Cabrini Madness. Cabrini Future.

I’d like to share a few thoughts with readers about the importance of the current Cabrini Madness Fund Raising Campaign.

Cabrini Connections is a volunteer-based organization. I’ve led it since 1993 after leading the Montgomery Ward/Cabrini-Green Tutoring Program from 1975 to 1992. *see timeline.

Until 1990 I was a volunteer myself, with a full time advertising job. Every year for the past 35 years I’ve made an effort to enlist other people to share the responsibility for helping inner-city youth and workplace volunteers connect in a meaningful and life-transforming process.

When we became a non-profit in 1990 this meant we also had to recruit volunteers to serve on a Board of Directors, which is required for non profit status, We also had to find volunteers to help with raising the funds needed to operate. Our first Directors were people who had been tutors/mentors. Over the years others have come as a result of relationships with incumbent board members. Some still have started out as tutors/mentors, such as Ray Dowdle, Victor Trotter, Mike Hayes and Mike Ozmeral.

Our Directors are no different than any of the volunteers with Cabrini Connections. We don’t have people who come from wealthy families or who lead big companies and can control donor decisions. We’ve relied on advertising and network-building to tell our story and find new donors every year. Yet we know that good fund raising is a result of good relationships and family ties.

Over the years we’ve had the bad luck to loose some of our strongest supporters, such as the Montgomery Ward Company and HSBC North America due to their own business conditions. That means instead of growing revenue each year we’re often struggling just to replace money that won’t repeat from the previous year. This year for instance, we will need to replace $20,000 given by HSBC North America in 2010 which won’t repeat in 2011.

It’s this inability to keep major donors involved from year-to-year that makes philanthropy such a difficult model for building long-term organizational success. Read more about challenges facing non profits.

I’ve had many people help me in my 35 years of leadership. In 1978 one adviser said “If you don’t write your plan on paper, you don’t have a plan.” Thus, I’ve written down the reasons we offer tutoring/mentoring, the strategy, and what it takes to be successful. However the number of people who actually read this each year was pretty small because of limited ability to make copies available to a large network of people (and lack of time/interest). With the Internet I’ve put many of my ideas and the annual plan on the Internet so anyone can look at it, with the goal that more people will share ownership and responsibility for our success. We still don’t have many people reading this, but it is now available to anyone who is interested.

What does this have to do with Cabrini Madness? Everything.

This event has enlisted more students, volunteers and alumni in telling friends, coworkers and family about what we do and asking for donations than any other event we have offered. As a result, more people are beginning to look for information to show why a program like this is needed and how we show that donors should support us when there are so many other causes in the world demanding donor attention and investments.

I hope that means more people will read the articles I write at and more people will take time to review this animated map showing the information we share on our web sites. As you build your own understanding, you’re better prepared to tell others.

However, asking people for money is only the first reason that Cabrini Madness is important.

We need to be building a network of volunteer and alumni leaders who can support any future staff who join the program. While El and Bradley are doing a great job, they may choose to go to other jobs and careers (especially if we can’t find the money to pay them or provide adequate working conditions and support for their efforts.)

In the past when we’ve had leadership transition, I’ve been here to help recruit and train new staff. I’ve drawn from the annual plan that I’ve written to provide a structure that new people could use as they grew their own understanding of their role as a leader.

However, I’m 64 and can’t be counted on to be here for more than a few more years…if that long. Thus if we are to continue to provide a safe and supportive place where volunteers and teens can connect, and that continues this connection into alumni years, we not only need to find secure funding that can attract and keep people like El and Bradley with us, but we also need to build a volunteer leadership corps that will provide us with program coordinators, group leaders, fund raisers, and Directors who can work together and who have a history with the program and a passion for what we do, and who have a deep understanding of the strategy and resources of the organization.

This volunteer leadership will continue the traditions of Cabrini Connections and make the hiring decisions that give us new staff and Directors in the future.

I feel my role is to coach a new generation of leaders who will support the continued operations of Cabrini Connections, and who will help make sure that programs like Cabrini Connections are available in all poverty areas of Chicago and other urban areas. The ideas I share on the Tutor/Mentor Institute serve that purpose.

