City of Light Creative and Consulting

01/11/2023

We loved being there! Thanks for sharing!

21/10/2023

Our jobs are never listed anywhere, so we were SO excited when we actually found them in this really cool career book - we just had to take pictures!

Some skill sets are so rare, they're like unicorns! When you find a group of them working together, just like at CLCC, it's like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 🌈 Our team is a perfect blend of creativity, adaptability, problem-solving, teamwork and innovation!

Here's to celebrating unique talents, and making a difference!

16/10/2023

Navigating the currents of change is never easy, but CLCC is here to help you chart your course towards sustainability. 🌊 Whether it's a bridge plan for a smooth transition or a 3-5 year strategic vision, we've got your back. 🗺️ Our journey starts with research and sails into facilitation, whether in person or through screens. Before you know it, you'll have an actionable plan that is authentic & truly embodies your mission. 🚀

13/10/2023

When your designer phones it in.
We spotted this at a park walk near our home, with a volunteer giving out stickers. I had to explain that it wasn’t a national park like the other stickers in the pack. Just a quick reminder, caring and accessible designers are available to you, at CLCC and elsewhere!

05/10/2023

Happy to share that City of Light Creative & Consulting has achieved Minority Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) certification by the State of New York! We are proud to be a woman-led organization, with a diverse team. We're so excited about the future, and look forward to supporting you.

25/09/2023

We love Joan Garry. There's so much wisdom here!

How many of these habits describe you?

17/09/2023

Shana Tova! 🍎🍯 Wishing you a sweet and joyous Rosh Hashanah, filled with love, reflection, and new beginnings from the team at City of Light Creative & Consulting! ☀️

24/08/2023

Thank you so much for the lovely review, we loved working with you!!

20/08/2023

We’re celebrating a very special day today! It’s our incredible founder, Nikki Ronan’s BIRTHDAY!! 🎉 🎂 Thank you for leading City of Light through this amazing journey with your brilliance and passion, and for helping non-profits achieve their goals! 🎯 Cheers to Nikki!!!! 🥂

27/07/2023

If you’re not trying & doing - you’re not learning. That is why we custom design each of our trainings to be interactive and meet our client’s needs. Thank you Arts Services Inc. - ASI for trusting us to assist your organization in supporting the next generation of WNY’s Art Leaders through your MEDAL program. 🎨

21/07/2023

⁃ Read full blog here: http://www.cityoflightconsulting.com/musings/2021/6/16/building-lgbt-inclusivity-into-your-organization
🌈

Being tolerant and being welcoming are distinct and different. So let’s take a moment to explore what it means to create an organizational culture of WELCOME. This means welcoming as a staff team and to your service population, and that’s a big deal!

1. Representation: A study of LGBT baby boomers showed that they felt most safe in a medical practice where the staff was representative of their community.

2. Inclusive Language: It may take some thoughtful revision and careful consideration at first, but is it really that hard to ask about a “spouse or partner” rather than a “husband or wife”? Would it be terribly hard to avoid asking kids to bring things home to “mom and dad”? (Spoiler alert! It’s not that hard! We just have to do it!)

3. Give Space to Listen, then Listen 👂: River Butcher tells an amazing joke about being asked by well-meaning progressives about their pronouns within a first meeting, and then having it announced “She uses they/them pronouns!!!” That’s real. Let’s make space instead for something a little better, shall we? What if--hear me out here!--what if we found an appropriate way to ask applicants/patients/clients/team members/community members about their pronouns or family-style or preferences and then we held those truths as sacred? I know we can!

04/07/2023

Wishing you a fun, happy, and safe 4th of July from our team to yours! 🇺🇸 What cool things did you do this long weekend?

30/06/2023

We've been hearing a lot about AI. So we decided to try it for grant writing!

If you’re a brain worker like me, when you heard the news about how smart AI was getting, you may have felt a little bit of trepidation. After all, one of our team member’s sole job is to write grants for a living, and I do a lot to support that work. As news that robots were taking over creativ...

19/06/2023

Happy Juneteenth!

18/06/2023

Are you coming, Buffalo?

We can't wait! Tiferet 2023 is just a couple days away. If you didn't get your tickets yet, you still can at www.jfswny.org Come on out, support JFS, learn about the refugee journey, and enjoy music and dance from African Dance and Drum from 6-7 pm.

Thank you to our Silver Sponsors: City of Light Creative and Consulting Amherst Memorial Chapel M&T Bank JCC Buffalo Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies

09/03/2023

Did you ever wish for a pony all your own? As nonprofit leaders, our wishes for volunteers can be pretty similar...

Volunteers need support, care, and love, just like baby Clydesdales.

04/01/2023

Figuring out your cues can help you avoid burnout and stay productive. How does your mind or body show you when its time to stop to take a break?

