Who among us couldn't use a boost in our creativity? I know I am always looking for ways to get the creative juices flowing, whether in my work or my hobbies.
Charities also may need to be more creative in fundraising and meeting their missions when money is tight.
In August, the Better Business Bureau will focus on creativity at a breakfast "Charity Symposium" with the theme, "Creating Opportunities With Creativity."
William Donius, former chairman of Pulaski Bank and best-selling author of Thought Revolution: How to Unlock Your Inner Genius, will be the keynote speaker for the BBB’s Charity Symposium Aug. 30 at the Chase Park Plaza.
Donius’s book offers a proven, easy method for finding creativity by tapping into the right brain. Donius interviewed hundreds of test subjects to find out whether they could use their right brains to break through barriers and obstacles, gaining insight into their inner geniuses.
Donius’ presentation will help nonprofits increase their own creativity, unlocking their potential for growth.
Donius will open the symposium at 7:30 a.m. A panel discussion will follow, and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions at the breakfast meeting, which adjourns at 9:30 a.m.
Other speakers at the event include:
- Kirby Burkholder is executive director of the Missouri office of IFF, which provides loans to non-profits in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Wisconsin. Burkholder has overseen the growth of IFF’s loan portfolio in Missouri to $43 million in closed loans.
- Melanie Scheetz, executive director of the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition, has helped the organization recruit more than 1,150 new foster and adoptive families. Under her guidance, the coalition developed Extreme Recruitment, a groundbreaking program that has been featured in national publications, including Time Magazine and The New York Times.
- Marilyn Gannon, board president of Meds & Food For Kids (MFK), which seeks to reduce Haitian reliance on outside rescue by investing in economic development. The nonprofit makes food products in Haiti, using Haitian workers and Haitian raw materials and trains Haitian farmers on sustainable higher yield agricultural practices. Gannon is CEO of Innovate St. Louis, a non-profit which helps entrepreneurs launch technology businesses.
The cost is $35, including a continental breakfast, or $30 for BBB Accredited Charities. If more than one person from an organization attends, the cost is $30 each.
For more information on the symposium, go to stlouis.bbb.org. For reservations, email executive.assistant@stlouisbbb.org or call 314-645-0606.
