By Tom Peterson Maybe there are a few oddballs doing something right. And maybe they can point the way for the rest of us. In facing a tough social challenge positive deviance tells us to look for any outliers who may be like everyone else but who found […]
By Tom Peterson If you happen to be in a role of hiring staff, key volunteers or outside vendors consider that every position you get is a precious gift. A cause’s most valuable asset is its collection of people, so a leader’s top job is find and keep the most insanely talented folks possible. Most […]
By Tom Peterson Every year Oxfam reports on the massive gap between the world’s super-rich and the poor. In 2017 the report named just eight men—Bill Gates, Amancio Ortega, Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim Helu, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, and Michael Bloomberg—who have more wealth than the poorest half of people on earth. Some […]
By Tom Peterson Do you see yourself in here? You are needed. No matter who you are you have some gifts, some talents, some skills to lend to some cause. Look for yourself in the following list: The one with ideas, with creativity. The one who can borrow an idea they saw somewhere else. […]
By Tom Peterson On the front of the penny we see an image of Abraham Lincoln. Even though a coin is a small space, it’s a public space and the words and images belong to all of us. When we pass a few pennies to a cashier, we’re probably not thinking about Lincoln’s role as […]
Let’s commit to oblivion these symbols & what they stand for By Tom Peterson Last week riding with some friends in North Carolina we passed a Confederate flag proudly flying along the highway. It was a jarring reminder that Jim Crow is alive and well. But it wasn’t surprising. After all, I do […]
“It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” —Yogi Berra By Tom Peterson If you or your group have a past littered with unfinished efforts you’re not alone. Many of us face this challenge of starting things but never getting the benefits because we didn’t make it to the finish line. All that’s left is a half-cooked […]
Use nonprofit discounts to shift funds to your mission By Tom Peterson When you get to be my age you can buy your movie ticket for less because the theatres would rather have an oldster than an empty seat. Or maybe they’re just nice. Either way, I save money doing something […]
How one guy’s simple goal, and one woman’s determination led to Oprah’s “all-time favorite guest” By Tom Peterson Ray White’s 30-year journalism career and passion for the cause made him a great, though unassuming, leader of public relations much of the time I was at Heifer International. While the team was small—Ray, an associate […]
