Giller Consulting Group, LLC

@Disability Rights Iowa is doing some incredible things, and I am so proud to watch them shine in their 40th year glow-up.

As the temperatures drop, it’s hard not to think about the impact on those most vulnerable: those who lack stable housing. Recently, Homeward Iowa released a report detailing the challenges of unsheltered families in our community. This is important for many reasons, but primarily, it allows a first-hand account of how we can do better to support those who are trying to meet the most basic of needs. When I say we I mean: nonprofit organizations, donors, funders, neighbors, neighborhood and business associations, elected officials…literally all of us. Making these changes is no small feat–it will take financial investment, policy shifts, and collective voices. It will take all of us. It will not be solved in one year or by any one person or group. Consider, as you look towards the holidays and new year, what impact you would like to see in our community next year and how you can play a role. There are many individuals and nonprofits working in our community to solve homelessness and housing insecurity. We are grateful to know and support so many. It is incumbent upon us to support those doing this work and challenge ourselves to do better for the change we want to see in our community and world. https://lnkd.in/gxV4dXPv

Really excited to get these cuties delivered to our clients

I love Thanksgiving for a lot of reasons.  It’s not that I wait until Thanksgiving to be grateful, but the communal-ness of it all…why not indulge, you know?  This year has been challenging, not just for myself but for many around me. I think of the line from the Robert Frost poem, “the best way out is through.” In a tough year, I feel profound gratitude for the people who keep me grounded (or try to!), who support me unconditionally, and who are “in it” with me. I am grateful for the comfort of a warm home, a loving family, for clients who care about me and who allow me the honor of companioning them in their work–an amazing gift I do not take for granted. I wish for all of us during this week a respite, an opportunity, however brief, to catch joy as it flies. I am deeply thankful for you all. 

I recently finished up a three-week virtual series, PR for Introverted Entrepreneurs, with Alexson Calahan, APR of Small Adventures Communications. I've mentioned it before, but it was truly a helpful course that met me exactly where I was at in this stage of my work journey! The workshop will be back in early 2025 and if you'd like to hop on the waitlist, here is the link: https://lnkd.in/gYfg5G9T I highly recommend!

In full transparency, I do not have the words to express hopefulness right now. I feel a lot of things I am unaccustomed to feeling, and I am unsure of good next steps forward. However, I do feel and will express gratitude. First to many of my clients for the work they do day-in and day-out and will continue to do: + To ArtForce Iowa for providing space and safety for all of us, a path towards kindness and healing. You embody community in every sense. + To Disability Rights Iowa who fights for equal access and protections for those in our community who desire what we all have been promised--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They believe and work towards the fulfillment of that every day. + To Chrysalis Foundation, an organization who will not give up on the fight for equality for women and girls even when that fight feels endless and unjust and heartbreaking. + To Des Moines Refugee Support who will continue to support families already so vulnerable in ways above and beyond, saying yes when everyone else says no. + To the Iowa Council of Foundations who understands making a difference in community can and should look different than what's always been "in the box." + To the Iowa Public Health Association who has always fought strategically and unquestionably for doing the right thing to benefit the bigger whole. Additionally, to my people who have expressed kindness and wisdom this past week. Thank you for the walks (Julie Fugenschuh), the surprises at my front door (MaryNelle Trefz, MPH and Andrea Boulton), the laughter and perspective (Catherine Berardi, Matt Unger, Mitch Smith, Katie Jones, and Norene Mostkoff). I am deeply grateful for you in my life!

There is no shortage of articles projecting the total amount of money donated and spent in this year’s campaign.  No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, no matter how engaged you are politically or not, it’s hard not to see the BILLIONS of dollars spent and have some opinions. I think “what could that amount do if those were donations to a nonprofit supporting [fill in the blank social issue] instead of a political campaign?” What a difference that could make in our world. As the granddaughter of two World War II veterans, the sister of an Army Reserve Captain, and cousin of two Air Force Colonels, I do not take for granted that we have the opportunity in this country to vote for our political leaders. Many people give so much for that right. I am proud to live in this messy democracy of ours. Please vote today if you haven’t already. Please consider donating to nonprofits (especially if you donate to political campaigns). Please remember to get engaged in our democracy between elections. https://lnkd.in/g77XC_i9

If you know me, you know I think in strategy. While sometimes challenging to think long-term, large-scale, or just thoughtfully when so much of fundraising feels like too much. It's hard to get past what needs to be done right now, but thoughtful and planned donor engagement will never go out of style! Having a plan, especially in times that feel chaotic, is essential for donor engagement and (more importantly) retainment. https://lnkd.in/gFebAFaT

Had a wonderful time earlier this month in Dubuque with the Iowa Council of Foundations! It was an excellent convening of funders coming together to learn, strategize, and just get jazzed about opportunities for #climatejustice, #resiliency, and #disasterpreparedness in our state. Lots of work to do, but we were lucky to see work that has already been accomplished in the area, namely the Bee Branch Watershed flood mitigation project, pictured below. Bonus fall rooftop views just cuz!

The election is only three weeks away! Being a 501c3 does not preclude you from participating in democracy, and much the opposite. Make your collective voices heard! Many thanks to Bethany Snyder, MPP for this useful tool.