Goin' to Kansas City

Headed out today to work with three Goodwill's who are sharing information and best practices. Good people. Should be fun and informative. Free bonus: it's my last trip out of town for the year--according to United, I've been on 94 flights this year.

Short updates:
-My bookclubs are back. My major contractor restarted the clubs in January. We'll be reading books I've already read, but I look forward to the conference calls and conversations, and this will also give me time to read new things on my own.

-It's exam grading time for my Kellogg class. All the final projects are due today and I'll be grading in the hotel room in KC. This is a new exam format for us and I'm eager to see how it works out.

-This month I'm working on two new publications: business development, and life long learning for nonprofits, both of which I hope to post on my downloads area by Christmas.

-I have mixed feelings about the idea of a separate nonprofit agency in the US Department of Commerce. Seems good to focus on our needs but sure to wind up with more regulation. The Brits have their own agency, and ALL government funding goes through it...which presents some problems. On the other hand, if such an agency could come up with uniform reporting requirements for all nonprofits, it would be worth its weight in....paperwork reduction?

-Finally, a fun closing of a circle. Last Tuesday, I visited a friend (Allen Gouse) who runs the Easter Seals of Greater Hartford. He took my to the Easter Seals work center, where people with disabilities do light manufacturing, fulfillment, etc. Turns out its in the same building where my Dad used to work. The building was long abandoned, and renovated into what is essentially a nonprofit center. I remember sitting in the back seat of our car watching people come out of the factory waiting to pick up my dad at that building, and to have the structure used for this purpose is just too cool for words. My parents, who were two of the eight original founding board members of the Hartford Association of Retarded Citizens, would be thrilled. Me too.

Off to KC.