On this Giving Day, we are hoping to raise more than $5000 to expand access to Appreciative Inquiry’s skills and tools. All donations made through the Cooperrider Center will go toward the Jane Watkins Scholarship Fund, which was established in 2019 in honor of AI pioneer Jane Magruder Watkins. This fund is used to enable participation in our education programs and events, making them available to those who might not otherwise have access. Please consider contributing today, and thank you for your support!

Why your donation matters, especially today: Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an approach that invites people to ask what is working and how they can scale successes. At its core is a belief that if we focus on talking about what’s broken, that’s where we stay; if we focus on the possible, creativity and engagement can be unlocked. As we begin to emerge from Covid 19 - a global pandemic that disrupted our day-to-day, redefined our notions of essential, and stress-tested the status quo - people, organizations, and systems will need to not only adapt to, but also build, a new normal. While change can be uncomfortable, and Covid has often left us feeling broken, we also know, from years of research, that “[t]imes of crisis almost always reveal or reinforce an institution’s ‘true colors’— and it can be a time of lasting set-back or exceptional co-elevation and unified achievement.” (https://davidcooperriderai.co/appreciative-inquiry-in-a-broken-world/)  We are seeing the emergence of really important conversations -- from issues of equity and justice, to economic and political reform, to community wellbeing and mental health-- and we firmly believe that Appreciative Inquiry can be applied for positive change on any challenge we face today. Whether you are contemplating your organization’s strategic direction, devising policies for economic recovery, imagining more inclusive cultures and systems, or simply looking for a life-approach that feels grounded and purposeful, rather than responsive to chaos, we know generative questions that elevate successes will unlock positive potential. As people, organizations, and systems find opportunity in disruption to re-examine the core values that drive where they want to go, we know Appreciative Inquiry will powerfully enable innovation, collaboration, and sustained commitment to a vision.

Give between now and Friday April 30th to help us reach our goal!

About the Center: Established in 2014 with as part of a transformational $10 million gift (https://www.champlain.edu/about-champlain/news-and-events/stiller-business-school) from Robert and Christine Stiller, Champlain College’s David L. Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry is the global hub for connecting people to learn, apply, and amplify Appreciative Inquiry. Since our inception, we have offered AI certification and various courses (https://ai.catalog.instructure.com/) designed to give people the tools and skills that will enable them to inquire into success, collaborate with whole system stakeholders, rapidly prototype new ideas, and leverage strengths. One of our goals as a Center is to honor the history (https://www.champlain.edu/ai-home/what-is-appreciative-inquiry/who-uses-appreciative-inquiry) and legacy of Appreciative Inquiry (https://www.champlain.edu/ai-home/ai-hub/ai-world-inquiry-share-a-story) as a change management methodology, as well as amplify its effectiveness as a powerful personal operating system (https://aipractitioner.com/product/appreciative-inquiry-a-life-giving-personal-operating-system/) integral to the quality and impact of the conversations that will create our futures.

If you are in the UK or EU please follow these instructions to make your Giving Day contribution.

• Go to: https://connect.champlain.edu/donate
• Select an amount to give and then under "Designation" select "Other"
• You will then be asked "How would you like to direct your donation?" Please write in the box "Giving Day: Cooperrider Center"