WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2017 61 1 GIVE THEM GOOSEBUMPS Everyone loves a good story. Want to keep your board members engaged, focused, and enthusiastic between board meetings? Joan Garry suggests the “goosebump-a-week solution.” Ask your staff members to each write one story a week using a real-life illustration about how your mission’s work has touched someone in an important way. The story should be no more than two paragraphs so a board member can read it on a cell phone in less than three minutes. Select one, give it a quick edit, and circulate to your board each Friday. Consider the benefits: • Tried and true. Simple and important. • Staff members become stronger ambassadors. • An inventory of stories to tell at your next social gathering or speaking engagement. • Board members will become better equipped to talk about your organization outside of the boardroom. • The development department will have a treasure trove to select from when putting together fundraisers and grant proposals. OUT IN THE COLD Aside from all the veterans who are already living on the streets, about 1.4 million other veterans are consid- ered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and poor living conditions in over- crowded or substandard housing, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. Learn more by logging in at www.agrm.org and clicking the Certification tab.