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Leadership insights and community resources for those building capacity in themselves and others.

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YWCA Metropolitan Chicago: Vital Childcare and Family Support

YWCA Metropolitan Chicago: Vital Childcare and Family Support

The immense challenge of finding affordable, quality childcare is being directly addressed by the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. They are a social enterprise dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace. This nonprofit agency actively mitigates significant community challenges, ensuring families have access to stability, trauma recovery, and vital early childhood mental health support. Services & Community Support: Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) for...

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Peer-Powered Leadership (Schaumburg Township Nonprofit Leaders Forum)

Peer-Powered Leadership (Schaumburg Township Nonprofit Leaders Forum)

These midlevel nonprofit leaders have built something powerful: a trusted network that validates their experience and renews their capacity to lead. During our final session of this cohort, partners continued to tackle real leadership challenges, including when to advocate for organizational structure where it's lacking and how to navigate difficult employee situations with clear, direct communication. The cohort affirmed a crucial principle: "If I set boundaries for my team but don't follow...

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We Rise By Lifting Others Up (Nonprofit Leaders Forum – Bloomingdale Township 2026)

We Rise By Lifting Others Up (Nonprofit Leaders Forum – Bloomingdale Township 2026)

"We rise by lifting others up."  These words from a forum partner captured the spirit of the inaugural session of the 2026 cohort of the Nonprofit Leaders Forum, empowering nonprofit leaders serving Bloomingdale Township residents with tools and a trusted network. www.goodworksresults.com/nonprofitforum This forum, in partnership with Good Works Results LLC, proves that leaders don't have to navigate challenges alone. Seven cohorts in, we've seen how peer connection transforms isolated...

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Resource Generator: Concrete Wins at the Nonprofit Leaders Forum (Hanover Township)

What happens when you combine the shared wisdom of 11 empowered nonprofit leaders with a focused commitment to action? That was the powerful formula for success at the recent Hanover Township Nonprofit Leaders Forum. Our session was a resource generator. Partners shared tangible resource leads and strategic connections that expand upon services and address critical client needs. We produced...

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The Groundwork of Leadership: Growing to Give

We are working and supporting others in what feels like a chaotic season.  To show up well for others, let's look together at the emotional and strategic bandwidth required to lead effectively. What I am Hearing Managing Perceptions: One leader realized that while half of her energy went to strategic work, nearly as much was being drained just managing how external parties perceived her...

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Sticky Habits: Tools I’m Learning from the Leaders I Partner With

I am learning alongside the leaders I partner with. These practical strategies come from people like you who are navigating these challenges in real time. Capacity is built in the small, "sticky" habits that allow us to lead with more clarity and less anxiety. Tools from the Field The Self-Interruption Tool: Many of us have a natural pattern of filling space with words when things get chaotic,...

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Trust Plus Action (Nonprofit Leaders Forum – Schaumburg Township)

After seven sessions, these midlevel nonprofit leaders know each other. They've built trust through shared challenges and honest conversations. In a "Partnership Expansion Lab" segment at our recent forum, we strengthened those relationships by translating connections into concrete benefits for the agencies they serve. The "plus-one" model makes this happen. Partners pitch a specific service...

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The Infrastructure of Community

What happens when leaders serving the same community meet? They offer to be resources for one another: A family advocacy program links with a housing provider. An immigrant services organization connects with a behavioral health agency. Four new working relationships form from a single meeting. Connection isn't just networking. It's infrastructure. What Emerges from Convening Cross-sector...

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When Leaders Show Up

Federal uncertainty, funding scarcity, and heightened community need. These are the conditions leaders across our region continue to navigate. Through coaching business owners and nonprofit leaders, facilitating forums, and conversations across sectors, I'm humbled by how our community leaders are choosing to show up. Doing the Personal Work Leaders are showing up by learning to set boundaries...

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Translating Overwhelmed into Action: Nonprofit Leaders Forum (Hanover Township)

How do you translate "we're overwhelmed" into concrete numbers that leadership will act on? How do you build the business case for resources when you're caught between proving need and protecting capacity? Eleven partner agencies serving Hanover Township residents tackled these questions at our Nonprofit Leaders Forum, hosted by Family Service Association of Greater Elgin. Two consultations...

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Building Trust Through Peer Learning: 2025 Bloomingdale Township Forum Impact

What happens when you give leaders a space to be real with each other for an entire year? The final session of the 2025 Nonprofit Leaders Forum serving Bloomingdale Township answered that question: trust builds, leadership confidence grows, and a professional network emerges that strengthens how leaders serve families across the community. Partners reported significant growth in their awareness...

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Forum Impact Report (Township of Schaumburg) – Fall 2025

I recently presented a midpoint Impact Report on the Nonprofit Leaders Forum to the Township of Schaumburg Mental Health Board. View Impact Report Then I asked the Board: What keeps you up at night? Waitlists. Agencies with backlogs in an overburdened system. Access barriers—residents don't know where to start. Network isolation—agencies that need to work together more effectively. When agencies...

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Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley – Community Resource

Access to early intervention and developmental support can be life-changing for children and families—but wait times at most facilities stretch for months, leaving families without answers or support. Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley fills this critical gap, ensuring families get the help they need without the barriers that often delay care.  Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley serves...

