Listening well is the vital first step in developing good relationships with donors, churches, and partners. Today we talk with Michael Mitchell, CAFO’s Director of Development and Discipleship, about listening to the beautiful birds in our own backyards and the people doing incredible work in our communities. We talk about practical ways we can all practice and grow these skills and use them to help build strong connections to those around us.
We close with the powerful story of West Shore Free Church in Mechanicsburg, PA. They listened to hundreds of people across many sectors and instead of being overwhelmed with a growing list of problems to address, they gained incredible clarity about what matters most to their community: caring for vulnerable children and families.
Resources and Guests
Download the resource here, and take a listen to The Foster Movement Podcast, a limited-series podcast that connects you to the voices who know the world of foster care best: former foster youth.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Oklahoma Christian University and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma. Before coming to CAFO, he served as Director of Development and Marketing for an international water nonprofit working to eradicate the water crisis in 14 African countries. Prior to that role, Michael spent more than a decade in higher education fundraising and marketing with Oklahoma Christian University.
Michael enjoys teaching, reading, writing, music of all kinds, travel, shenanigans with his kids, fighting street gangs for charity, and has recently become very enthusiastic about roasting coffee.
