This week's:
Donor "Bill of Rights"

I'm looking forward to giving a speech to a statewide group of nonprofits in Wyoming in a few days. I was invited to present a keynote on "Walking the Talk," exploring the ways that nonprofits can ensure that the core values of their mission are defined, understood, embraced throughout the organization, and serve as an essential measurement tool for even the smallest day-to-day decisions and activities.

As we approach the fall, it is an excellent idea to revisit your strategic plan, if you have one, as a starting place before you begin the specific work on your budget for 2011. Conversations about vision and values are a powerful way to open a board retreat, for example, and to bring new board members into the culture of your organization and the important "bedrock" values underneath your day-to-day operations.

In teaching and writing about the importance of values-based leadership in our sector, one of the resources I often return to is the 2004 project by a task force of Independent Sector called "Statement of Values and Code of Ethics for Charitable and Philanthropic Organizations." This is excellent baseline work that your organization can use to launch its own dialogue around ethical standards and the values that support your mission.

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