As you brainstorm ways to motivate friends to provide donations to your Cabrini Madness team, realize that the cost of space, insurance, technology and utilities alone is more than $100,000 each year. We must find grant makers and benefactors who will provide major gifts each year--as well as continually growing the list of people who made donations of $5.00 to $2500--from among the people we talk with as we compete for Cabrini Madness Donations.

Use this chart to develop your outreach strategy and prioritize who you try to share information with. It shows that the people in your immediate network are connected to other people in their own network. And some of these people may be connected to people who can make major gifts. These are the people we need to be reaching. We need to find ways to show them why we are important and why they should invest.



This is an on-going process of learning, network-building and relationship building. It requires the involvement of many people, including our alumni and their families, not just myself and our small paid staff or the volunteers on our Board of Directors.

Cabrini Madness and events like this will determine what Cabrini Connections will be in the future....or if it will still exist 10 years from now.

Strategic Network Building for Support

I'm going to go out on a limb here by saying that EVERYBODY has a network. No matter if you are 6 years old and your network is family and your classmates or you are Bill Gates and your network is extensive. But what is the use of a network if you can't utilize AND mobilize that network. The President/CEO of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Dan Bassill, put together the graphic you see here in hopes that not only the organization's staff, students, and volunteers use it, but any and all of those connected to Cabrini Connections will use in order to continue to expand the organization's network that could essentially lead to a wider range of support.

Yesterday, after taking a moment to study the chart, I began to add names to the slots. This is easier said that done. True, I could have just threw names on the list, but I wanted to be strategic in my work. I looked at each category and really made an effort to add names of people who I first felt would be interested in the cause and then I considered the fact that they would either have the resources to support and/or could connect me to others in their network that could potentially respond with support also.

I put together a letter of support providing more information about who we are, what we do, and why I am involved and why others my want to get involved in some way. I also added a donation form so that after reading the information that was provided those people could easily contribute. I sent that information to nearly 40 people. The information went out to a wide range of people, from my mother and my father who will support me and my endeavors no matter what, to NFL stars such as Barry Cofield, Tyrell Sutton, and Orlando Pace who benefited from mentors and a support system on their road to success.

My number 1 goal is that everybody that receives the information takes the time to read the information and from that point decide how they can support. I am just one of over 2000+ people that are connected to Cabrini Connections in some way. If every current student, volunteer, staff, if every student, staff, and volunteer alumnus, and if every parent and/or former supporter of the program took 30 minutes out of their day atleast once a week and used this tool to strategically network build for Cabrini Connections not only would we expand our network greatly, but that would put us in a position to provide all of our students, volunteers, and staff with the resources necessary to be successful. And who doesn't want to be successful?...

Will YOU Help Lead Us to Success?

Who is in your Network?

How many think about how your volunteer involvement in Cabrini Connections has expanded your informal network? How many of the companies that you've worked for value this as an important asset? Here's an article titled Managing the 21st Century Organization, that illustrates the value of informal networks.

If this is good for volunteers, then it's a benefit for our teens, too. If we are helping them expand their own networks, because of the people they meet through Cabrini Connections, that's a good thing.

Now, how many of you are willing to use this network chart to identify people in your own network who night become a donor, business sponsor, or benefactor, to help us operate Cabrini Connections, if you just introduced us to them?

Last Friday at the conference, I hosted a workshop with a volunteer from Dominican University, who is helping me map our networks. You can read about that here.

Her father attended the workshop with her. He wanted to see what we were doing, because she had told him about the work. He's from Nevada. But because he was introduced to us by his daughter, and he's interested, he may become a donor. He may also introduce us to people in his network.

That's how networks can be used to benefit Cabrini Connections, our volunteers, and our youth.

We need more sponsors for the dinner, the golf benefit, the conferences, and the general operations of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection.

Please use this network diagram to identify one or two people in each category who might help us if you just told them of your involvement.

Can you help?

This week we're sending out about 1500 letters asking friends, family, foundations and others to make donations to the Annual Fund, which is essential for keeping Cabrini Connections in business from year to year.

This also includes an invitation to the year end dinner on June 10.

We've had great fund raising support so far this year from students and volunteers and I hope that during the tutoring sessions this week, everyone will pick up 5 or more brochures and send them to people they know who might provide a donation, or become a benefactor.

