Jennifer E Goldman, Nonprofit Consultant

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC   2020 is not your typical year. Not in any sense - for humans, nor for businesses. In a year filled with a tad of chaos, a bit of fear, and a lot of social distance and isolationism, how does one create effective, long-term partnerships? First is mindset : knowing that strategic partnerships can be the difference between going under and staying afloat; between staying afloat and thriving; and personally - between going insane and keeping your head about you.  Next is strengthening the relationships/partnerships you already have . Have you ever heard employers say "It's easier to retain the employees you already have than to hire and train new staff"? The same goes for partnerships - unless they're toxic, it's very beneficial to keep, nurture and enhance the partnerships that already exist for you. Try to think of the people you already know who have been valuable to you personally and/or professional...

See Original Article for Lifestyle After a brief visit to Gainesville three years ago for a Menorah lighting, Rabbi Shmuel “Shmuly” Perlstein and his wife decided to make it their home. It wasn’t a decision based only on a fondness for the community, but also because there was an overwhelming response to having a Jewish celebration in the immediate area. Rabbi Perlstein is part of the Chabad Lubavitch movement. Chabad places an emphasis on building a relationship with G-d (in the Jewish religion, the ‘o’ is typically omitted out of respect) through education and, while the movement is actually more than 250 years old, the religious organization was formed in the 1940s as a way to bring a message of love and community to Jews following World War II. Rabbi Perlstein, born the seventh of eight children, grew up in the Chabad community in Chicago. His parents were both educators and most of his siblings are following in their footsteps, as is Rabbi Perlstein. Photo by: Kara...

See Original Article for INSIDENOVA Although Capital One has had a strong presence in Fairfax County for more than a decade and a half, the completion of its headquarters expansion in 2023 will have a profound impact on the Tysons area. Fortunately, the company has largely had the support and encouragement of Fairfax County officials along the way and considers its relationship to be a “tight partnership.” “Capital One has been a fantastic and generous corporate neighbor,” said Sharon Bulova, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. “They have been a valued presence in Fairfax County for some time now and we’re really pleased and excited with their plans for their redeveloped corporate headquarters.” Dr. Gerald Gordon, President and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, said the sheer size and visibility of the Capital One headquarters tower, which opens officially in December, is helping to put Fairfax County on the map for other financial ...

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC     I realize I’m not normal, but I’ve never minded getting stood up for business meetings. In fact, I relish it, especially if the meeting was set in a public place like a coffee shop or restaurant. While last-minute cancellations and no-shows reveal a lot to me about people I probably shouldn’t waste my time with anyway, they also provide me with an unexpected break in my otherwise hectic schedule. Instead of huffing off back to the office if I get stood up, I will typically give myself the amount of time I was planning on spending in the meeting. Since I’d already scheduled myself to be away from the office for an hour or two, why not? I never consider it time wasted. It’s time I can use to soak up new ideas in a new environment. I’m always amazed by how different surroundings can take your brain in new directions, inspire you with thoughts, ideas and solutions you’d have never come up with in your off...

See Original Article for INSIDENOVA 2018 Community Investment Fund Grant Recipients As featured in  The Business Voice, June 2018. What would you say if I told you there’s a nonprofit organization in your community that wants to give funds and make your life better? That’s not typically what you think when you hear about nonprofits, but then again the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia isn’t your typical organization. The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, which covers the region that includes Prince William, Loudoun, Fairfax, and Arlington counties and the cities of Manassas, Manassas Park, Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax, is primarily concerned with matching philanthropists with community needs for the betterment of Northern Virginia residents. “Our role in the community,” explained the organization’s Vice President of Marketing and Events, Tara Nadel, “is to become experts at place-based philanthropy; at truly understanding the pulse of the co...

See Original Article for INSIDENOVA Service Dog in Training Finn poses for his official photograph. As featured in  The Business Voice, June 2018. We remember our nation’s fallen heroes, thank those who serve or have served, try to never take for granted the freedoms bestowed upon us by the efforts of our military, but sometimes more is needed. That’s where organizations like Veterans Moving Forward come in. Veterans Moving Forward trains and places service dogs with veterans with disabilities of any kind; physical, mental, or emotional. The Dulles-based nonprofit was launched in 2010 by Karen Jeffries, who served more than two decades in the Navy, after seeing the profound affect a service dog had on the emotional well-being of her husband, a veteran suffering from depression and anxiety. Veterans Moving Forward has adopted a very comprehensive screening process for veteran applicants as well as in canine service training and takes special pains to ensure the best pos...

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC      When it comes to creating, or amending, an organizational mission, it’s important to consider not only what you intend for the organization to accomplish, but for how long. Is your mission sustainable, or merely attainable? While both descriptions seem positive, in reality only one will keep your organization in service indefinitely. Attainable Missions    An attainable mission is one that can, at least in theory, be fulfilled. Once that mission is accomplished, then the organization will cease to have a purpose. For example, if your mission is to build a dog park in every county in Virginia, once you’ve done this, the organization no longer has a purpose. Unfortunately, some organizations in this situation will either carry on after their usefulness has concluded or they may purposefully become less effective so as to never complete their mission. For organizations wishing to h...

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC I am often asked if I will serve on a committee or board of nonprofit organizations. As the former Executive Director of a nonprofit organization with a working board (and I use the term ‘working’ very loosely), I weigh this decision very carefully. My decision is based on three things: Does this organization have a mission that I can feel passionate about? Does the organization currently have a well-functioning board? Do I have the ability to truly give of my time, treasure AND talent, according to both their expectations and mine? Obviously the first and third question are things every prospective board member will have to decide for themselves, but what about the second? How can you tell if an organization’s current board is well-functioning? Here are some tips: Ask to attend a board meeting (or two). Be observant! There should be no more than one or two absentees. The meeting should take only as long as plan...

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC Most small businesses are not required, or financially equipped, to provide certain benefits to their employees. With an overwhelming number of the U.S. population being employed by small businesses (seriously, it’s nearly 100%), that means that a huge percentage of people aren’t being offered benefits like health insurance or 401(k)s by their bosses. Just because your company may be in this same boat doesn’t mean you can’t find other ways to differentiate your business and show your employees the appreciation they’re due. All you need is a little creativity and the willingness to invest some amount of money and time into giving back to your team.  By recognizing that your business would be nowhere without your employees and showing your gratitude, even in small ways, everyone wins: your crew will experience higher job satisfaction, increased company loyalty and accelerated engagement, which leads to better turnover rates, higher ...

By Jennifer E. Goldman, President of Resonance, LLC As business people (or as human beings in general) we often wear “many hats”. Sometimes we wear too many hats. It just “is what it is” in our fast-paced Age of Information. I can remember when my children were little, I thought I’d topple over from the sheer weight of all the hats I wore. I was the cook, the maid, the chauffeur, the scheduler, the shopper, the tutor, the disciplinarian, the nurse, and the organizer. And I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few hats; selective memory at this point, I’m sure. I willingly wore all those hats because I was sure that I HAD to wear all those hats. No one else would take those responsibilities. No one else was as good at handling those responsibilities. There wasn’t enough money to pay someone to handle any of the responsibilities. As I formed a small business, I took on the same attitude. There isn’t enough money and no one who can do things quite like I do. It didn’t tak...