I was recently invited to join an exclusive social media team (“BlogSquad”) at this year’s Independence Sector Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

For those of you unfamiliar with Independent Sector, it is:

the leadership forum for charities, foundations, and corporate giving programs committed to advancing the common good in America and around the world. It’s aim is to fulfill our vision of a just and inclusive society and a healthy democracy of active citizens, effective institutions, and vibrant communities.

It’s a great opportunity for me to collaborate, connect and learn new strategies from the best and brightest in the industry, gaining knowledge and skills that will directly benefit my clients!

Send me to the 2010 Independent Sector Conference in Atlanta as a member of the Social Media BlogSquad.

Take your virtual front seat with CoverIt

Only 12 days until the Conference! Give today!

*If you prefer making a donation by check, please email me at kathrin.ivanovic at gmail.com

As a member of the 2010 Independent Sector’s social media team, I will be tweeting, facebooking and liveblogging my way through the conference – workshops, plenary sessions, behind the scenes. I will be everywhere and you will be too!

You can expect:

• Daily Featured interviews with thought leaders and next generation trailblazers
• LiveBlog from workshops and plenary sessions
• Behind the Scenes look at who is Connecting for a Cause
• You ask the Questions and I get the Answers (send questions to kathrin.ivanovic at gmail.com)
• End of Conference Roundup of all the highlights, sights and sounds from my fellow social media team members
• Lots and lots of photos courtesy of TwitPic

The Budget:

• Airfare $164.40
• Cab: $50
• Registration: $500 (NGen Program Oct 19-20 and Friday 1 Day Pass to general conference)
• Food Stipend: $160 ($40 dollars per day)

I am thankful for your generosity!

As a token of my appreciation, please choose one of the following:

• 1 week ad space on my blog
• 1 advertising space in my bi-weekly newsletter (mailing list of more than 2500)
• PSA each day of the conference on Twitter, Facebook and in my LiveBlog Feed
• Logo included in the Post-Event Round Up

Independent Sector launched the NGen Program at the 2008 conference in Philadelphia. NGen is a program that is committed to developing the next generation of nonprofit leaders, critical to the ability of charities and foundations to improve lives around the world. I was there in 2008, reporting from the front lines. That is where I met the ever-fabulous Monica Montgomery of The Urban Momentum Network. Once again, Monica and I will be tweeting, facebooking and blogging about all things philanthropy! Joins us!

Send me to the 2010 Independent Sector Conference!

Take your virtual front seat today!

*If you prefer making a donation by check, please email me at kathrin.ivanovic at gmail.com

I didn’t blog much this summer. There was a lot of….yeah, you guessed it, change. I am no longer at NSC. I no longer have my place in Center City West. I moved to Lake George. I moved back to Philadelphia. I was engaged. I am no longer engaged. I started my own consulting firm – KI Consulting. I am moving to Atlanta  in 2011. See, I told you, change has been the constant in my life this summer.

So, clearly I am splitting content. I will focus on book and documentary reviews, political and cultural commentary, call to actions and all the industry information on KI Consulting Blog. TDP is strictly personal. No shop talk.

To say that a lot transpired this summer would be an understatement. Most of it is neither here nor there at this point. While it always takes two to tango, I recognize that I can only take responsibility for my part in it, learn from my mistakes and move on. I don’t own other peoples’ baggage.  Nothing can come from rehashing any of it, so I won’t even go down that road.  I am still digesting many aspects of what transpired. Perhaps at some point I will put more concrete thoughts down on what I learned from it all.  Until then, I’ll continue to take care of myself, rebuild my life, and put a lot of energy into the spectacular people I feel very blessed to call family and friends. Building the business is also eating up a good chunk of my time. I have a few clients who are extremely passionate about being the change they want to see in their communities.