We are a non profit, so we're always going to be looking for money, and we will only succeed if our students, alumni and volunteers are telling their own stories about how their lives have been enriched by being part of Cabrini Connections.

Please follow our fund raising activities on this fund raising blog, and on this page on the Cabrini Connections web site.

What about bequests? Yes. Cabrini Connections can be the place where people leave a bequest, and create a legacy. Read more about bequests. Use this page to add Cabrini Connections to an estate plan.

Cabrini Madness Is Underway!

In anticipation of the college basketball tournament season and a way to bring in some much needed resources to the organization, Cabrini Connections' has started it's own tournament...a FUNdraising tournament called Cabrini Madness!!!

Cabrini Madness is a FUNdraising project that promotes teamwork, program advocacy, and is really just a fun way to obtain the necessary resources our program needs to continue providing the services that our students and volunteers have grown to love. Each team must have atleast 1 student, 1 volunteer, 1 person in a leadership position (staff, Volunteer Coordinator, Board Member etc...) and atleast one person who is outside of the program and teams can have up to 10 members on the roster. And we added this component as a way of expanding our Cabrini Connections' network.

This project was launched in the early part of this month and will last until the NCAA Men's National Championship game on April 5th...well for those two Cabrini Madness teams that make the finals (smile). To get the full details of Cabrini Madness you can go here. And we went a little wild with the creativity put into this project by putting together an actual Cabrini Madness Brackett, so players, coaches, and fans can see their teams either advance to the next round(s) or...you know the rest! And each team will have put together and launched a Give Forward fundraising page to college their team's donations, which is ultimately the teams' scoreboard.

~Become a Fan, Become a Donor, Become a Member of the Cabrini Connections' TEAM~

Illini vs NU FUNdraising Challenge Press Release

Northwestern University and University of Illinois may be competitors on the football field, but they're competitors in the fundraising field too! Kurt Kittner (for U of I quarterback) and EL Da' Sheon Nix (former NU wide receiver) are currently running a competitive fundraiser on GiveForward.org, and are encouraging their fellow alumni to donate!

Kurt Kittner serves on the board and EL Da' Sheon Nix is the Administrative Coordinator of Cabrini Connections, an organization that works to provide an organized framework that empowers and encourages volunteers to give their time, skills, and support in seeking life-changing solutions for children who live in an educationally, disadvantaged environment. "The competition between NU and Illinois on the football fields is the result of many men and women putting in many hours of training and hard work to be the best they can be," says Dan Bassill, director of Cabrini Connections. "When we get donors doing all they can to help nonprofits like [us], we'll be able to do much more to help kids overcome poverty and succeed in school and careers."

Between today and the NU vs. U of I game day (November 14, 2009), Kurt and his team of Ilini will be trying to raise more dollars than EL Da'Sheon and the other NU alums who are volunteers, donors and board members at Cabrini Connections. Other NU athletic alumni are already donating to the cause. Matt Ulrich, former Wildcat and Super Bowl Champion with the Indianapolis Colts, rallied over 85 people this past October to run the second annual Train With Ron Charity Hill Challenge. As a group they ran over 3,000 hills in one hour and raised $6,800 dollars in contributions for the organization. Billy Silva (former NU linebacker), Pat Durr (former NU linebacker), Jason Burke (former NU basketball player), and Sarah Walsh (former NU lacrosse player) have donated financially, while other former players are attending events and volunteering.

EL Da'Sheon and Kurt hope all of their alumni can find a way to contribute!

To give your donation money on the Northwestern side, go here: http://www.giveforward.org/illinivsnuchallenge/


Those supporting the Illini side should donate here: http://www.giveforward.org/illinialumsgive/

Contact Information:Dan Bassill: Exec Director of Tutor/Mentor Cabrini Connections tutormentor2@earthlink.net312-492-9614

EL Da' Sheon Nix, Former WR Northwestern, Cabrini Staff member (Administrative Coordinator)312-492-9614mailto:312-492-9614eldasheon.nix@gmail.com


Kurt Kittner (Former QB of U of I, Cabrini Connections Board member)Kurt.Kittner@am.jll.com312-228-3827


By Leigh Johnston

Words of Advice

Here's some good advice for all of us as we start a new school year.


Find more videos like this on Fireside Learning: Conversations about Education


This video was posted on the Fireside Learning forum by Ed Hitchcock.