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The Lonely Leader: The Squeeze of Leading from the Middle

Leadership is lonely. I've written about this before, but spending three years facilitating forums with mid-level nonprofit leaders has given me a front-row seat to just how true this is—and how specific the challenges are for those leading from the middle. What makes mid-level leadership uniquely challenging? Mid-level leaders occupy a distinct space in nonprofit organizations. They're not the...

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How Do You Want to Show Up?

We're living in a season that feels heavy—uncertainty, tension, challenges that seem beyond our control. It's easy to feel overwhelmed about how to move forward. Recently, someone asked me a thoughtful question: "How do you want to show up in this season?" Not how should I show up according to someone else's playbook. Not what role do I need to perform? But genuinely—who am I, and what am I...

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Why Visionary Small Business Owners Need an Integrator

Small business owners are dreamers. That's their superpower—they see possibilities others miss.  But that same visionary thinking is often a blind spot that prevents them from scaling beyond their own capacity.   I'm currently working as an Integrator for a growing business, and I'm watching this pattern play out in real-time.  The founder has big ideas, deep client...

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Strengthening Nonprofits in Township of Schaumburg (Nonprofit Leaders Forum)

The profound importance of mutual support—hearing each other, facing challenges collectively, and even sharing moments of laughter—contributes to a sense of community, balance, and a safe path for growth. This is the essence of the Nonprofit Leaders Forum, empowering nonprofit leaders serving Township Of Schaumburg residents with tools and a strong network. (Learn more:...

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“We are helpers, and we do not give up.” (Nonprofit Leaders Forum – Bloomingdale Township)

"We are helpers, and we do not give up."  This call to stay in the action emerged during our October session of the Nonprofit Leaders Forum (Bloomingdale Township serving agencies), capturing the spirit in the room. But what does it mean to be a helper when you're managing 13 clinicians with pressure from above and below? What does it mean to be a helper when your interns and volunteers...

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Understanding Community Mental Health Boards

Imagine a local entity dedicated solely to ensuring your neighbors have access to vital mental health, developmental disability, and substance use services. That's precisely the power of Community Mental Health Boards, often called '708 Boards' in Illinois. In Illinois, this legislation enabled the establishment of 708 Boards, requiring local referendums and a local tax to fund community...

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Finding Perspective Through Service

I have found that intentionally focusing on the needs and experiences of others is a powerful way to gain perspective and stay grounded. The opportunity to serve, to connect with people from different backgrounds, and to contribute to a shared purpose larger than my own is incredibly meaningful. My inspiration for this comes from the words and actions of Jesus, who willingly chose “not to be...

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Startup Spirit, Community Heart: What Connects Local Nonprofits and Small Businesses

Within the tapestry of our local communities, two distinct organizations stand out: community nonprofits and small businesses. While their missions may seem divergent at first glance—one driven by social impact, the other by profit—a closer look reveals surprising shared characteristics crucial for a flourishing community, with common ground found in: Shared Foundations and Goals: Nimble...

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Elevating Nonprofit Leadership: Takeaways from the Hanover Township Advisory Forum

Celebrating the culmination of the Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum for Hanover Township's 2024-2025 cohort, our final forum session highlighted the value of this program. By providing validation, acceptance, and a supportive environment for candid peer-to-peer conversations, this forum has empowered mid-level leaders to build a strong network with trusted relationships, expand their...

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Bloomingdale Township Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum: August 2025 Highlights

Designed to build capacity for nonprofit managers serving Bloomingdale Township residents, the Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum cultivates a space for honest exchanges, allowing peers to find practical assistance through shared burdens and celebrated triumphs.  Our recent session was hosted by @NAMI DuPage on the DuPage County campus in Wheaton, IL. We learned about NAMI's valuable work...

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Schaumburg Township Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum: August 2025 Highlights

Our recent Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum (www.goodworksresults.com/advisoryforum) was a special experience, warmly hosted by @GiGi's Playhouse Inc.- Down Syndrome Achievement Centers flagship in Hoffman Estates, IL. We were inspired by their bright, inviting space and their incredible dedication to offering all services for free, powered by effective use of volunteers and staff. We...

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Supporting Middle Managers in Hanover Township with Actionable Strategies (Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum)

Thrilled to share key insights from the latest Nonprofit Leadership Advisory Forum (goodworksresults.com/advisoryforum), held around a dining room table at Wildwood Commons in Elgin, IL. This capacity-building program provides a robust peer network for nonprofit leaders serving Hanover Township residents (hanover-township.org) . Yesterday's session focused on challenges faced by middle managers,...

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Building Consensus: My Work with a Community Mental Health Board

I recently completed a meaningful consulting project, partnering with the DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board (DCCMHB) to facilitate collaborative decision-making on their organizational capacity. This project powerfully reinforced how a thoughtful, inclusive process strengthens organizational dynamics and enables vital decision-making within community organizations. My primary goal was...

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Advisory Forums: A Trusted Peer Network for Leaders

Management isolation, knowledge gaps, and stalled development hold back organizations from the confident and compassionate leaders they need. Advisory Forums are a proven capacity-building program that directly addresses these challenges by delivering a trusted peer network, facilitating shared learning, and enhancing professional skills. What Do These Forums Look Like? Advisory Forums provide a...

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