Okay now, boys and girls, sing along!
On the twelfth day of Christmas, our board chair sent to me (click on links or see below for key): 
* Twelve folks retiring,
* Eleven doors a' closing,
* Ten boards a' working,
* Nine grants a' writing,
* Eight funders leaping,
* Seven pairs of bad shoes,
* Six HR problems,
* Five golden dreams!
* Four insurance payments,
* Three quick trips
* Two unbalanced budgets . . .
* . . . And a Blue Avocado in a pear tree!
Answer key to above:
* Twelve folks retiring: Three Part Series on Nonprofit Retirement: How Much Do I Need to Save? Where and How to Save? What If I Don't Have Time to Save?
* Eleven doors a' closing: Board Cafe columns on Thinking About Closing Down and The Right Way to Close Down
* Ten boards a' working: Board Cafe columns All-Volunteer Organization Boards and Developing a Strategy for Financial Sustainability
* Nine grants a' writing: In Search of Unicorns: Whether & How to Hire a Grantwriter
* Eight funders leaping: Promises, Promises: Rural Advocates vs. Big Philanthropy
* Seven pairs of bad shoes: Why Do Men in the Nonprofit Sector Wear Such Bad Shoes?
* Six Rita columns: Ask Rita in HR compiled columns
* Five golden dreams! If Business Were Only More Like Nonprofits . . .
* Four insurance payments: A Board Member's Guide to Nonprofit Insurance
* Three quick trips: Three of our favorite Take a 3-Minute Vacation Right Now choices: Visit New York City, Ecuador and to the international newsstand.
* Two unbalanced budgets: Nonprofit Budgets Have to Balance: False!
* . . . And a Blue Avocado in a pear tree!
We know you have a million messages in your inbox. Thank you for choosing Blue Avocado! If Blue Avocado is helpful (or at least fun) for you and your community nonprofit, won't you consider:
- Passing it along with a recommendation to friends (it's free after all!)?
- Making a donation (see the Sponsor/Donate button to right)?
- Writing comments on articles so that everyone can see them?
A great way to make access to and awareness of these resources fun and interesting! Thanks.
Kylie Pierce
Development Coordinator
Rome Capitol Theatre
Rome, NY
Thanks – that was both creative and helpful. Kudos to you!!
I just posted it on my blog: http://markpetersen.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/blue-avocado-in-a-pear-tree/ and hope it gives you some free publicity for your service.
Very clever!
Jon Funabiki, Department of Journalism, San Francisco State University