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Fumbling Towards Equity: Increasing Diversity at all Levels of the Talent PipelineNote: This post was originally featured on equityinthecenter.org Equity in the Center is a collaborative initiative that influences social sector leaders to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial and ethnic diversity at all levels in the social sector. ProInspire was one of the t…
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Bold Goal Strategy 1: Develop Leaders to Drive ResultsBy Dionne Galloway and Monisha Kapila As we shared last week, ProInspire’s Bold Goal is that social sector organizations have high performing leaders at all levels in order to fulfill their missions. The first strategy we have defined to achieve our bold goal is to develop leaders with the mindset…
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Chronicle of Philanthropy Publishes Op-Ed on Racial Equity, Co-Authored by Monisha KapilaToday the Chronicle of Philanthropy published an op-ed by Monisha Kapila, ProInspire CEO, and Ericka Hines, ProInspire Advisor and Principal of Every Level Leadership. The op-ed, How Nonprofit Workers and Leaders Can Make a Difference as Racial Tensions Flare, was written in response to rising racia…
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Transforming Unexpected Obstacles into Unexpected Opportunities: the First 90 Days of My ProInspire FellowshipBy Brad Hamilton, 2016 ProInspire Fellow at the National Human Services Assembly The first ninety days of my ProInspire Fellowship were filled with transition – into the nonprofit sector, into my new role at the National Human Services Assembly, and into my new life in a new city. While that amo…
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Monisha Kapila Featured on Nonprofit Radio PodcastMonisha Kapila was a guest on Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio on May 6th, where she talked with Tony about the importance of Emotional Intelligence in nonprofit management. Monisha highlighted the steps nonprofit managers can take to become more aware of themselves and others, and how this awarenes…
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Why Results Should Drive the Work: My Introduction to Results Based FacilitationBy Dionne Galloway, ProInspire’s Director of Leadership Development Programs Imagine a world where every conversation has a result — from a short check-in with your boss to a quarterly board meeting with a packed agenda. While this may seem like a farfetched and unattainable idea, the An…
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Monisha Kapila’s Op-Ed on Equity and Inclusion Published by Chronicle of PhilanthropyThe Chronicle of Philanthropy recently featured an op-ed authored by Monisha Kapila, ProInspire Founder and CEO. What Nonprofits Can Learn From #OscarsSoWhite examines the similarities between the entertainment industry and the nonprofit sector when it comes to diversity, and recommends steps nonpr…
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The Old Way of Doing Business is Dead. Its Time for the Socially Conscious to RiseMounting pressure from social media, consumer organizations, online petitions, and high-profile activists are causing longstanding brands to bow to customer outcry. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, after 145 years featuring elephants in its circus acts, will retire its elephant herd by…
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Managing Up: Nonprofit CEOs Share Leadership Advice With ProInspire’s Management FellowsBy Kate Perry, ProInspire Intern Last month, ProInspire’s 2015 Spring Management Fellows had their final workshop. The workshop included a CEO panel with leaders of three nonprofits based in the DC region: Ellie Hollander, President and CEO, Meals on Wheels America Janaye Ingram, National Ex…
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ProInspire Selected for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Social Sector Talent Pipelines Strategy and Learning LabInitiative to build talent in the social sector involves small group of leading organizations focused on talent development ProInspire is pleased to be selected for a new initiative announced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation aimed at developing the next generation’s social sector leadership. The…
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ProInspire Managing for Success Featured in Standard Social Innovation ReviewProInspire and our partners are highlighted in the latest post in Stanford Social Innovation Review’s Talent Matters series. Talent Matters (co-curated by ProInspire and Net Impact) recently launched its third phase, focused on how social sector organizations are putting talent development into pr…
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Lessons from Talent Philanthropy ProjectBy Monisha Kapila, Founder and CEO, ProInspire Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a gathering of the Advisory Council for the Talent Philanthropy Project (talentphilanthropy.org), a new initiative that was launched in 2014 by Rusty Stahl, who was previously founding Executive Director…
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ProInspire article on Bridgespan: Five Ways to Build and Maintain Staff DiversityYesterday The Bridgespan Group published an article by ProInspire: Five Ways to Build and Maintain Staff Diversity. This article was co-authored by Monisha Kapila, ProInspire Founder and CEO, and Peter Vincent, Vice President of Human Resources at the National Audubon Society. Monisha was part of�…
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ProInspire Fellow featured on Commongood Careers on “Life After Fellowship”This article was featured on the Commongood Careers site, and features Marian Leitner, 2011 ProInspire Fellow. Read below about different Fellowship experiences, and Story #3 for Marian’s story. LIFE AFTER FELLOWSHIP: THREE CAREER SUCCESS STORIES Fellowships in the social impact space are expe…
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The Need for Diverse Leadership in the Social SectorBy Tracy Williams, 2014 ProInspire Fellow This was originally posted on the Unsectored blog as part of the “Does the Social Sector have a diversity problem?” series. Does the social sector have a diversity problem? In short, yes. The good news is that the next generation of social sector lead…
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Gaining Perspective: A Crash Course on Dealing With Your Boss from your BossesBy Catherine Kent, ProInspire Intern In August, ProInspire’s 2014 Spring Managing For Success cohort in Washington DC had their last workshop focused on managing in organizations. As part of the program’s focus on “managing up”, ProInspire brought together a panel of nonprofit CEOs to share …
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ProInspire CEO Interview on The Traveling Cup PodcastProInspire CEO Monisha Kapila was interviewed by Mark Guay on The Traveling Cup podcast. The Traveling Cup is where coffee-loving changemakers hang out to create a better tomorrow. Listen to the podcast and share your comments with @monishakapila and @proinspire. http://www.thetravelingcup.com/p…
