Hey there, fellow good-doers!
Last week, I ended my note with, "Here's to many more episodes" of What's Good Wednesday. But then, as any good nonprofiteer does (and as I discuss in my Topic of the Week below), I started to evaluate my program, and whether it was effective as delivered.
While I am committed to sharing awesome nonprofit news, I realized that the videos may not be the right format. So.... Welcome to the very first What's Good Wednesday NEWSLETTER! I'll still be delivering lots of celebrations to your inbox each week, just in a different format.
Your continued support means so much to me! Now, it's time to take a break from the hard work of changing the world, and let's celebrate What's Good in nonprofits this week!
| | Does your organization have a "win" that you would like featured on a future episode of What's Good Wednesday? Please send it my way at wednesday@bewhatsgood.com! | | |
The Responsible Fathers Initiative has partnered with the Talbot County Department of Social Services to offer re-entry workshops for men at the Talbot County Detention Center. The inmates will learn important information from community partners so they are better prepared prior to release.
| | These sessions are designed for the men to have continued success upon their re-entry to the community. The presenters will be the Department of Social Services, Department of Labor, Licenses & Regulations, Upper Shore Work Force, Mr. Joe Brummell (local business owner), and Burke and Herbert Bank. Congratulations to the Responsible Fathers Initiative for this great program, and for helping dads get a good head start so they can move forward and take care of their families! | |
FOH celebrated the 8th cohort of their Economic Development and Empowerment Program last Wednesday. This is the conclusion of a 16 -week program for middle school girls during which they learn about topics ranging from self-esteem and bullying to financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
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| The girls each presented a vision board to their family and friends before receiving their certificates of completion. This is the largest cohort in Foundation of HOPE’s history, with 18 girls completing the program – 8 from Easton Middle School and for the first time this year, 10 from St. Michaels Middle High School. I had the pleasure of being present at this event, and it was wonderful to see how confident and motivated the girls are. I wish there was something like this available when I was that age! | |
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Talbot Humane recently launched their annual Petparazzi Calendar Contest. Commuity members enter their pet and get friends and family to donate to Talbot Humane. $1 = 1 vote. The pets with the most donations will be featured in the Talbot Humane Petparazzi 2026 calendar.
| | This year’s cover pet winner will also serve as the Tabot Humane Shelter SpokesPet for 2026, and will be featured on social media posts, educational segments, event promotion, and more. Find more information or register your pet here. This is such a fun and creative way to gain visibility for a mission, and to recruit new names and contact information to cultivate new potential donors. Kudos to Talbot Humane! | |
The Talbot County Free Seed Library makes free vegetable, flower, herb and fruit seeds available to the public. Seeds are available at the Talbot County Free Library in Easton and Saint Michaels.
| | | They are currently raising funds to purchase seeds for the next growing season. In honor of the 8th year of the seed library, they are asking for donations in increments of $8. Donations can be made online at TCFL.org or by check (made out to the Talbot County Free Library with "seed library" in the memo line). This is a great partnership, and helps empower everyone to grow their own food, diversify their landscapes, and help feed pollenators. $8 is such a doable ask; I hope this fundraiser takes root and blossoms! | | |
The Talbot County Free Library (TCFL) has officially launched their youth Summer Reading Program for children up to 18 years old. When they participate, kids have the opportunity to win fun prizes, such as tickets to local and state attractions, gift cards, giant stuffed animals, and more.
| | The program runs from now until August 15th, and an adult program will begin in July. They also have "Popsicles in the Park!" coming up on June 16th at Muskrat Park in St. Michaels at 5:30 p.m. This event is being held in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools. There will be stories, activities, free books, and fun... The Superintendent of Schools will even be there to read a story. These sound like super fun ways to kick off the summer, and wonderful ideas to keep kids reading and engaged while out of school! | |
Brookletts Place is such a wonderful gathering place for the local community. They are hosting their 2025 Senior Citizen’s Prom this Friday, the 13th. The theme is “A Night Under The Stars,” and the dance will feature Evolution Band.
