High Hopes in Toronto and Texas
For the first time in wayyy to long, here’s a video from the road.
I started out on this adventure a few days back, with a hop across the border to Toronto, a town I last visited (thanks to my sweet Momma) back in 78, when there was a first-time-in-long-time exhibit of Van Gogh’s works, which was making only one North American stop–up there.
Given my adoration for all things Vincent, my mom’s generosity and the fact that 
Keith Richards had also just been busted there (where he gave his infamous quote “I don’t have a drug problem, I have a police problem”) I figured that fate was calling, so I ventured out on one of those formative, first time on your own, trips that you remember all your life.
Anyway…this time up, I was being hosted by friends from MaRS, a marvelous collaborative effort that is really one of the most innovative and purposeful collections of social enterprise leaders, researchers, lawyers and do-ers north of Tierra Del Fuego, period.
I was there to speak about nonprofit unity, which (like here) is equally illusive up there. But, like us, they have a major national election coming up in 2012, so, like here, there is NO TIME like the present to begin to work, build and partner. It was a great crowd, and we really hit it off (I owe Beth Kanter props for tenderizing them, as only she can, with her keynote the day before).
Here’s a great blog post from Super Joe that speaks to our dialogue (and a suprise drive-by by Warren B) as well as a video of my presentation (if you can spare 45 minutes or so).
Afterwards, the fine team at MaRS and I talked tactics and prizes—they have their eyes on a juicy one—a Social Bond like they are exploring in the UK, which would provide a “dividend” for people savvy enough to spot programs like, if I may be so bold, DCCK, which can show verifiable, cash money, return on investment.
The key, of course, if electing people (don’t forget, they have a Minister of the Third Sector in the UK, and ALL major parties openly vie for the votes of nonprofit employees with detailed plans for partnership) who understand the potential and work to bust through the dumbo .com/.org divide.
OK…so now I’m in Texas, at the invitation of my great colleagues at TANO, the Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations, as well as the San Antonio Foundation, for a talk about similar opportunities for nonprofits in the Lone Star State, where they will be electing a Governor in a few months.
But, as soon as I landed, I took up an offer I received a few weeks back, when I was here to speak at the 25th anniversary celebration of Communities in Schools, to visit Haven for Hope, which, like MaRS is an truly triumphant collaboration between direct service homeless providers that have come together to try something truly unique—leaving their past, individual efforts behind to partner in a new, central location where they are working hard, everyday, to achieve better, consistent, measurable outcomes.
They’ve got in all, Man…..dig THIS.
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June 12th, 2010 at 9:38 am
Robert, you were awesome in San Atonio! I will keep pushing your message about the governors race and the V3 Campaign. keep it up, brother!