GREETINGS! Mitch Ditkoff here, author of this blog. I have just launched a GoFundMe campaign to create the support I need to write, edit, publish, and promote my next book on storytelling, tentatively entitled Storytelling for the Revelation. Click this link for more info and a simple way to contribute. Every little bit helps. Thanks for considering this and for being a Heart of Innovation reader.

MitchDitkoff.com
Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)

If you are a mover and a shaker for a non-profit, arts organization, start up, or other capital-constrained enterprise, chances are good that you spend way too much time thinking about the "F" word -- fundraising. While the mission of your organization may be highly expansive, the money is takes to support that mission is, all too often, highly contracted -- especially these days, with government cut backs and an uncertain economy.

Enter Idea Champions' Winning the Fundraising Game, a thought provoking, custom designed, 4 - 8 hour creative thinking session that cuts through the "same old same old" syndrome and catalyzes bold, new, actionable possibilities.

Unlike most brainstorming sessions, Winning the Fundraising Game does not just focus on the generation of ideas -- or what some innovation mavens refer to as divergence. It also focuses on convergence -- what it takes to turn those bold, new ideas into measurable results.

HOW WE GET RESULTS

1. NEEDS ASSESSMENT: The first thing we do is learn about your organization's past and current fundraising efforts -- what's worked, what hasn't, and why. At the same time, we also learn about your organization's culture, so the design of our session is appropriate to the mood and mindset of participants. Our needs assessment process includes one-on-one phone interviews with a cross section of key stakeholders, as well as an online poll that gives all participants a chance to share their perspective.

2. CUSTOM DESIGN: Once we're clear about your hoped for outcomes, we design the session. Variables that impact the design include the number of attendees, length of session, meeting space, collective sense of urgency, goals, and the willingness of participants to go beyond the status quo.

3. FACILITATION: Idea Champions consultants are highly experienced facilitators of group process. Since 1987, we have been designing and leading dynamic creative thinking, teambuilding, visioning, and leadership development sessions for almost every industry on planet earth, including telecommunications, media, retail, pharmaceutical, health care, high tech, government, education, public relations, manufacturing, and non-profit.

4. FOLLOW-UP: Our support for your team of fundraising mavens does not necessarily end when the last person leaves the room. We offer all our clients a variety of simple ways to ensure that meaningful follow-up happens. This includes the generation of a post-session brainstorm report, reality check conference calls, and coaching.

As described on our website
Idea Champions
MitchDitkoff.com

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)

Innovation happens in many ways on Planet Earth and in many industries. Indeed, the word "innovation" seems to be on the lips of just about every CEO the world over, as they continue to look for their organizations' "competitive edge" and "the next big thing."

For me, as an innovation consultant to a wide variety of large and mid-sized companies since 1987, the most exciting growth area for innovation has nothing to do with manufacturing, technology, or alternative energy sources. It has to do with peace -- the very human effort to explore new and intriguing ways for each and every individual, family, community, city, country, and corporation to find their way, in the world, in a lot more mindful, heart-centered, inspired, sustainable way.

Towards this end, the Peace Caravan is coming to Opus 40, in Saugerties, NY, on Saturday, June 20th -- a confluence of five insanely talented groups of musicians who will be doing a benefit concert for the Woodstock Festival of Peace.

Much love, hard work, generosity, and community spirit has gone into manifesting this event -- local peacemakers joining together to create an unforgettable evening of inspired music in celebration of the need for peace -- locally, globally, inner, and outer.

Advance tickets are available at www.WoodstockPeaceFestival.org for $20. Tickets will also be available, for $25, at the door on the day of the event.

Bring your family. Bring your friends. Doors opens at 3:30 pm. The music starts at 5:00 pm. Food trucks will be onsite in case you get hungry. And if you want to create an original peace flag that will be displayed at the Woodstock Festival of Peace in September, there will a peace flag table set up for your creative expression.

THE MUSICIANS

PulseField/Soundshifter

Amy McTear and the One True Voice Choir

Levanta

Sri Kirtan

Baird Hersey

NOTE: Please check the Woodstock Peace Festival website, on June 19th, to get the update on the alternative venue for the Peace Caravan in case it rains on June 20th.

Want to volunteer at the Peace Caravan event? Contact Maria DeFranco: defrancodesigns@gmail.com

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:51 AM

If you are a mover and a shaker for a non-profit, arts organization, start up, or other capital-constrained enterprise, chances are good that you spend way too much time thinking about the "F" word -- fundraising. While the mission of your organization may be highly expansive, the money is takes to support that mission is, all too often, highly contracted -- especially these days, with the economy being as sluggish as it is.

Enter Idea Champions' Winning the Fundraising Game, a thought provoking, custom designed, 4 - 8 hour creative thinking session that cuts through the "same old same old" syndrome and catalyzes bold, new possibilities.

Unlike most brainstorming sessions, Winning the Fundraising Game does not just focus on the generation of ideas -- or what some innovation mavens refer to as divergence. It also focuses on convergence -- what it takes to turn those bold, new ideas into measurable results.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:58 PM | Comments (0)