Graceful Giving winners announced for 2018

I’m so pleased to announce the winners of my annual Graceful Giving celebration! And not just one winner – but TWO special New Hampshire non-profit organizations who have earned the opportunity to participate in a day-long team building program called “Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team.”

There were numerous applicants from impressive non-profits and I was delighted with the response to this year’s Graceful Giving celebration. The two selected are indicative of the vast talent and commitment of individuals and organizations in New Hampshire. It will be an honor to work alongside them to support their team-building initiatives.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to the 2018 winners of Graceful Giving! 

Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country, based in Franconia, NH, enriches the quality of life for people with disabilities through year-round sport, recreation and wellness opportunities. They are in the midst of the first leadership transition in the organization’s 10 years of operation, making the timing of the team-building program ideal. Their lean staff of four members works in tandem with a few volunteer Team Leaders, who help orchestrate the efforts of more than 140 contributing volunteers each year.

The new Executive Director, Thomas Shovlin, remarked, “I feel that this training opportunity could not come at a better time and will be pivotal in our leadership transition. I would like to see us maximize this opportunity and build a strong relationship as a high-functioning team to ensure the future success of this organization that means so much to so many people.”

The Sustainability Project was founded in March of 2000. They are a nonprofit educational organization that promotes a love of nature, environmental stewardship, caring communities and ways of living that deepen our understanding of the interconnected web of life.

The physical heart of The Sustainability Project (TSP) can be found at the Emerson Brook Forest Outdoor Education Center in Gilsum, NH. The center functions as a learning laboratory for edible forest gardening, permaculture design and sustainable community practices. The list of programming that TSP supports is long and diverse.

The Sustainability Project is ready for focused, intentional organizational development and are eager to move to a new level of functioning. They have a growing Board, a reinvigorated strategic plan, and a commitment to the 2019 program offerings.

In speaking with their leadership team, they said, “We believe that participating in the Graceful Giving workshop will enable our organization to increase capacity for mission-driven activities. We’re excited about strengthening our communication and organizational skills during this time of renewal and expansion and will make great use of this multifaceted resource.”

Congratulations to both these organizations and many thanks to all who participated in Graceful Giving in some way. I couldn’t be more excited to work with these two teams! Their workshops are scheduled for January and February, so watch for more updates soon.

To learn more about the “Five Behaviors” training and how it helps foster cohesive teams here.