This is one of many forums where I learn new ideas and share my own experiences. I encourage members of Cabrini Connections to learn to use these forums for their own learning and networking.

Nearly 20 NFL and NBA Superstars Support Cabrini Connections

With less than 3 days before the organization's BIGGEST fundraiser of the year, the Annual Jimmy Biggs Memorial Golf Benefit, almost 20 NBA and NFL players show their support by providing autographed items to enhance the silent auction at the event.

After a brief conversation with former Northwestern University female basketball standout, Nadia Bibbs, about the work that I do for Cabrini Connections and the upcoming event she agreed to help us out in our efforts. Nadia then shared the information with several of her NFL and NBA friends and after a short time period the Cabrini Connections' program was provided with 3 basketballs and 1 football autographed by some of the biggest names in the National Basketball Association and the National Football League.

With many of the NBA stars using the city of Chicago to train and prepare for the next season, Mr. Antoine Walker discussed the Cabrini Connections' program during workouts and was able to get autographs from; Bobby Simmons, Gilbert Arenas, Devin Harris, Tracy McGrady, Luther Head, Will Bynum, Juwan Howard, and Larry Hughes. And Mr. Walker rounded out the list and added his signature so that we could enter the ball into the silent auction on Thursday.

There is only a couple more weeks before the Chicago Bears start their pre-season workouts and several members of the team are supporting the Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection in a HUGE way. New Chicago Bear and personal friend, Orlando Pace agreed to take the football to the Bear's training facility and several of his teammates signed the football without hesitation. Orlando actually handed the ball off to Garrett Wolfe originally and G. Wolfe not only got all of the signatures for the football, I met up with him to run the ball back to Cabrini Connections. Autographs provided by Adrian Peterson, Jason McKey, Garrett Wolfe, Brad Maynard, Tommy Harris, Devin Hester, Kelin Davis, Danielle Manning, and Israel Idonije. Not only did we receive the football for the golf benefit, linebacker Nick Roach has registered for the dinner, cocktails, and silent auction part of the day. Mr. Orlando Pace is also planning on coming out to swing the clubs in a fun-filled day of golfing.

I, along with the entire Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection staff, students, and volunteers would like to thank the all of the players who provided signatures AND support to the program. I would also like to give a very special "thank you" to Ms. Nadia Bibbs for all of her hard work and commitment to making sure this entire act of support took place. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

College Loan and Student Debt Problems?

The Cabrini Connections' program has been up and running for over 10 years and during that time there have been hundreds of former students AND volunteers who have become Cabrini Connections' alumni. One of our main goals in the program is to provide all students with the necessary resources to graduate from high school and to put themselves in a position to be in a job or career by the age of 25. If this model of success holds true, then it would suggest that many Cabrini Connections alums have graduated from high school and college and should be in or on their way to a job or career by that golden age of 25.

Even before the today's economic problems, there have been college students who have had to borrow more just to get into college, and have had to pay even more when leaving college. And with the Cabrini Connections' students and volunteers who have gone on to attend and graduate college, I'm sure that some if not many have or are going through a similar situation. Cabrini Connections is more than a program that assist 7th-12th grade youth while they are enrolled in the program; we hope that both student and volunteer alums will remain connected to the program and each other.

Here is some very helpful information for any Cabrini Connections' student and/or volunteer alumni who may be facing debt problems. But as the Administrative Coordinator of the program I would like to assist current Cabrini Connections' members with the prevention of debt problems and assist alums with getting out debt, but I will need a little assistance. If there were a person or a company that has expertise in this area and would be willing to share some helpful tips, tools, and techniques to our current participants, alumni, and community members that could be a service that would not only be greatly appreciated, but beneficial to all who attends.

We have a great space to host financial workshops, lectures, or meetings throughout the summer and during the school year. And with the state of the current economy and with debt being a situation that many people can relate to, if this type of service was made available it could work wonders the Cabrini Connections' family.

Please don't hesitate to contact Cabrini Connections if you can or know someone who can assist with providing this service.

