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The Kleinbaum Shmear Rule

A Bagel Sign About Culture, Flow, and Organizational Design I recently came across a wooden sign titled “The Kleinbaum Shmear Rule.” It instructs people at a synagogue oneg not to stop and spread cream cheese on their bagel while still in the buffet line. Instead, take

Behind the Scenes Heroes: What the Winter Olympics Teach Nonprofits About Storytelling, Leadership, and Engagement

The Winter Olympics just wrapped. We watched athletes fly down mountains. We held our breath during triple axels. We cheered for gold medals decided by hundredths of a second. But some of the most talked-about moments didn’t involve medalists at all. They involved the people behind

The Backstage Advantage 5 Ways Behind-the-Scenes Stories Strengthen Your Nonprofit Marketing and Communications

During the Winter Olympics, millions of people tuned in to watch elite athletes compete. But some of the most shared content wasn’t about gold medalists. It was about the people behind the scenes. Viewers became fascinated by the curling ice technicians who carefully “pebble” the ice

Fund the Rink, Not Just the Medal: 5 Ways Behind-the-Scenes Stories Strengthen Nonprofit Fundraising

During the Winter Olympics, we celebrated athletes standing on podiums. But no medal is won alone. Behind every performance are technicians preparing the ice, crews maintaining the course, engineers checking equipment, and teams ensuring safety and precision. The athlete is visible. The system is not. Nonprofits

From Audience to Insiders: 5 Ways Behind-the-Scenes Stories Increase Membership Engagement and Retention

During the Winter Olympics, millions watched athletes compete. But what people kept sharing online weren’t just medal ceremonies. It was the behind-the-scenes crews: The curling ice technicians preparing the surface. The ski jump teams clearing the runway between jumps. The volunteers resetting equipment in freezing temperatures.

Rethink the Ordinary to Capture Attention

At Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, there’s a world-famous clock that stops people in their tracks. Instead of automated hands, the time is updated by a real person who appears inside the clock face every minute, physically repainting the hands. What’s normally a quick glance becomes a moment

Nonprofits Aren’t Meant to Win—They’re Meant to Last

Why the Infinite Game Mindset Changes Everything Nonprofit work often feels like a series of finish lines. The end of the fiscal year. The next campaign. The grant deadline. The enrollment target. The gala. The board report. We move from one high-pressure moment to the next,

Engagement Is Not Attendance—It’s Belonging

Building Communities That Last in an Infinite Game Engagement is often measured in numbers. How many people showed up. How many signed up. How many participated. How many came back. Those numbers matter—but they don’t tell the whole story. Because people can attend without engaging. They

Fundraising Isn’t About the Gift. It’s About the Relationship.

Why Donor Development Is an Infinite Game Fundraising often feels like the most finite part of nonprofit work. A goal. A deadline. A thermometer. A number that determines whether the campaign was a “success.” When the pressure is on, it’s easy to reduce fundraising to a

Stop Chasing Attention. Start Building Trust — Marketing & Communications for the Infinite Game

Nonprofit marketing is often driven by urgency. We need people to open the email. We need clicks. We need registrations. We need awareness—now. So we chase attention. Louder subject lines. More posts. Bigger announcements. Another campaign layered on top of the last one. Sometimes it works.

Winter Savings!