Laser-Focused on Mission

We all know what we’d like to see in a nonprofit organization:

• A culture of innovation, quality, and compassion

• Effective work on the issue at hand

• Conservative financial stewardship

That’s the idea, anyway. Unfortunately, this is a rare combination, and nonprofits are as prone to mission drift as any other institution. Last week's edition studying non-profit executive compensation revealed as much. So, whenever we find a 501(c)(3) that is able to consistently fulfill the three criteria listed above, it is worth paying attention.

Today, we’re going to look at one of the best-run crisis pregnancy care clinics in the country: Choices.

A Culture of Innovation, Quality, and Compassion

At first blush, the name “Choices” and its marketing might seem out of place – but this is part of their brilliance. Long ago, this Chattanooga, Tennessee-based ministry decided that they wanted to reclaim the term “choice,” empower the people they intended to serve and use an outside-in mentality to effectively reach people. That means some of their billboards don’t come across as very conservative or pro-life in their messaging, such as a sign that depicts a positive pregnancy test with text that reads “Back to School Blues?” It then lists their information.

“We look at it as a search and rescue mission instead of waiting for them to come to us,” says Michele Cheresnick, the client services director for the organization. “We have to be so much more innovative than we’ve ever been, because you have all of the answers on your phone, and you can get a pregnancy test at the dollar store, so why should people come to us if they didn’t need someone to walk the journey with them?”

Whatever one thinks of the approach, the marketing works. Many abortion-minded women searching for hope, resources, and help come to Choices rather than finding an abortion clinic. The humility and wisdom of speaking the clients’ language in advertisements has taken some out of their comfort zones, but it’s necessary for being true to what they feel is the call of God on their organization.

“Part of being obedient is being willing to be stretched and go outside the typical boundaries of a pregnancy resource center,” Jennie Landreth, the developmental director, says…

According to a former Google recruiter, there are some things you don’t want to put in your resume. According to experts, many recruiters spend just 3-5 seconds on a resume before deciding to read it through or to toss it, so avoiding red flags is crucial. Don’t list every job you’ve ever had, every skill you possess, or every volunteering stint you’ve done – keep it relevant to the job you’re applying to. Don’t share ‘responsibilities’ (and never say ‘coordinated meetings with X’); instead, share accomplishments…

The Dow Jones rebounded somewhat this week after a recent correction, now sitting around 38 and a half, while the Nasdaq and S&P have both recovered their losses as well. Boeing reports a better quarter than expected, and their share price has finally leveled out after a long slide. The embattled Tesla rallied somewhat after Musk announced their more affordable model would in fact begin production in early 2025…

Existing home sales dropped 4.3% in March, marking the steepest decline in over a year. This comes as the 30-year-fixed mortgage rate averaged over 7%, and experts say the rates are not likely to fall anytime soon. Many are priced out of the market, and experts say that homebuyers must make an additional $50,000 a year in order to be able to afford a house when compared to pre-pandemic. The housing market is in a recession now, and commercial real estate shows some turbulent signs as well, including a 117% increase in commercial real estate foreclosures in March…

Your weekly chance to test your Bible knowledge! The answer to today’s question may surprise you:

Q: Which New Testament book references the Old Testament the most?

Answer at the bottom

4 AM: Wake Up, 4:05-5AM: Meditation + Prayer, 5AM-6:30AM Cold Plunge and Outdoor Workout, 6:30-7 AM: Breakfast, 7 - 10 AM: Aimless Panicking, 10 AM - Noon: Questioning Whether I Should Be an Entrepreneur, Noon: Lunch, 1 - 3 PM: Existential Crisis, 3 - 4 PM: Sales Calls

“Hmm… I finished my whole list today, but revenue is still down. Weird.”

TIPS & TRICKS

Book Recommendation

“The quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits,” James Clear writes. “With better habits, anything is possible.”

When we are feeling encouraged, determined, and inspired, we can get onboard with this kind of a thing – yet far too many times, January’s New Year’s resolutions turn into February’s obligations and March’s regrets. It isn’t just resolutions, either. It is far too easy to recognize an area where we need to make improvements, but it’s hard, and the natural thing to do is beat ourselves up over our lack of self-discipline.

James Clear asks the question, ‘What if we are looking at the problem all wrong?’

“Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits,” Clear writes. “Habits often appear to make no difference until you cross a critical threshold and unlock a new level of performance.” He likens the early stages of habit-formation to changing the temperature in a frigid room with an ice cube on the table. If the room is 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and you successfully raise the temperature to 25 degrees, the ice cube will appear unchanged, and yet you have made significant progress toward your goal. Once it hits 33 degrees, that ice will melt. You’re on your way, even if there aren’t impressive visible signs of that fact just yet.

“You should be far more concerned with your trajectory than with your current results,” Clear says. “Mastery requires patience.”…

• A case before the Oklahoma Supreme Court could pave the way for religious charter schools.

• The NBA bans a player for life over a sports-betting scandal. The Wall Street Journal suspects this is just the beginning of the burgeoning field of legal sports gambling debasing the sports industry as a whole. Oh, and his brother is routinely name-dropped by Christian hip-hop artist Andy Mineo. 

• High school teens will need to find a new supplier of church clothes:  Express has filed for bankruptcy and will close nearly one hundred stores.