I am really excited about the months ahead of me. Moving to Atlanta is at the top of that list. While I am going to miss Philadelphia, especially the close relationships that I have built over the last decade here, it’s time to move on. It’s time to step out of my comfort zone and try some new things, meet new people, and explore. So, more than anything, this blog serves as my attempt to chronicle my new story.

I look forward to sharing this journey with you and hope that you will share a bit of yours with me. All I ask is that you be kind and thoughtful with your words.

I have also put a lot of thought into setting new goals, things I want to experience and accomplish. Discussion coming soon….

- Peace Out

Yesterday was breathtaking, as a friend and fan, as a mixedchick and as a writer. SwirlPhilly came out to support the fabulously talented Heidi Durrow as she read from her new book “The Girl Who Fell From The Sky” (review forth coming) at the Philadelphia Free Library Literary Festival. Afterwards, several of us were invited to attend a reception hosted by Heidi’s local family. What a treat!

My Mixed Family

While I am queer and a writer, I am not necessarily a queer writer. I don’t think I have actually written anything substantial about being queer (although I have had the desire and intention to). I am a  mixed-chick and a writer, but not necessarily a mixedchick writer.  Yet, my ethnic and transnational identities have had a profound impact on how I see the world, and thereby heavily influencing my content. I have struggled with being mixed far more than being queer, or perhaps the struggle has just been more obvious. The mixed part of my identity is more pronounced due to that struggle.

I prefer creative-non fiction over fiction.  I recognize it’s a relatively short leap. I don’t have the aptitude for poetry or anything remotely resembling poetry. I don’t tell particularly provocative or risque stories. Although I don’t post many of my stories on TDP, most of them pertain to my childhood in Germany, in a little town in east Hessen. I call them Kitchen table Stories! Growing up, the kitchen table represented the heart of our family. It was the place we came together for family meals and learned recipes, the place where stories where handed down. My maternal grandparents have since passed and I often worry that I will forget too much. The sights, the sounds, the smells of being home! While it is often a challenge to differentiate between what  is truly a memory and what I remember from stories and photos, the collective narrative is a part of the fabric of who I am and where I come from. They make up the mosaic that is me.

———

On a side note, if you ever find yourself in Glen Mills, PA you must check out The Basin Bistro. If their dining-in menu is anything like what they served us last night, you I will not be disappointed. Between the appetizers and main cource (check my photos on Facebook), we were blown away! The cake was super yummy too!

Tuesday’s breakfast revolved around blogging . When we all started in our blogging and development careers, what we blog about, why we continue, etc. Turns out that I am one of three people this morning who don’t blog about work and has drawn a fairly recognizable boundary between work and the rest of my life. Ever so often you will read a post about immigration on TDP, but only if it deals with the impact immigration reform could AND should have on the queer community. Rare is the occasion where I write about work events or news/issues in the media relating to my work. In recent months I have even drawn that line on Facebook and Twitter.

You may be asking yourself why I have chosen to create these boundaries. Well,  it wasn’t always this way and they are all relatively new.  I used to work late every night, bring work home, respond to work emails via blackberry at all hours of the night, sacrifice much of my weekends. I believe in our mission, in the people that we serve and the work we do to help them create a better life for themselves and their families.  Even though I don’t directly provide services to our clients, it is hard to not bring work home emotionally. However, I woke up one morning and was unable to distinguish my work life from my personal life. I believe that distinction is necessary for perseverance purposes. Otherwise, burn out is merely a matter of time. My online identity – my brand if you will – had become one and the same with the work I did at my agency. Somewhere along the way I stopped doing many of the other projects I was involved with when I first started working at my current job. My two worlds had somehow merged and I wasn’t sure if I liked it. I knew it wasn’t healthy. Then came the difficult task of disentangling everything. I have learned that it is difficult to undo that knot once it has formed. My primary fear was people assuming that I lacked dedication or investment in my agency and our work, which is the farthest from the truth.  That train of thought kept me paralyzed for some time not knowing what to do or how to approach reclaiming a part of my life.

