On Wednesday of this week, the nine fellows met for our final learning session. Although we were sad because these learning sessions are both fun and incredibly educational, it was exciting to hear how far everyone has come, what we have to look forward to in our final two weeks and very heartwarming to witness how our group has formed a tight-knit bond.
Kerri Mollard and Adrienne Selsor of Kerri Mollard Consulting, LLC spoke to our group about fundraising. They covered so much and truly taught us the importance of relationships and data-driven progression. For me, it was humbling to sit across the table from these professionals because The Center for Balanced Living has benefited immensely from Kerri’s expertise. She helped The Center raise the funds to move into the beautiful space where I am sitting this very moment. As much as I enjoy it, the new building is so much more functional to meet the needs of the clients and the growing number of programs that are being implemented. Thanks, Kerri!
As I am reaching the end of my communications courses at Otterbein, the importance of measurable outcomes is emphasized more and more. Not only does this keep me accountable for my actions towards the goal but it provides so much insight to discover strengths and weaknesses for the project at hand.
Last week, I blogged about my dietitian database which is still ongoing but no longer my primary focus. This week, I have been shifting towards evaluating my work at The Center in regards to social media. In a very detailed Excel sheet, I have each social media post I have ever published broken down into categories. Thankfully technology in all its beauty provides a basic analytic report but for the first time, I have been going further. What do our clients want to see? What about professionals, families and the general public? Those are questions that I can now begin to answer without an assumption. These are answers that carry over into my strategy for moving forward.
I am so thankful that I was given this task and further motivated to dive into the data from Kerri and Adrienne. A second thank you to everyone who has previously sat down with us, those who have granted us a place to sit and everyone at The Columbus Foundation who have taken time out of their work days to pour out their wisdom and believe in each of us. I may feel small accomplishments here and there but you are the ones who are making it possible!
https://tcfsummerfellows.wordpress.com/2016/07/22/moving-forward-with-strategy/