That is the definition I was given the past few days in Baltimore during the NCEA (National Catholic Educators Association) conference on developing the annual fund. I rode out to Orioles land with my vice principal, the head of spiritual life (who writes several grants), and a parishioner who runs a major nonprofit grant program in Philly. We were treated like royalty--everything from our own suites to wine and cheese to all kinds of wonderful food. I ate much too much, but I figure I should be growing in as many ways as possible. =)
Not a lot of schools were selected to attend, due to the cost of the conference. Superintendents were asked to hand pick schools that are in need of extra funding that have the leadership in place to be successful financially. There were parts of the conference that were above my head, as this is the first real experience I've had with this type of thing. Of the people who were there, I was the youngest by at least 10 years. (but I won a door prize for being the newest one to the job: a pale blue polo shirt) So, while I did feel a little out of my league at times, I also was thankful for such an opportunity.
The optimism that the presentor shared with us reminded me of my fellow Cubs fans: there is no such thing as a "no"...it's just a "not yet." For example, when asking for $1,000 and receiving a "no", simply respond, "we would love for you to be a part of this project/program/building...at what amount would you be able to participate?" See? Phrase the question not as a yes/no item, but as expecting a positive response. They also used the term "friendraising", and said that quite often, developers will grow good friendships with their high doners--mostly because of the shared vision of the organization they have in common.
Overall, our group had a good time together. A community was formed among the various schools that were there, which was neat to see. Networking with people from other schools was enjoyable as well. I'm glad I went! There's a follow-up conferences in March, so I might just have to go to round 2, too!
Random fact of the day: 51% of the entire state of Pennsylvania's welfare money goes to recipients in Philadelphia.
The Tigers just keep on winning! They're the White Sox of 2006--a manager that makes all the right moves with his gut, a team that plays together with many heros, four strong starting pitchers, and a fan base that is excited for the finish line. They've got a strong shot!
Tomorrow Liberti is having a celebration of thanks dinner at the Constitutional Convention Center. It's a fancy dinner along with a few pastor roasts for fun. I'm looking forward to it, although it will go into a good portion of the Michigan/Penn State game...
My Bushhouse grandparents sent me a package full of food today! It was well received. =)
Sarah has an exam this coming Friday, so this is extra study week/weekend for her. I do my best to support her through it, but there's only so much an elementary technology teacher can do with octasyllabic words describing pharimicudical solutions for bacteria! Anyway, go Tigers.
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