After much reflection and conversations with a few trusted friends who also worked at non-profit agencies, I decided to just make a clean break across the board. I completely separated my personal accounts from work. I stopped posting about work or even work-related topics. I got back to talking about all of the other things that excited me. After all, I am passionate about so many things – immigration reform is just the tip of the ice berg. Creating boundaries is challenging, but without them I probably would not be able to be as involved in my other projects and interests as I am.

I need to dance. There is no question about it. It is as essential as breathing. My ability to cope with stress is directly proportionate with the amount of time I have to take salsa classes or go out and dance. For some people it’s the gym or boxing classes, painting, or what not. For me it is salsa.

I need to be with my people – my queer people and my mixedfolk people! Without either of these groups my life is completely out of balance.  I can’t believe that I am even talking about a queer community, let alone “my” queer community. Crazy how things change in the matter of a few months. (oooh, no truer words have ever been spoken!) Anyway, before I continue down this tangent that cannot possibly lead anywhere good….my point is, I have neglected components of why I am and what I enjoy in life for way too long. It has primarily been a boundary issue. I haven’t drawn any around my work life. Some of these boundaries are causing logistical issues and I am still figuring out how to navigate all of that, but I truly believe that I am making the right choice for my life – physically, emotionally, psychologically. It’s a health step in the right direction!

Stay tuned…..

Nevertheless, I think I lost a part of my identity independent of where I worked. Everything sort of blended together and I lost sight of where one ended and the other began. Perhaps I became too invested. Is that even possible? This is not to say that being as invested and committed to our mission is a bad thing, but rather that a lot of other things I was/am passionate about went to the wayside. I really miss them and want to get connected again.

I have been feeling very lost lately and I think it has to do with a lot of lack of balance in my life. I am not engaging in enough activities that bring me joy personally. I know we often talk about professional and personal realms blending in the non profit world, that it seems to be a natural occurance, but I am not sure if that is at all healthy. I think there needs to be boundary. Otherwise, burnout is a surity!

I miss dancing. I keep wanting to get back into a dancing groove. I took a class on Saturday. The Medic and I went out Saturday night to Brasil’s. While I am not going to make class tonight, I am going to make it a point to go Saturday mornings. The dance schedule has completely shifted at Estilo, so I am going to have to go back to check which classes are being offered when.

I miss blogging with a mission. I am blogging with an outdated mission.  Or perhaps I have drifted from the mission and just need to re-focus. The lifeblogging component has always been there, but it has definitely moved to the forefront over the last few months. Perhaps I am overthinking this, but I feel like the TDP brand is no longer clearly visible. Perhaps it really is time for a complete shift. I don’t know. I need to sit with this for a bit.

I miss my Swirl family. I need to recharge our local chapter. I have been so busy with everything else that SwirlPhilly sort of driftet off of that proverbial plate of mine. I am going to reach out to all of the local members this weekend and set up socials for March, April and May, as well as a planning meeting. I hope to recruit one or two more individuals who are interested in serving as part of the leadership team.

While work remains demanding and I am committed as ever to being a part of the agency’s long-term success, I also need to take more time to ensure my personal and professional success beyond the agency. I realize there are only 24 hours in the day – much to my shagrin – and if I ease up on work hours only to fill my plate with other things, I am going to end up with the same result…burnout.

So, balance! There are many things I want to return to doing,but for now, dancing, blogging and SwirlPhilly are on my agenda.

Do you find that your work and personal blend in together? How have you set boundaries in your life to attain and/or maintain balance?

So, here is a little run down of where Kathrin has been and why TDP took a bit of a mini-vaca:

Work

I just celebrated my first year at NSC. We have accomplished a lot in that first year. Nevertheless, many things have still been left undone and year two will be packed with new fundraising, outreach and advocacy initiatives. Some exciting things are in the works and I will be sure to share them with you as soon as they are cleared for release.