| | | What a fun and adorable fundraiser for this great local organization! I wish them tons of success. If you're local to the area (and a senior, of course), tickets can be purchased at the front desk at Brookletts Place. For questions, call 410-822-2869 or email msisco@uppershoreaging.org. | | |
Positive Strides Therapeutic Riding Center is hosting their Jaime Lee Hutchison Horse Show this coming weekend, June 14th and 15th. This event allows all of their riders to compete for medals and showcase their progress made during the 10 week spring riding session.
| | They are also holding a special retirement ceremony for one of their beloved program horses, Rudy, on Sunday at the end of the show. The show runs 10-2 each day. This is such a creative fundraiser that perfectly demonstrates the mission while bringing the community together for fun and excitement. Best of luck, Positive Strides! | |
The United Way of Queen Anne’s County is currently sending out grant award notices for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. They are supporting 18 agencies this year on the Eastern Shore and in Queen Anne's County.
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| They have 3 events later in the year that will help them meet their grant requests. The first is the Eastern Shore Charity Golf Tournament on October 2nd, which benefits the Rotary of Kent Island and Queen Anne's County United Way. The annual crab feast is on September 19th, and Designer Bag Bingo is on Sunday, November 9th. All funds raised stay on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Thank you to the United Way for helping support so many worthy local organizations! | | |
The American Humane Society is celebrating Military Appreciation Month by sharing the story of Attila, a working military dog, who retired after 5 years of service and more than 20 missions. On Memorial Day, Attila was reunited with his best friend and former handler, SPC Kameron. AHS credits the generosity of its supporters for helping Attila retire
| | alongside the person who knows him best, while receiving the care he needs for chronic hip issues and other medical challenges. Welcome home, Attila! Mission moments like this - seeing the mission in action - are my favorite part of What's Good Wednesday! | |
At the Seed Savers Exchange, the farm team has been busy planting 1,300 tomato transplants for their 50th Anniversary Conference and Celebration in August, as well as their Tomato Tasting in September! This year, they are growing many of these tomatoes in tunnels to help maintain optimal growing conditions, and using landscape fabric to help suppress weeds and regulate the soil temperature. Happy 50th Anniversary, and here's to a successful growing season!
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The Golden Retriever Foundation has found a unique and creative way to collect tribute and memorial gifts with their virtual memorial gardens. Donors can purchase stars in memory of their golden retrievers who have passed. Different levels of giving provide additional tribute options for the pets. Visitors to the website can visit the digital gardens and see all of the wonderful tributes!
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It's always so satisfying to learn about innovative fundraising ideas like this one. Not only does it help sustain the organization, but it gives donors a tangible way to remember their beloved pets. Congratulations to GRF for a successful ongoing campaign!
The Golden Retriever Fund is actual a client of my friends over at Arreva, who have developed a phenomenal all-in-one donor management platform called Exceed Further. If you're in the market for a new platform, I highly recommend putting this one on your list to check out. You can customize it to have everything you need in one place, with one database, including things like volunteer, grant, hospitality management, and more. They do not pay me to say this :)... I just think it's a great product, and am proud to be an Arreva Partner. Sign up to learn more here. If you end up deciding to go with Exceed Further, I may be able to help you with a referral discount for your first year!
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What do you think of the new What's Good Wednesday Newsletter format? | | | |
Eric Ries says, "A pivot is a change in strategy without a change in vision." The ability to pivot is essential in business, especially in the ever-changing nonprofit landscape. As you can see above, I'm no stranger to the pivot! Let's get into it in this week's Topic of the Week segment.
Watch The Topic Of The Week Below:
| | Click the button below to access more informative content! | | Mid-Shore Nonprofits On The Radio! | |
The Itty Bitty Book of Nonprofit Fundraising:
Tips for Board Members from a Development Director who hates asking people for money
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