Each consulting engagement provides a forum for me to hone my associative thinking skills – an opportunity to make connections across ideas and customers – and to see patterns.  I did just that in 2008 when I designed a new, synergistic service delivery model for Rebuilding Together Metro Denver while consulting on their strategic business plan.  RTMD was part of Rose Community Foundation’s 3-year BOOST initiative.

Little did I know at the time that I was on the forefront of a movement – to name and claim the nonprofit business model.  After my ah ha with Rebuilding Together, I found myself continually going back to that initial idea and fleshing it out.  I read, chatted, learned, and absorbed what I could on this nonprofit business model notion.  Then, ta da (and two years in the skunk works), the Synergistic Business Model^™ framework was born.

Foresight – Perception of the significance and nature of events before they have occurred. Sometimes foresight is easier to see after it has occurred.

If you’re looking for consultants to bring foresights to you, give Team Corona a call.

Corona has worked with CML for several years and this is the third year in which Corona has conducted the research to inform the State of Our Cities and Towns annual report.

Visit the Denver Post to see a recent article by CML referencing the State of Our Cities and Towns report.  To learn more about the Colorado Municipal League, visit their website.

You may have noticed some other recent changes to Corona’s website. We apply proven research methods and strategic insights to all of our customers, across sectors and industries. Keep checking back to find out how we can help your nonprofit, business, government agency or higher education institution.

We were pleased to learn that lucky project #1001 was for the Iliff School of Theology. Corona has engaged with Iliff since 2007 when we created an influential Strategic Enrollment Marketing Plan for the institution, as well as a strategic business plan . Since then, Corona has led various research projects for Iliff, looking into new market segments, student enrollment opportunities and testing new curriculum ideas.

Our ongoing relationship with Iliff is a hallmark of Corona’s brand – combining our market research and strategic consulting expertise in the higher education field to provide ongoing data-driven insights that lead to proven results. Learn more about Iliff’s success as well as their 2010 and 2011 awards. Click here to read a testimonial from their VP of Marketing Communications & Strategic Partnerships.

Cheers to project 1001!

The next era nonprofit is being (re)created right now.  It embraces community relevance and impact as it searches for the Holy Grail – sustainability.

Corona Insights is leading a workshop for Denver’s Social Venture Partners on the five fundamentals of sustainable, next era nonprofits. Join us on February 17 from 7:30-9:30 am to learn about these fundamentals, Corona’s cutting-edge approach to business model sustainability, and the insights and foresights we’ve gathered on the future of the sector .  The SVP workshop, open to 50 participants, will focus on:

• The fundamentals of nonprofit sustainability
• The importance of strategy and business model design for sustainable nonprofits
• The board’s role in sustainability

Contact Pat Landrum, Executive Director of SVP Denver, for more information and to RSVP.

Working with big databases is hard work.  It’s not just the mechanics of data manipulation and calculations, but also knowing where the data come from, what they mean, and how to interpret them.  You have to have a feel for data, and the ability to recognize the little clues that point to problems.  Mistakes happen, and kudos to the National Association of Realtors for finding these problems, fixing them, and being forthright about the changes that we’ll be seeing in their numbers.  And if you sold your home twice in their database, we hope you can get back some of those Realtor fees.

This year, all bets are off! There are over 900 participating nonprofits across the state. Corona Insights is pleased to see so many past clients and colleagues on the list: 9Health Fair, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Center for African American Health, Center for Work Education and Employment, Clinica Tepeyac, Colorado Youth at Risk, Denver Children’s Advocacy Center, Denver Public Schools Foundation, Family Tree, Metro Volunteers, Mile High United Way, Nurse-Family Partnerships, Qualistar Colorado, Rebuilding Together Metro Denver, Rocky Mountain PBS, The Children’s Museum of Denver, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, and Warren Village… just to name a few!

Check out the Colorado Gives Day website to find your favorite nonprofit. Or, discover a new one to support! You have from midnight to midnight to contribute.

TED builds community through story telling.  It’s as simple as that.  Stories are shared around the globe.  In the old days we had pen pals (remember those?) and actually wrote letters to people we didn’t know.  Now, the power of video brings us together via smartphones, tablets, a PC or the TV on your kitchen counter, building a bond as we share a lesson.

At yesterday’s TEDxCrestmoorParkWomen, many of us spoke about our quests – for fulfilling lives and meaningful work, for clues about how to relate to one another and lessons learned about community and the power of patience.  Sometimes we must rely on a community of one – ourselves.

My quest began with a question – an inspiration to explore.  I felt compelled to discover the answer.  Others didn’t embark from the same point – the inspirational question.  Their quest began when their original journey hit a road block.  Detour ahead.  Breakdown on the highway of life.  Though like me, they yearned.

So, here’s to yearning.  While we’re at it, let’s quest and conquer too.  Let’s call it what it really is – epic.

Let’s shout Eureka!

Heartfelt thanks to our curator and my dear friend Dafna Michaelson Jenet.  I met Dafna in 2008 in Leadership Denver.  At the time she was beginning to yearn for something more in life.  She walked smack into the “detour ahead” sign and, being the gutsy woman she is said, “Let’s go.”  Who would have thought she’d embark on the quest that would so transform her life?

A special shout out to Triffany Hammond for inspiring me to dust off some vocabulary.  I’m channeling my inner Lewis and Clark.

The title of Karla’s presentation is From Parable to Eureka – A Journey of Talent Discovery.  With her usual spirit, Karla will share her lifelong journey to discover  her true talent and make it manifest in her life and work.

Bringing creative problem solving to 21^st century issues requires the ability to connect, to conceptualize and to communicate.  Over the years, Karla has developed a talent for spotting strategic opportunities that influence positive action .  That skill is called associative thinking and is a cornerstone of strategic leadership. Through this TEDx presentation, she hopes to help members of the audience name and claim their unique talents and bring them to the world.

Join the TEDxWomen conversation and hear Karla speak on December 1, 2011 from 3:00pm – 8:30pm at the DU Daniels College of Business. Click here to purchase your ticket.  Follow the discussion on Twitter at @TedxCPark and #TedxCPark.

These are the opening words of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado‘s new strategic plan, and we couldn’t agree more! In June 2011, Corona Insights wrapped up a transformational strategic planning process with the Foundation.

With new leadership in place, WFCO came to Corona because they needed a game plan for the future. Their annual Denver Luncheon was the “must attend” event of the year and their research on the Cliff Effect was still garnering attention. However, they knew there was untapped potential and they needed help to chart that bold path forward.

With the aid of a  savvy Strategy Task Force, Corona helped WFCO get “unstuck.” It was time to reconsider out-dated language, transactional approaches, necessary capacity and core organizational strengths. It was time to truly be the voice for women and girls in Colorado! It was time to build philanthropy and inspire collective action!

WFCO is definitely living into their new strategic direction. Check out their beautiful brochure! We love the moving, sassy  messaging. In particular, we’re proud of the reference to Corona’s “Five Fundamentals for Nonprofit Sustainability” on page 2.