Robert Egger´s Piece of Mind

We have a joke of sorts at the DC Central Kitchen. Every year we say to each other “it can’t p-o-s-s-i-b-l-y get better next year”. It always does.

I can’t explain it. Sure we work hard…really hard. Sure we work the karma thing….with a capital K. And it was our 20^th year in operation!!! But still…the tide of love that comes in twice daily over at 425 Second Street is almost beyond understanding.

Consider the basics:

During the year, we worked side x side w/over 11,000 volunteers (including the Secretary of Agriculture, who has some solid knife skills!!). We prepared and delivered way over a million meals (as did our 20 amazing Campus Kitchens–cumulatively, they delivered their one millionth meal this year!!!) And just about ever one of those meals included locally-sourced food. In fact, because we MAKE more than 50% of our own income, we were able to purchase close to a million dollars worth of locally-sourced food, insuring that our meals are super nutritious, while we also keeping as much money as we could circulating throughout the regional economy. On top of it all, we graduated four outstanding classes from our training program (classes 73, 74, 75, and 76). Finally—in what was a real cherry on top of a bold year—we not only stayed open during the worst December DC blizzard in history, banging out 4,000 meals per day, but  we added an additional 3,500 meals ON TOP of all that to make sure everybody who was trapped inside had a hot daytime meal.

It don’t get much more bad-ass than that.

But this was the year I really took to the road. I’ve been traveling pretty much ever since we opened DCCK in 1989. I NEVER wanted to be one of those “have-to-make-every-decision” ED’s, so from almost Day One, I’ve surrounded myself with crazy smart colleagues, which has afforded me lots of room to both help and learn from others. For the first few years, I was pretty much helping others develop similar community kitchen efforts. Then I started speaking to the larger issue of nutrition and aging. As DCCK developed revenue generating businesses, I spoke about Social Enterprise. But over the last three years, I’ve taken up the standard on nonprofit unity—what could we accomplish if we quit fighting each other, found common ground and stood UP, together, for a new way of doing business. THAT’S what I talk about now….and I did it almost 80 times this year…giving keynotes from Burlingame, CA to Birmingham, England. I wrote op-eds, did radio and TV interviews, lectured at universities, spoke at high schools and colleges and went out of my way to stir things UP.  Like Johnny Cash…I was everywhere, man. I was in Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Lawrence, Austin, Chicago, Louisville, Baltimore, Phoenix (twice), San Fran (three times), LA, Pittsburgh, Albany, Boston, Richmond, Landsing, Milwaukee, Syracuse, Williamsburg, Kansas City and Dallas to name a few.

 And here are a few of my favorite moments.

1. My first speech of the year—with about 1,000 future nonprofit leaders enrolled in American Humanics programs at universities and colleges throughout America. PLUS, it was in Indianapolis a city I have visited many times over the last few years.  It was a great way to kick-off the year.
   
2. January 20, 2009 was our 20th Anniversary. While we love our jobs, we hate our work, so we kept the fanfare to a minimum. However, our friend Pam Fessler, from NPR did a nice podcast to mark the occasion and our work with the Ritz during the Inauguration of President Obama.
3. I also used the Inauguration as a backdrop for two of many op-ed’s on the need for nonprofits to unite—one was for the Council on Foundations and the other, my take on nonprofit mergers, for Cause Planet.
4. I was happy to get a sweet and provocative profile of my work in the Utne Reader, aptly titled “Ladling Soup and Raising Hell”
5. 5. Following a keynote at the Voice09 Conference for the Social Enterprise Coalition of the United Kingdom (where the barrier between politics and nonprofits is less pronounced and social enterprise is way out front), I penned this op-ed for Scotland’s Hollyroot Magazine suggesting (once again) that the time had come to think VERY  differently about the role of nonprofits.
6. Most state budgets are “unveiled” on July 1^st of each year. In the summer of 2008, I wrote an op-ed for the Chronicle of Philanthropy arguing that coming budget deficits (26 states posted $46 billion in deficits that year) would have a HUGE impact on the sector. I took pen to paper again for the July 2, 2009 issue, to see if saying it a bit louder this year might get more groups to join the V3 Campaign and GET INVOLVED in every state election.
7. For some god-knows-why-reason, I was again honored to be included in the Nonprofit Times Top 50 Power and Influence list…for the 4^th year in a row. I still remain one of the only direct service providers on the list 
8. You got to love a shout out from the BOSS. Bruce does this EVERYTIME he comes through DC. He is so the real thing!!!