The Upcoming 2009 Year End Dinner

Thursday June 4th, the Cabrini Connections' program will be hosting our annual Year End Dinner event! This is an event that takes place at the end of every tutoring/mentoring year that brings together students, alumni, potential students, mentors, staff and donors together and their guests, for an evening filled with food, entertainment and celebration of another great year at Cabrini Connections. Courtland Madock, who was the Volunteer in the Spotlight during the last week of our official tutoring/mentoring sessions, along with her Year-End Dinner Committee have put together what will we hope will be a truly memorable night and will provide the momentum needed for the summer and a successful 2009-2010 year!

The Year End Dinner is an event for those are, have, or would like to be a part of the program, and is a great opportunity to meet many of the people who make this program what it is. The 2008 Year End Dinner truly great and I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite program events of the year! The event is not only filled with the people who make the program possible, but the event is filled with so much emotion it really lets you know how much this program means to so many people. And as the Administrative Coordinator of the program it reassures me that we are making a difference in the lives of those who are connected to the program.

And this year's event should be as fun and as powerful as the previous ones. There will be students serving as MCs, there will be parents speaking, volunteers speaking, staff speaking, alumni speaking, entertainment from the youth, and much much more that the 2009 Year End dinner!!! Another special treat is our Youth Leadership Council will premiere a short documentary about the history of Cabrini Connections, shot with the assistance of professional videographers Matt Lauterbach and Dinesh Sabu. The theme of this year's dinner and the 2009-2010 tutoring/mentoring year is "Hope, Build, Believe, and Achieve."

If you would like to be a part of what will should be a GREAT night, you can easily RSVP online here, so please join us. The dinner will be taking place at the Cornerstone Academy banquet facility, which is located at 1111 N Wells. Dinner will last from 5:30-8 and those over 21 will continue the night at Spoon, located across the street at 1240 N Wells St. Hope to see you there!

For More information about the Year End Dinner visit the website.

*pictures from the 2008 event*

Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference

On May 28th-29th the Tutor/Mentor Connection side of the organization held it's 30th Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference at Northwestern University's Law School. For those who have never attended or who don't know what this event is all about, this event that takes place in May and November is really an opportunity for people who truly care about the importance and need of tutor/mentor programs to come together to share ideas, techniques, skills, and resources to enhance our own knowledge and our respective programs, businesses, and organizations. The event was filled with great workshops, panel discussions, keynote speakers, and formal and informal conversations that can and will hopefully lead future partnerships and collaborations.

Hopefully throughout this week attendees will be debriefing about their experience at the conference and will be sharing their own stories through various face to face conversations, emails, and through blog articles so that the power of the conference can be felt even by those who could not attend.

I personally felt really good after walking out of the conference! Unfortunately, I was unable to attend every workshop and I'm sure I did not have a personal conversation with every person who was present, but the people that I was able to connect with and the workshops I did attend I feel very good about.

Thursday morning's keynote speaker, Jeffery Fields, kicked off the conference in a big way. Just his personal story alone of growing up in Humbolt Park and living in an abusive household and going on to now having a successful life after having two of his brothers killed not only caught the attention of every person in the audience, but provided me with even greater hope that each and every student in the Cabrini Connections can succeed in life.

Following the keynote speaker I had the opportunity to start attending the various workshops that were provided. The workshops I selected were because I either felt that I could obtain information that we could benefit from having in our organization or because I felt that I was not as knowledgeable in a certain area and felt that I could strengthen my skills professionally by attending that particular workshop. And that is exactly what took place. There is not one person in this field or this world that knows everything, but at the Leadership and Networking Conference we have the opportunity to get information that we may not have, connect with people we may not already know, and use this opportunity to all get the valuable information needed to become even better professionals.

On Friday I not only had the opportunity attend the Media Panel that started the day and again visit some of the workshops that were provided, I had the pleasure of actually sitting on a panel. Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection's Board Members Steve Miller and Kurt Kittner(former NFL quarterback), former Northwestern University football players Chasda Martin and Torri Stuckey, and myself provided the "Engaging Athletes, Business Leaders, and Celebrities as Advocates for Volunteer-Based Tutor/Mentor Programs" panel discussion. This panel discussion was really not intended to share football stories and stats and/or our accomplishments in athletics, we discussed how we all used resources such as tutor/mentor programs, sports, and even just a positive role model in our school or neighborhood to assist us all to getting to our respective professions today. We then provided information on how those who attended the panel can not only connect with other athletes but how these athletes can help them in their respective programs.