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GlobalGiving’s Approach to Investing in TalentMonisha Kapila, CEO of ProInspire, sat down with Jen Sigler, COO of GlobalGiving, to learn more about how the organization has invested in talent and results they are seeing. What is your overall approach to professional development? We have a very people centered philosophy at GlobalGiving. It ma…
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My Strength Finder Experience: Skeptic Turns BelieverBy: Ashlee Lawson My mother will be the first to tell you that her middle-born daughter (me), is a full blown skeptic. I question EVERYTHING. I’m talking-believe none of what you hear, half of what you see-levels of skepticism, and I have been this way for as long as I can remember. As you may [&h…
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Becoming A More Effective Leader: Results from ProInspire’s Managing for SuccessFor Immediate Release January 22, 2014 Contact Christine Lai 805.896.0236 [email protected] proinspire.wpengine.com Becoming A More Effective Leader: Results from ProInspire’s Managing for Success ProInspire’s Managing for Success pilot shows increased confidence and effectiveness for nonprofi…
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Nonprofit CEOs Share Lessons Learned With Managing for Success FellowsNonprofit CEOs Share Lessons Learned With Managing for Success Fellows ProInspire’sManaging for Success Fellowsrecently enjoyeda private panel with leaders from three of the D.C. Metro Area’s top nonprofit organizations: Jan Ridgely, Executive Director of United Charitable Programs Lidia Soto-Ha…
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ProInspire CEO Featured in Huffington Post: The Case for Professional Development in the Nonprofit SectorAsk any executive to reflect on her career, and surely she will mention The One — the managr who inspired a meaningful and successful career through effective leadership. Some individuals approach the manager role with natural ease. Yet, good managers aren’t just born; they become. How? …
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ProInspire CEO, Monisha Kapila shares her take on how to be successful with IdealistWant to be a successful nonprofit manager? Master these 3 key relationships: Becoming a manager is an exciting and challenging step in one’s career. In addition to taking on new responsibilities, you have to shift how you view yourself and how others view you. As a manager, you have to manage down…
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Being an effective multi-taskerBy: Kelly Pierson ProInspire Fellow 2013, National 4-H Council My name is Kelly Pierson, and I am an ineffective multi-tasker. After years of internal fighting, I can finally admit this truth. While I love to think that I can switch seamlessly between projects without skipping a beat, I simply canno…
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Five Strategies to Becoming the Employer You Want to Beby ProInspire Board Member Pratichi Shah “What kind of employer do you want to be?” There may be no more important question when positioning an organization for future success. Buteau and Gopal pose the question explicitly in Employee Empowerment: The Key to Foundation Staff Satisfa…
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Onboarding is More Than OrientationBy Founder and CEO Monisha Kapila ProInspire is a nonprofit dedicated to developing the next generation of social sector leaders by expanding the talent pipeline, developing professionals, and increasing diversity. Over the past three years, ProInspire has partnered with more than 25 other …
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You Don’t Have to be a Corporate Titan to Serve on a Nonprofit BoardBy 2009 ProInspire Fellow and Board Member, Nick Takamine We're on Day 2 of our 5 Days of Giving series on the blog with the goal of helping each and every one of you with your goals to change the world, in both big and small ways. Nonprofits in San Francisco, home to ProInspire’s ne…
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Opportunity Nation’s 2012 Summit Focuses on Pathways to SuccessBy Hadeel Al-Tashi, Program Coordinator Last Wednesday hundreds of leaders, legislators, academics, non-profit and business professionals, as well as young adults attended Opportunity Nation’s 2012 Summit with the collective vision of expanding economic opportunity and mobility in America. The…
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ProInspire Profiled by Shoestring VentureMonisha Kapila and ProInspire were recently profiled by Shoestring Venture, a resource for entrepreneurs seeking to build effective startups. Read on to learn more about Monisha's experience getting ProInspire started: On February 26, 2009 I launched ProInspire, with the mission of…
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Lessons on Leadership in the Nonprofit SectorNonprofits have a bad rep when it comes to professional development and career growth. It’s a source of frustration for many young professionals in the sector. Having experienced their own challenges throughout their careers, Trista Harris and Rosetta Thurman published Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways …
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Book Review: Good to Great by Jim CollinsProInspire is no stranger to Jim Collins. Good to Great and the Social Sectors: a Monograph to Accompany Good to Great is an introductory read for all Fellows within the first few months in the sector. However after reading the monograph and receiving so many recommendations to read his best seller …
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Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Seminar ReviewThis past Wednesday following the Proinspire workshop for this month, many Fellows and alumni attended Good to Great and the Social Sectors: a discussion of what makes an organization Great. This seminar was led by a panel consisting of Schroeder Stribling, Executive Director of N Street Village, an…
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Bridgestar article: Cultural Fit in the Nonprofit SectorBridgestar recently spoke with Brian O’Connell about the role of cultural fit in the nonprofit sector. Brian is the author of Fifty Years in Public Causes: Stories From a Road Less Traveled, and co-founder and president emeritus of Independent Sector. Brian shared his perspectives about cultural f…
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Bridgespan’s latest report on the leadership deficitLast week the Bridgespan Group published Finding Leaders for America’s Nonprofits – an update to their leadership deficit study from 2006. Many people have been wondering if the leadership deficit is no longer an issue because of the recession. Bridgespan polled 433 nonprofit EDs with re…