Categories
Aspiration and Generosity: The Dynamic Duo that Leads to Your Best Giving
What are your aspirations for generosity? Do you dream of what might be? What you could be doing? How you might do something differently? Dreams always lead to me storytelling – the stories I tell myself. As a kid, I dreamed and devised stories on walks to and from school.
3 Ways to Make 2024 Giving the Best Year!
Exactly twenty-two months ago, we adopted a two-month-old corgi. On the drive home, we named her Sophie. Later, while completing her registration papers, I decided that Sophie’s name didn’t do her justice. The application provided a long string of squares to fill in, so I settled on Sophie’s Firecracker Celebration
Create a Legacy Statement for Future Generations
Tiny stacks of 35-millimeter slides covered the dining room table. One by one I passed them through the slide viewer. The story of my parents’ earliest years together unfolded from Okinawa to North Carolina to Colorado and Texas. Pictures are only part of the story. Several years ago, dad sent me
Five Tips to be a Smart Donor and Great Fundraiser
My date and I headed to the zoo for a fun afternoon. With curiosity as a guide, I expected to enjoy the animals and maybe answer a few questions about a guy I found interesting and thought I might like to keep around for a while. The zoo had areas
A Legacy in the Words of One Man
When you hear a suggestion to share your stories with your children and grandchildren, do you hear a voice say, “They’re not interested, don’t have time, and don’t care about my stories?” In conversation with my friend, Joe McIlhaney, M.D., he said what he’d been thinking for a long time
What Makes a Nonprofit Evergreen
Roses are still blooming in my yard. Variegated pittosporum is glowing next to drab lantana stems that have died down for the year. What is slow to go dormant or even better is evergreen, provides hope of a forthcoming spring. It’s like the hope a donor has when donating to
Why the Holidays Are the Best Time to Model Giving
I’ve shared this story before, but the message remains important to the heart of giving. Take a moment to learn why ladders matter on Christmas morning and all year round. At six years old, I was sure I needed one, and today, I’m as committed as ever to working my
How Hidden Risks Can Make Giving Decisions a Challenge
When I was about three or so years old, my family went for a drive in the Colorado mountains. I think we went for a picnic, but what I remember is jumping out of the car, barefooted, heading for a patch of wildflowers. My mother called out to stop, but
Five Questions That Will Make Your Giving Meaningful
Why should you give philanthropically and strive to make a difference? The answer goes beyond different vehicles for giving, choosing the right organizations, and even knowing your giving style. Here’s a hint: you need to know your Why. Some years ago, Curtis Meadow, past president of the Meadows Foundation, dove