Unfortunately, I had to depart the conference following the panel discussion, but I'm 100% sure that the remainder of the day was again filled with resourceful workshops and speakers. Although the Leadership and Networking Conference was a great opportunity for people to all come together and share information and ideas, it's what take place in between this conference and the next that will determine how successful and useful this opportunity was. Are people not only taking information back to their respective places of business and sharing the information that was obtained at the conference to those in their networks; hopefully attendees are building upon the relationships that were established as a result of the conference.

Over the weekend and throughout this week I will not only be sharing my experiences such as what I'm doing now in this blog, but I will be following up on any and all of the individual conversations I had with those that I met at the event. And hopefully as a result of attending the May 2009 Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference I can grow professionally and as a leader of the Cabrini Connections' program, and I can continue to assist others with their efforts, in their programs, businesses, and organizations as well.

~See You ALL in November~

Meet interns. Visit NU Ning group

While we share our stories through the blog articles you can read here, the Internet has many places where people meet. Thus, Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, is in many more places than 800 W. Huron, or on this blog page.

Visit the NU TutorMentor group and see how we're creating a network of Northwestern University students, faculty and alumni. Read about interns here and here.

Parent Leadership in Education Blog Passes on T/MC message

I encourage you to read this article in the Parent Leadership in Education blog. It illustrates how one writer is able to connect people in one network with ideas in other networks. I met the writer of this blog in a LinkedIn group forum where we've been sharing ideas with others.

As more and more of us use blog exchanges to expand our network and focus it on common goals, we build a greater army of support for Cabrini Connections and similar tutor/mentor programs which we could not reach on our own.

Read more on the Tutor/Mentor Blog that I write.

Dan Bassill
President
Cabrini Connections
Tutor/Mentor Connection

Supporters of Cabrini Connections..."Be APART of Barack's Change!"

History will be made this month, on January 20th to be exact, with the eyes of the world focused on Washington DC as Barack Obama officially becomes the first minority President!!! This is a true historic event, so monumental that there will be millions of people not only trying to get the attention of the new administration, but millions of people are just want to be apart of it all. So how can the Cabrini Connections' family not only be apart of this event, but be apart of the CHANGE…It’s pretty simple!

Express your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and even your dreams of change in the form of blog articles! The Cabrini Connections’ Team is encouraging the entire Cabrini Connection network to take part in being APART of this change by constructing blog articles in all of the various communication and media avenues out there (newspapers, tv, radio, myspace, facebook, etc…). As apart of this change we want you all to think about how the Obama Administration can help you, your business, your organization, and your community etc…to help not just the Cabrini Connections' kids, but all kids. Because the kids are OUR future and with this ‘new’ idea of change, why not try make all take part in the change for all of OUR futures.

Our vision is that we get past, current, and future Cabrini Connections' staff, students, and volunteers joining this wave, collectively we raise enough attention and awareness during the inauguration celebration and all of the policy forums to what WE have to say about how our new public and private leaders help US do OUR work!!!

This is how this is going to work…during the week of the inauguration EVERYBODY should write your article and not only share your article with the public, but encourage people in your network to do the same! Or you can post your blog link (and article) on our Ning page (http://nututormentor.ning.com/?xgsi=1).

Like the President/CEO of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection (Mr. Dan Bassill) says, "I can't be in DC and don't want to be one of a hundred, or a thousand faces in a crowd in Chicago. Yet I want people to hear my message, reflect on it, and then act on it. You do too, don't you! So write a blog article that connects public policy, private sector involvement and the work you do to help kids in poverty have a ladder of support that makes it possible for more of them to be a leader in business, education and government in the future."

I am asking all of you to join the WAVE by writing your blogs and sharing them with the world!

CHANGE is in YOUR hands!!!

We Want to Be, We Want to Be...Like Dan!

In the 80's, 90's, and even today there are millions of boys, girls, men, and women who wanted to 'Be Like Mike!' And without even saying the whole name and/or the last name I'm sure nearly everybody knows who I am talking about...Michael Jordan!!! And who wouldn't want to be like not only the best basketball player who ever graced the courts, but also one of the world's true heros.

