SEED tools, practices and technologies for collective group action are working! Read how they are dramatically raising creative output and driving effective change.

The latest from Illinois. We are seeing early signs of cultural change in a Statewide, multi-session government agency.  Read what the Director of the Division for Community Health and Prevention in Illinois has to say about SEED (PDF File):  ONGOING INTENSIVE CONSULTATION

News from NYC: Often we see immediate, transformative impact in a simple, two-hour workshop.  As an example, read what a 100 organization-member New York City coalition has to say about SEED (PDF File):  BRIEF 3-HOUR SESSION 

Inspiration from Indianapolis: The Indianapolis Center for Congregations (ICC) is a one-of-its-kind organization established by the Lilly Endowment nine years ago to serve the 2000 congregations in the greater Indianapolis metropolitan area. ICC’s mission is to assist these congregations of every denomination with their wide-ranging challenges by recommending appropriate technical resources.

Late last year, the entire ICC staff was introduced to the SEED theory of group change and spent an afternoon applying the original version of the SEED game to a critical organizational issue. Earlier this year, the staff was introduced to our expanded product line. On July 12, the team spent a morning using Reconnecting With Brilliance, and that afternoon used an exercise from Growing An Impact to re-visit their approach for going to scale Statewide. The President of ICC, Tim Shapiro, could not contain his enthusiasm and amazement regarding how useful these tools were in reshaping ICC’s thinking and strategic plans. A two-day workshop has been set for early November to train 15-20 key clergy and lay leaders who will become a local training cadre to expose other congregations and community organizations throughout the ICC service area. This is a scalable model-in-the-making to disseminate SEED tools among religious institutions responding to poverty.

New SEED Funding Connections

A growing family of supporters are reaching out to make exciting connections for SEED. A few examples: Ruma Bose is introducing SEED to friends at Goldman Sachs, a Broadway production company and a host of other investment and venture firms. Elizabeth McCormack is reaching out to Rockefeller Financial Advisors and the Kohlberg Foundation. Our media marketing team, including Jack Aaker, Paul Jones, Elissa Moses, Belinda Pruyne are making numerous connections, including to colleagues at Lehman Brothers, family foundations and some clients of Grey Advertising. This list grows daily.

Product Cultivation

Three SEED tools are currently in use over the summer, as follows:

1)      Reconnecting With Brilliance— SEED’s signature, self-help product is ideal for 2-day retreats, guiding groups to transform their thinking from limited to expansive ventures capable of producing extraordinary impacts. Groups wanting hands-on facilitation get the benefit of customized applications. Paul Jones (from Grey Advertising) is heading up a team to design the “look and feel” so that we can get this product (and others) packaged, produced and widely distributed. 

2)      Journey-Mapping.   READ ALL ABOUT IT.  The SEED web site now features a terrific PowerPoint Presentation that Barry Kibel has developed to introduce this exciting tool.  He has also produced some excellent user manuals—to ready this product for ramped up distribution as a central feature of the SEED product line.  Since its inception in 1999, applications have been created for more than one hundred organizations and several hundred programs.  We are currently adding a group dialogue enrichment, and expect to release “Journey Mapping Plus” by early November.

3)      The Spirit Game.  Want to spend two hours trying out a new SEED game?  The Spirit Game has been created as a playful and mildly competitive form of entertainment for families and friends within which to explore fundamental spiritual questions.  We hope it will become popular and a key element for SEED to evolve as a self-sustaining not-for-profit enterprise.  We’re putting together a schedule of test runs in August.  You can explore it with your friends (2-6 players), or join a session that SEED is convening to play it.  Reply here if you’d like to be notified of opportunities to play! BE A TECHNOLOGY TESTER.

Strategic Next Steps

We are targeting these markets for SEED tools and consultation services: Anti-Poverty Networks, Government Agencies, Youth and Community Development, Health Promotion and Prevention Programs, Title 1/No Child Left Behind, Evaluation Networks, Women’s Empowerment, Religious Institutions and Congregations, Character Education/Development, Leadership Development and Academia.

After reading this list, do you have any more ideas about possible connections for funding?  JOT QUICK NOTE TO SEED.

SEED Needs

A $500K principal benefactor investment will allow SEED to ramp up operations, including to hire staff, market the consultation services, formalize the product-based business, and set the stage for growth that will allow SEED to become substantially self sustaining. A five-year business and financial plan are available on request. 

SEED presently functions with an unpaid, full-time staff of three highly trained and experienced individuals, plus a host of other dedicated supporters. The Fund for the City of New York has incubated SEED and served as fiscal agent. A founding board of directors (ten individuals of diverse backgrounds) has developed program and established a viable consultancy business.

You are invited to share our vision for the world in which all people can access the education, health and family systems essential to realize our full human potential. You can help advance this innovative work by connecting SEED to people and resources.

As an incubator project of the Fund for the City of New York, contributions are fully tax deductible, payable to “FCNY for SEED.” Please mail to:

seedimpact
68-36 108th Street, Suite B66
Forest Hills, NY 11375

Gifts can also be made online. DONATE NOW. You’re invited to grow with us at SEED.

A POEM TO INSPIRE

Go to www.seedimpact.org

Donations to SEED are payable to the Fund for the City of New York, a charitable organization, and eligible for charitable deductions under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code.

SEED will not sell, trade, nor give subscriber addresses to other organizations, nor use the information for any other purpose than to send your email newsletter.


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