9. This year I really got into twitter (@robertegger) and found out how powerful “new media” is was when I penned this blog about what I learned when I had a meeting with the “under 30’s” at DCCK. The Chronicle of Philanthropy picked it up and it picked up comments from across the country faster than you can say millennials. Two other blogs got similar bumps via twitter—one on the power of listening to your community if you really want to make change and the other on the opportunity that a “down economy” can offer forward thinking entrepreneurs.

10. In the fall, I roared through the prairie states—the frontier states—the mighty Midwest—I was in Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Omaha, Steamboat Springs, Billings and Mankato, MN to name a few. While in Madison I did a fun “business radio” interview on the Jody and Joan Show and penned my BEST op-ed of the year for, of all things, Prairie Fire…a small regional paper that was kind enough to ask for my opinion. We also got yet another great article on our work, this time from the Oregonian

11. Closing out the year, I was honored the be asked by my friend John Gompers, from Experience Corp, to speak at the annual Purpose Prize, a celebration of achievement by older men and women in their “encore careers”

This was an amazing honor. The high hats and hunga-mungas in the audience that night, at a plush vinyard overlooking San Francisco Bay, made the Oscar’s Red Carpet look positively pedestrain….but the list of winners this year was just awe-inspiring. What they are revealing about human nature–the need to be involved in something bigger than yourself–gives me huge faith in the years to come.

Now there was TONS more in 2009 than I have time to commit to paper (so to speak). I saw countless old friends and added a few more to the list. I drank some good tequila in crummy bars and bad tequila in some swell joints. I gave some rip-roarin barn burner speeches…and I laid an egg or two. I was honored to recieve an In Harmony w/Hope Award along with Father Gregory Boyle (of Homeboy Enterprises in LA) and Father Peter Young (who has done powerful work on NY state to house and employ felons). I performed my 6th wedding for my friends Barton and Carrie Ann, which got covered by Martha Stewart. I even made it to LA a few times to work w/my friend Azad on a project we hope to see gain traction in 2010, the LA Central Kitchen. While there I stopped by Dee Dee Ramone’s lipstick covered grave to pay my respects for ALL the joy his music has, and continues to bring to my life.

So there you go…lots of stuff to mull over here…some would say WAY too much. But there’s going to be even more in 2010. There will be 36 Governor’s races next year. I hope to be deeply and legally involved in many of them, helping to insure that the VOICE, VALUE and VOTES of the sector are included in every discussion. To those ends, I’ll be back on the road on January 3rd, and I plan on breaking this years speaking record. Look for me. Follow my wandering ass on Twitter, Facebook or this blog. Visit my website for a list of my 2010 speaking gigs. Give me shout out if I roll through your town. We’ll grab a beer and throw rocks at cars.

So…until then…let’s end 2009 the way every Ramone’s songs did….with an intro to the next.

Take it Dee Dee.

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I just finished my LAST gig of 2009!!!

Man, what a year. All told, I think I passed 80 speeches this year, but I totally saved the best for last—in Dallas, speaking to the nonprofits of Texas at the One Star Foundation’s annual Governor’s Nonprofit Leadership Conference.

Now, I’m not gonna go into too much detail today. In fact, I’ll be back in a week or so with a Top Ten countdown of the baddest, boldest craziest, coolest moments of an insanely productive year….but for today, let me introduce you to two dynamic, young up-n-comers I hung with in Dallas.

The first is Erin Brackney, who works at the One Star Foundation. She planned and built the Texas Connector, a geo-map that is SO the future.  I speak a lot about the power of turning next gen leaders LOOSE, and letting them apply what they learned in school (and behind the scenes after all those years of community service) and Erin is a classic example of this idea in action. Of course, it takes dynamic leadership to let go and give young leaders some room to roll, which is why I dig the One Star Foundation all the more. But I was completely unprepared for the cyber-skill set this young sister in bringing to the table. She’s got more than vision—she’s got the moxie it takes to make her vision REAL. Please check out this revolutionary resource….and than ask her to help you build the same thing in your community.

I also hung with a GREAT friend, Mando Rayo, out of Austin. Mando is a member of the YNPN network and works at the United Way in the capital city, but he’s been branching out. He’s developed a presentation that should be at EVERY conference—how to work with “New American” volunteers. This is SUCH a huge trend, and I was blown away by what I learned during his break-out. Seriously…if you’re planning a conference in 2010—you NEED to reach out and get Mando in front of your peeps. I guarenteee he”ll impress.

Anyway…I’ll be back soon….but before I blow, I want to give serious props to my friends in Texas. I’ve been working there for decades now, and visited almost every corner. I love that state, and you all treated my like a king!!! So mad props and thanks to Dallas, Amarillo, Lubbock, Corpus, Houston, Austin, Plano, Denton, Laredo, San Antonio, El Paso and everyplace in between.

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