In the world of tutoring/mentoring there is another hero that we should all aspire to and that is the President/CEO of Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection, Mr. Dan Bassill! Just as Michael Jordan spent endless hours perfecting his craft, making those around him better, and setting the bar in the sport of basketball (and all other forms of athletics), Dan is doing a very similar job in this field.

Mr. Bassill has been in the tutor/mentor field and perfecting his craft for over 30 years. And during that time Dan has not only networked and collaborated with other passionate and dedicated gurus in the business, continued to study and learn all aspects of the field, Dan has always worked towards sharing all the he knows with others in the field. In a field where resources are sometimes very hard to come by and causes some people/programs to isolate themselves in order to obtain and keep resources, Mr. Bassill works even harder to network and collaborate with any and all people, programs, businesses, politicians, and any other person on entity that has a similar vision of doing everything necessary to enhance the lives of youth! In his blogs a person can always find information ranging from the latest tragic event that has taken place in Chicago AND what can and should be done to information on how Obama can and will inspire change in others. (http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/).

And besides just reading stories, Mr. Bassill shows his true coaching, versatility, and communication ability by providing numerous visuals of his vision AND how those visions can be carried out. Here is an example of one of Dan's concept maps.(http://www.cabriniconnections.net/pdfs/CCstudent_alumni_support09a.pdf)

Like, Mike, it started with a vision and an attitude, and it continues with daily practice, research, networking, and not only telling the Cabrini Connections' story, but maybe equally important is that Dan assists other people, organizations, and businesses with putting themselves in a position to tell a 'story' as well. And that story is and should be a story of how businesses, organizations, schools, communities, and people in general stepped up and became leaders in the fight to provide the youth with all of the resources necessary to be successful in life and in turn become leaders as well who GIVE BACK!!!

Just as Mike became a hero to millions because of his talents that he shared with the world, Dan has and is continuing to do the same in the field of tutoring/mentoring. While its still okay to "Be Like Mike" people should want to "Be Like Dan" as well...

"Thank You Mr. Dan Bassill for all that you have done and continue to do, that has truly touched so many lives!

Be the CHANGE.

I hope that 2009 brings health, happiness and prosperity to everyone in the Cabrini Connections family. We thank everyone who has volunteered time and talent, and dollars, in the past year and look forward to working with your through 2009 and beyond.

Through Facebook and Linked in, as well as SVHATS, we are building an on-line network of Cabrini Connections students, volunteers and alumni. I hope that each of you will help us expand this, by inviting your own friends, and by helping us reconnect with former students and volunteers.

We're also building "outposts" in a variety of other forums, such as Change.org. I hope you'll visit these places and help us build an identity, and that you'll also help us connect in other places that we don't yet know about, or that we don't have time to visit ourselves. I've created a list of social network sites where we are active and encourage you to add to this as you find and join other sites.

We have much to do in 2009 to help our current kids make the decisions that will lead them through school and to jobs and careers. We also have much to do to help our former students, and their own children, because many of them are still struggling to find security and a place for themselves and their families in this 21st Century Society.

Through these social network spaces we can find more help, more ideas, more friends and more resources. This expands our world, and expands the world for our kids and volunteers. We need the help of all of you, students, volunteers and alumni, to maximize our potential in this new world.

Thank you all for letting us be part of your lives.

A Perfect Networking Opportunity

On Friday November 21st the Tutor/Mentor Connection hosted the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference at the Chicago Field Museum. This conference provided an abundant amount of opportunities for each and every person who attended the conference. There were numerous workshops, panels, and two very good keynote speakers at this conference. Attendees of the conference had the opportunity to attend these workshops and panels and not only obtain very beneficial information, but attendees had the opportunity to share information about their personal lives and about the various programs that they are apart of as well.

Another key feature of the conference was the ability to take part in workshops that were relevant to a person's own interests. If a person was looking to get more information about how to evaluate their own program, how to recruit and retain volunteers and students, and/or how to raise money during the holiday season, that person had the opportunity to get all of that information in just one day at the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference!

This conference had something in it for any and everybody who is or wants to be apart of this field; from a person who is looking to start their own tutor/mentor program to a person who has been in this field for more than 20 years, the conference provided information and opportunities that can and will be beneficial. Besides the workshops, panels, and the keynote speakers one of the biggest advantages of attending the conference came in the form of just being able to network!