What signals can you learn from your body and your environment that keep you from burning out?

01/01/2023

We're wishing you an incredible 2023! What goals is your organization living in 2023?

23/12/2022

Wishing you a joyful Christmas!

18/12/2022

Happy Hanukkah from our team to yours!

09/12/2022

Not everything that you can use for recreation will help re-create you. That's why founder Nikki Ronan is diving into the Hallmark Christmas movie season with no shame! What rebuilds your reserves?

A defense of the romantic comedy as a self-care device.

08/11/2022

Hey, you. Does it feel like it's all happening at once and you literally can't take a breath? Here's a great video from John Greene about a task management tool we love. It's neither miserable, nor sad, yet it is life saving!

In which John discusses what is important, what is urgent, and how to get things done.p.s. I'll be in comments, but one thing I want to note here is that pro...

31/10/2022

We hope you enjoy this first normal Halloween in what feels like ages. Enjoy your family and your neighbors today!

28/09/2022

So true! We hesitate to ask people to volunteer or donate or to make an introduction. But in reality, people are honored by that direct approach and feel valued. Never be afraid to invite help!

26/09/2022

Wishing a Happy New Year to our Jewish neighbors!

14/09/2022

Peace of the City is seeking tutors for their after-school programming! Would you like to commit to helping high schoolers blossom?

Please contact Deputy Director, Megan McClain Kwacz for more information and
to take the next step. 716.829.9764 or [email protected]

24/08/2022

We know it sounds hokey, but this was a great read and a good reminder.

[Image description: A long-haired person standing outdoors with arms outstretched looking at a yellow sky with a bright sun. Image by Fotorech on Pixabay] When I was younger, one of my favorite thi…

22/08/2022

There are amazing humans out there!

Uber driver Fritz Sam is being hailed a "hero" by the company's CEO after he sprang into action and helped evacuate residents from a burning building in New York City.

19/06/2022

We’re officially in love with with guy.

Every week, he sits down to dinner and a chat with them. He looks into the camera and asks them how their day was. He tells them he's proud of them. Some days, he prays with them.

18/05/2022

Hey Buffalo, if it feels a little heavy right now, enjoy a moment of adorable.

At less than 4 weeks old, Whisper was abandoned by her mom. Robert cared for her around the clock, but what she really needed was a friend like her. Then ano...

15/05/2022

City of Light Consulting is named after Buffalo. I chose that name because I believe in the spirit of our city. in the particular moment it was deemed the City of Light, it was because of its creative technical innovation of using hydroelectric power to create lit streets. But since then, Buffalo has shown itself to be resilient, creative, kind, and committed. This city has enormous challenges to overcome, including the effects of years of systemic racism, but this shooting is a reflection of outside hate, and that angers me to my core. An 18 year old racist boy drove into our city to kill our black and brown neighbors. He came in search of people he didn’t grow up around, that he didn’t know, and murdered them while streaming on a site created for video games. In the aftermath, many of our city are learning more about racism, food access, and disparities than they knew before. I hope that inspires conversations and sparks creative solution building. I also hope Buffalo stands up for our grieving community members, and creates supports for them. City of Light is committed to offering our services in nonprofit development to those who need us. If we can stand alongside your organization or effort now, as our community addresses it’s grief and inequalities, we want to do that. Every one of our team members is committed to building vibrant communities by supporting agents of change. We are committed to donating our services as they are needed in addressing these issues. PLEASE reach out. Cost need not prevent you from accessing strategic help and support. Development, marketing, design, PR, grant writing, and other types of help are all here. Thank you. -Nikki, CLC Founder

14/04/2022

Spotted in Cleveland. Where are you exploring?

26/03/2022

Do you need a burst of good feels for the end of the week?

16/03/2022

Making conflict constructive is the work of every team! Here's some tips!

It's easy to get stuck in high conflict at work or in our personal lives. Here are 5 ways to get out of it.

11/03/2022

Bravery is not the absence of fear, I’ve been told. It’s deciding to push past the fear. What would you like to find on the other side of fear?

01/03/2022

Five absolutely terrible ideas about grants! (And we hear them all the time.)

Grant writing is shrouded in misconceptions, and they're perpetuated by the inexperienced. Here are five common grant writing myths.

17/02/2022

My daughter drew a picture of my ideal office, and it includes her working as my administrator, a comfy chair with a pillow, and a very nice plant and journal. I believe she even provided us a tea set. In love! -Nikki

11/02/2022

If you have dreamt large dreams, you’ve heard this before. We have.
Keep doing impossible things. And if you need us, you have a team of trouble-making women (and a supportive male accomplice) to support you.

02/02/2022

Working at home has its benefits (and distractions).

30/01/2022