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How to Give Bill Gates Style
Make it fun! That’s how Bill Gates tells us he gives. If your first thought is “oh, sure, with all that money, of course, he can have fun,” stay tuned. Before we jump into what Bill says, let’s start with what it must have been like to be his parents.

How Looking Back Can Fuel Tomorrow’s Change
January usually begins with resolutions for the future. But before resolutions can be made we need time to reflect on the past. I asked the question: what have we accomplished in the last five years at Your Philanthropy? A little math was in order. Just how much good had seven

The Surprising Staying Power of the Middle Class Donor
Ten years ago, the country plunged into a recession deep enough to have a grinding impact on America’s charities. When I read those last two words together, I think about my nonprofit friends right here in my community. When the Chronicle of Philanthropy ran an article with the headline: A

How to Get a Seat at the Table in the Fight to End Poverty
As a donor, making a gift can get you a seat at the table in fighting to end poverty. Sitting at the table gives you an up close and personal view of the problem. You become a smarter donor and they get food on their table. Deciding whether the best

How to Write a Legacy Statement – The Most Important Gift You Will Leave Behind
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

Hot Dogs, Money and Kids
If you could invent one thing to make the world a better place, what would it be? That’s the question we put to eleven-year-old Jack during the game Phil and His Family’s Adventures in Giving. Joined by his thirteen-year-old brother and another friend of the same age, we took turns

Curiosity Triggers Valuable Ideas
“The two best interview subjects are children under 10 and people over 70 for the same reason; they say the first thing that comes to their mind. The children don’t know what they’re saying, and the old folks don’t care.” He should know; Art Linkletter was at the forefront of

Donations Instead of Flowers Keep Memories and Nonprofits Alive
It didn’t start out as a month of remembrances, but it is. I enjoyed reflecting on memories from childhood with Grandparent’s Day early in September. But then not quite unexpectedly my mother passed away. Despite how prepared you think you will be the place and time of death still comes

Still in Search of the Secret Recipe
Four years ago, I wrote about finding the “secret recipe” for doing great philanthropy. I answered the question often asked, “How can I be sure my gift is effective and used for my intended purpose?” It is so easy to assume there is a secret to it all because the
The Gift of Giving
The Gift of Giving is a journey into a donor’s personal legacy—the one they’ve been living every single day. It started the day they were born, a story only they can live and share. Their story is their legacy.
The Gift of Giving is not just a book, it is a valuable resource, guide, and tool for givers of all ages at all stages to tell their legacy story. Throughout this book they will find short exercises to help them understand and convey their legacy, in essence, write their legacy.
While the story they’ve already lived will not change, donors can do something about tomorrow by becoming a more intentional giver today!
Available in Kindle, digital download or paper edition.
Your Legacy, Your Story
THE GIFT OF GIVING
One Story Across Generations
THE GIFT OF GIVING
Take a peek inside.
See what’s inside The Gift of Giving on book2look.

Giving Fingerprints
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Dawn Franks is available to speak on a wide variety of topics to philanthropic organizations, professional associations and community groups. Topics include:
- Giving Fingerprints
- How Your Philanthropy Impacts the Next Generation
- What Story Does Your Foundation Tell?
- Family Foundations: Starting from Scratch