As the Administrative Coordinator of a tutor/mentor program I know that I do not have all of the answers to build a 'perfect' program, have all of the knowledge it takes to obtain 100% attendance rates for all mentors and mentees, nor do I have all of the skills to get a million dollar donation, but at the conference I was able to surround myself with people who could assist me and the Cabrini Connections' staff in those areas and more!

As the title states, "A Perfect Networking Opportunity," the Tutor/Mentor Leadership and Networking Conference was just that! In my experience alone I was able to get a resume from a former Social Worker who is looking for work and hopefully get her an interview at a Social Service agency in the Chicago area, I was able to connect two people/programs to an NU alum and former football player who is a writer, I was able to get more information on how to successfully recruit and retain volunteers and students, I was able to get information on how to successfully evaluate students on more than just academics but on the 'soft skills' as well, and as a result of this conference I was able to meet, interact, and build what I hope is a lot of future partnerships with what I call professional colleagues.

True, there are many arenas and ways in which people can network in this field, but I have to say, and I'm sure others that attended will say, that the two conferences that the Tutor/Mentor Connection hosts each year is one of the best ways in which to not only get information and meet other dedicated professionals in this field, but also one of the best ways to build upon those relationships to provide more and even better tutor/mentor programs throughout the world!

So I hope that all of the people who attended this conference will use this as a way to do more for tutor/mentor programs with the use of collaborative efforts and will find a way to attend the next conference in May. And when that conference does take place, be able to share all of the success stories that took place as a result of this November conference.

Blog Action Day focuses on Poverty, and mentoring

Last Thursday almost 11,000 bloggers posted articles about poverty. The accumulative weight of this was intended to build much larger public attention for this issue.

I've done a google search and located many blogs focused on mentoring. I encourage you to take some time to read some of these, so you expand your own network of ideas that you can use as a volunteer, leader, donor or student in Cabrini Connections.

Next year, I hope some of our students and volunteers will join in this event, posting messages in the Cabrini Blog, or in the Tech Club or Writing Club blogs.

Cabrini Connections' Supporter Makes His First NFL Start

Ikechuku Ndukwe(#68 ) right guard for the Miami Dolphins is getting his first NFL start today against the Arizona Cardinals. Ikechuku Ndukwe, better known as "Ike," has been supporting the Cabrini Connections program for several months now. Ike's support of Cabrini Connections started with the purchasing of an official NFL football that he and several of the Miami Dolphins autographed, and Mr. Ndukwe sent the football to Cabrini Connection as a silent auction item for the 2008 Jimmie Biggs Memorial Cabrini Connections Golf Benefit. Although his schedule did not allow Ike to attend the event, he did state that he would try to come out and support the 2009 event!

Ike's support of Cabrini Connections does not stop there, Mr. Ndukwe continues to support the program by simply reading the blog articles, viewing the Cabrini Connections' website (http://www.cabriniconnections.net/), and periodically checking with the Administrative Coordinator about 'what's new' with the program!

You do not have to be a professional in the National Football League to support Cabrini Connections. Cabrini Connections is a non-profit organization, like many other non-profit organizations, that is always in need of support and financial contributions in order to continue to provide the best services for the program's participants. If you would like to support the Cabrini Connections' program, continue reading the blog articles and viewing the website so the Cabrini Connections' "story" will lead you to support us financialy as well!

Mentors and the Danger of High Expectations

As school is starting and new volunteers are coming on board, it's a good time to remind people not to have unreal expectations about what they can accomplish during the coming year.

To help with that I encourage you to visit a friend of Cabrini Connections, who leads a mentoring program in Australia. Read more aboutmentoring and high expectations. (Posted on Aug. 17, 2008. Scroll down on this site to find this article.)

As volunteers at Cabrini Connections, or others who visit our blogs, go through the school year, you'll see that we constantly point to others who also lead similar programs. We can learn from our own actions, and from the staff at Cabrini Connections, but we can also learn from people in all parts of the world who are working with similar kids, and in similar programs.

The GR8 MATES Youth Mentor Program is one that I hope you'll visit when you're a bit frustrated or need some inspirations.

As we start the new year, I also hope you'll read the blogs at the left, and help us find donors who will make large and small contributions to fund our work. Donations can be made using this form.