Leadership

Do You Want to be Your Own Boss?

I've heard blind people give advice that in today's job market, starting your own business is a viable option. And, it is, but most people fail to see the reality of going at it alone. I run a freelance copywriting business outside of my day job. It keeps me afloat when our federal government shuts down, and I have to go to work without getting paid. I figure maybe one day I'll grow old and retire from catching bad people, but when that day comes, I had better be prepared to make a smart transition.

Here's a blog post I previously wrote for my freelance blog:

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Minutes from the NFB of Virginia 5/16/2020 Board of Directors Meeting

National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
Meeting of the Board of Directors
Saturday, May 16, 2020
1pm-4pm
Zoom Session

The National Federation of the Blind of Virginia’s Board of Directors meeting was called to order by President Tracy Soforenko
Invocation: Chamiere Roberts from the Richmond Chapter
Heartfelt Words about Dr. Brian Miller by Bonnie O’Day

Roll Call: 58 members were present

The minutes for January 20, 2020 board meeting were read by Evelyn Valdez.
Minutes were approved without correction

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Nonprofit Development: Grant Writing 101

In the coming years our affiliate will implement a diverse fundraising strategy to make it possible for us to have more services like Project RISE. One of those funding strategies will likely be grant writing, and while grant writing will make the most sense at the affiliate level, where we can project the greatest impacts, that does not mean chapters and divisions cannot pursue their own grant writing strategies to help fund activities they would like to sponsor. Here's a starting point to thinking about grant writing.

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Nonprofit Development: Planning a Special Event

No aspect of fundraising should exist in a vacuum. Organizations should use grant writing, event planning, direct mail, and other aspects of nonprofit development to help build up budgets through a diversified fundraising strategy.

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Quick Tips - Making Our Meetings and Workshops More Accessible, Productive, and Fun

By Jeremy Grandstaff

At the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia (NFBV) we have a number of meetings. At chapter meetings for example, we invite people to come to learn about NFBV, engage more effectively in our work, and to learn more about our own abilities to transform our lives to achieve what we want.

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Ten Tips for a Resume that Gets You the Interview

By John Bailey

Let’s face it, the whole goal from searching online for a job, creating that perfect resume, talking to your career buddies about unadvertised job opportunities is to get you an interview. Getting face-to-face with your potential employer means that you are almost there in terms of getting the job you want. Once in the interview, you can let your skills, knowledge, and personality take over to dazzle so that you will get the offer. Once in the interview, you have all the power.

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True North: Discovering the Strength of Your Inner Compass

By Kathryn Webster

Editor’s Note: During the last weekend in January 2019, Kathryn organized a joint conference for Project RISE participants and leaders from the National Association of Blind Students. On Saturday evening, the two groups came together for a banquet and keynote speech that merged the goals of both tracks in one inspirational presentation. Following is the text of Kathryn’s remarks.

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what does the nfb do for me

by Dianna Oliveira

You may be asking that question when approached by a member, inviting you for a meeting or even a convention. Each one of us probably came to the NFB looking to socialize, for support, to be among blind or visually impaired people like us who could perceive the world as we do, empathize with the many challenges we face every day. Yes, the Federation is 80 years old and the ground was prepared for us by the founders, who went through more obstacles than we can ever imagine.

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