Back in the Saddle, Ready to Ride

We're back! Did you miss us? We experienced a lot of sunshine since we last met so I guess we really did have a summer after all. Here's hoping we get a little more of that kind of weather before the rains set in for the duration. Today is looking pretty promising in that department, from where I sit.

Returning from a combined six-week sabbatical/vacation, I'm more rested and refreshed than I've been in a long time, so I'm saddling up and ready to ride. Once I figure out where I'm supposed to go :-). I'm still a little disoriented and confused about what day or week it is.

(BTW, for those interested, I summarized my sabbatical experience and listed a few takeaways. READ MORE)

A lot of stuff queued up since we last met, so let's jump in with both feet:

• We made 19 grants worth more than $3.1 million. READ MORE
• We lost two members of our extended family, Barbara Pratt and Beverly Cross. It is hard to overestimate the importance of the partners of our trustees. Barbara and Beverly not only provided crucial support for the contributions of Trustees Gerry Pratt and Travis Cross to MMT, they also extended a warm embrace to staff and their families. Those of us lucky enough to have made the acquaintance of these talented, warm and amazing women were enriched by those experiences, and we miss them.
• We came across a new publication – Influencing Public Policy in the Digital Age: The Law of Online Lobbying and Election-related Activities – from the Alliance for Justice that updates rules on advocacy and lobbying for the digital age.
• There's an upcoming workshop – Building Nonprofit Capacity for Public Policy Engagement – on how to create a realistic advocacy agenda at the Oregon Civic Engagement Conference in Salem on Nov. 5. READ MORE
• Bridgespan Group ("helping nonprofits and philanthropy achieve breakthrough strategy, leadership and results) has a new report – Five Ways for Human Service Nonprofits to Reset their Funding Models – that includes findings you might find surprising.
• A class at Portland State University explores "the world of donors, foundations and social investors." Introduction to Philanthropy meets on Monday afternoons and is available in both for-credit and noncredit options. More information is available through the Institute for Nonprofit Management.
• And from the given-enough-time-there-will-be-an-app-for-everything department, here's Snooze, an app Mike found that makes you feel benevolent rather than guilty about sleeping in. READ MORE
• Is this twitter account a sign that the nonprofit sector's use of social media has matured enough that it is making fun of itself? READ MORE

Okay, I'm almost done, I promise. One last thing. Take a look at this short video made from earth orbit and see if you can tell when it is passing over Oregon. It's really pretty cool!

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