Simple Living

I moved out of my old apartment in NE Philadelphia and now call Center City Philadelphia home. I sold a lot of my furniture in the process and sorted through dozens of boxes of belongings. The purge was liberating – truly! It’s amazing how much free time I have now – no more 2+hours of daily commute time. My commute these days is 15 minutes door to door.

Healthy Living

I finally have my act together health living wise. Since starting salsa I have shed almost 50lbs (since starting weight watchers about 40lbs). I have tons more energy and just feel better all the way around. Everyone says they can see it in my face. I shall take their word for it, because I can’t tell.

Salsa

I have been taking salsa classes at Estilo Dance Studio for several months now and am completely hooked. I am finally at that point where I can let go enough to feel the music versus just focusing on the steps. I am officially committed to performance class. We are really getting into the choreography, and I am shocked that we are only 23 seconds into a 3 minute routine. I am up for the challenge though. This is going to be kick ass!

Family

My dad comes home in 5 days. He has been stationed abroad for 2 years. Time did not go by as fast as I wanted it to, but the important thing is that he is home. I will be spending 4 days with my family in Florida. It’s good to have the entire family together again for Christmas. Last year felt all wrong! I will be sure to post lots of photos and even some video clips. My camera and Flip will be coming with me…..along with my laptop of course. I don’t expect to be on too much, but will update periodically.

My sister joined the Army a few weeks ago. It’s a great move for her. She is at her unit today getting fitted for her uniform. She leaves for basic training in March, followed immediately by specialized training – paramedic -  and won’t be home until sometime in September. My mom gets the sense that she will petition to go active once everything is said and done. This raises the likelihood of her deployment, but we will cross that bridge when we get there.

SwirlPhilly

SwirlPhilly has been a bit silent with work picking up and my recent move. But, I am happy to announce that we are back on track. Our Holiday Happy Hour is Monday, December 21 at Rum Bar. Please join us! Several new people are attending, so it should be a fun crowd! We will also be talking about upcoming events and activities….and fundraising (I have been exploring a few possibilities).

Someone New

There is definitely something brewing.  It’s sweet and gentle, yet rough around the edges.  I will definitely write more about this once some boundaries are set and I figure a few things out. I will probably post more regularly about this under the privacy filter. Hit me up off-line for the password. It is unexpected to say the least, but the timing could not be more perfect. For now, let’s just say that I am really content!

….more to come! Happy Hump Day!

NSC is gearing up for several events over the next 6 months:

World Refugee Day
June 20

Networking for a Cause (benefiting NSC)
July 9

2009 Global Tastes (annual fundraiser)
September 30

Stay tunes for more on these events!

Of course there are tons of other projects in between those dates. I feel extremely blessed to be in such an extraordinary position. I still pinch myself sometimes. I recently interviewed a refugee who has been in Philadelphia for a little more than 3 months. He is absolutely amazing – his spirit and determination is mindbogglingly.  I cannot wait to share his story with everyone.

Swirl Events:

Swirl is coordinating Loving Day events with all of its chapters. This will be the first (of many) events where all chapters are coordinating around the same theme. Lots of exciting things going on with Swirl these days. I lost a co-organizer, but I am still excited about the momentum that we established here in Philadelphia. We have several individuals who are interested in a more active role in chapter activities.

Come out to our May Happy Hour and Chapter Planning Meeting on Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 6pm at Bridgewater Pub in 30th Street Station.

It is definitely past my bedtime, so I am off.  I am definitely back and will be posting more often in the days and weeks to come.

I have had a lot of time to reflect recently and realized what an interesting year 2008 really was. While live was bumpy at times (quite a bit), the year ended on a definite high note.

I left a position that was making me increasingly unhappy. I successfully completed my Master’s degree. I transitioned from a corporate position to the non-profit sector, quite seamlessly I might add.  Thanks to some earthly and divine intervention, I secured my dream position with a nonprofit whose mission I would support even if I weren’t working there.

