FINISH LINE

Last Sunday 48 yr. old Luis Carlos Mejia of Bogota, Columbia won the grueling 89 mile A2A (Athens-to-Atlanta) inline skate race with a time of 4 hours, 58 minutes and 22 seconds. Skaters from all over the world showed up for the 28th running of America's oldest outdoor road skate. The finish line in Piedmont Park had the feel of a Tour de France on little wheels as the brightly colored, lycra clad competitors forced themselves up the shoot to the finish line with onlookers yelling encouragement. Cindy Lamir, president of Impact Business Advisers, coach/non-skater, said, “These racers have what Americans need right now: courage, determination, stamina -- and a sense of accomplishment!”

Similarly, nonprofit leaders face soul-wrenching challenges every day, persevering through adversity. As nonprofit leaders confront doing the right thing with what may now be the fewest resources, we must use every creative morsel within to develop real solutions to real problems. Just as the Atlanta racers use the finish line to mark their accomplishment, year end is the finish line for organizations. At this point in the race, there are less than three months to leave a mark on 2009. Was your fundraising plan sufficient? How well did you stick to your fundraising calendar? Do you need to install some new strategies for success?

From the book Simple Abundance: "Authentic success is knowing that if today were your last day on earth, you could leave without regret. Authentic success is feeling focused and serene when you work, not fragmented. It's knowing that you've done the best that you possibly can, no matter what circumstances you faced.…” Don’t leave anything out of your regimen as you check off the milestones leading to what may be your greatest victory!

* Special congrats to Marcy Turek of Rockford, IL, skating with Team Rainbo, who finished 10th over all, winner of the women’s division at 5:15:46 – yeah, Marcy!