"Passion for the mission is a must" . . . so say many job announcements and board member requirement lists. Wait a minute. Let's examine this sacred cow cliche a little more.

First, is "passion for the mission" enough to make someone a good board member, good executive, good staff person? Of course not. Someone may have a deep passion for children's health, yet not be interested in a particular pediatric clinic or a toxics prevention organization. So we know that passion isn't enough. Continue reading here.
    
The Trouble with "Passion for the Mission" February 10, 2013, Blue Avocado, by Jan Masaoka

Have you ever noticed how very young kids' drawings usually don't feature a person's neck? Have you wondered why?

Katya's theory is that if you're two or three years old and your perspective is low to the ground, you don't see people's necks when you look up. You see a head sitting on arms.

She can't think of a better analogy for marketing. Marketing mandates that we look at the world through the eyes of our audience and communicate from that perspective. The process of pushing into a foreign frame of reference can be hard, but when we do it, we find its value. Everything looks wildly different from that perspective.  And our work must meld to its crazy contours. This is the mind-bending fun that is our profession.

Easy to Forget, Critical to Remember: Perspective is Everything, February 15, 2013, Katya's Nonprofit Marketing Blog, by Katya Andersen

The JTA published an article on Monday, February 11th noting the importance and success of our Government Affairs Institute/Advocacy Mission held jointly with JFNA last week. During the three days, members from across the country enjoyed the opportunity to hear from experts on top issues of national importance, and then to share their priorities in meetings with their legislative representatives on Capitol Hill. GAI documents can be found here. We thank our members who participated and invite all of you to participate next year. To view photos of the GAI - go to the AJFCA Facebook page. While you are there - be sure to "like" our page for updates moving forward.