My dad re-joined the U.S. Army and began a (very long) two year deployment. My sister moved in with my parents. I got to spend a lot of time with my baby niece.

I located my birth father, along with a surprisingly large birth-family. Things didn’t turn out as I had initially hoped, but perhaps it will just take a bit of time.

As 2008 ended in a high note, 2009 is getting off to a terrific start.  I have several new ventures on the horizon (post forthcoming).  I have a fantastic position with incredible potential for growth, both personally and professionally.

I also want to make more personal time. I can’t recall the last time I paused to meditate. It used to be a part of my daily routine. I also intend to spend more time with friends and family. After spending 20 days with my family (between Thanksgiving and Christmas), I remembered why I love being around my family.  They are all really amazing people. Although we get on each others’ nerves at times, we are still solid – a team!

I am apprehensive to make actual resolutions every year, so this is as close as it gets for me.

May you have a safe, healthy and prosperous 2009! Thank you for reading my blog in 2008 and I hope you continue to return in 2009!

Thank you to everyone who commented on my resume and cover letters, provided unwavering encouragement and let me vent when my patience was running thin.

I truly love this new position. I love the mission, the people, and my work. I never thought that I would be in a position to say that (and mean it).  For the first time in my life, I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

It is going to take some time to figure out how to balance this position and my personal ventures, such as my blog.  I am also launching two independent ventures in the coming months.

….so, stay tuned to see how the balancing act unfolds.

Zimbabwe, one of Africa’s poorest countries, is in a precarious condition.  The government recently announced a cholera outbreak. South African President, Kgalema Motlanthe sent a team to Zimbabwe to asses the extent of the outbreak, but international health workers in the region indicate that it has already spread to neighboring Zambia and Botswana.

In light of this current situation, I encourage everyone to donate to Dangwa.  The organization received an grant enabling them to send a large container of relief supplies to Zimbabwe. Your donation will allow them to maximize the impact of this award. I have included an a letter from the Executive Director below.

To make an online donation, please CLICK!

Thank you!

It is with extreme excitement that I report to you that Dangwa Initiative has been awarded a grant to ship a 20ft container of goods to Zimbabwe. A 20ft container is large enough to take 36,000 lbs of goods.

So far most of you know that I have been collecting books, clothes, computers and other school supplies. 36K bs is a lot of stuff, my desire is to fill the container to the maximum so I am asking each and everyone of you to donate, in addition to above mentioned items, clothes, raincoats, shoes, socks and underwear for children of all ages; women and men. We are also in desperate need of pens, pencils, writing books and most importantly feminine products. Some of the girls in the rural areas miss on average one week of school every month as they cannot afford sanitary towels for their monthly cycle. Others have resorted to reusable rugs but without soap and clean water it becomes a health hazard.

As of last week the government of Zimbabwe declared a national emergency due to the outbreak of cholera. Cholera, waterborne disease, has killed close to 700 people and affected over 23K since August this year. These are official numbers, you and I both know that reality in ground zero is worse. In an effort to assist with this emergency, we are asking for donations to purchase water purification tablets to send with the container. For $5 we can buy 50 tablets. Each tablet purifies 1 liter, an average family of four needs about 10 liters a day therefore 50 tablets will provide clean water for 5 days/family of four. This is a temporary measure, therefore we welcome any suggestions and or resources for more permanent measures. We will also welcome donations of first aid kits including aspirin; Pepto Bismol; gloves; band-aids; alcohol; vitamins; first aid antibiotic ointments, wipes; gels; sprays; etc. Vaseline, lotions and other toiletries are also welcome.

I would like to send the container out before Christmas so they can arrive in time for the beginning of the new school year (January ’09) in Zimbabwe.

Last but not least, I will need assistance with sorting and packing all the donated materials starting Thursday this week (5PM-9PM week days) and Saturday (9AM-9PM); Sunday (2PM-9PM). Please call and let me know your preferred shift and how many people you will bring.

Thank you for your support, encouragement and love.