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How to Dig into a Nonprofit’s Numbers
Paul Harvey might have left us ten years ago, but the rest of the story has never gone away. Growing up on AM radio meant that I listened to Paul Harvey talk about the news of the day and heard his fascinating The Rest of the Story segments almost daily.

How to Give from the Heart and Still Be Smart
Walking to the front of the room I knew I had one job to accomplish. I needed to thank officers, welcome new board members and especially turn the reins over to the new board chair. But as I turned to face the audience, it separated into the faces of spouses,

Tips to Answer Your Question “Are the kids ready?”
This story captured my imagination. I’ll tell you why shortly. First, the story. A certain farmer had become old and ready to pass his farm down to one of his two sons. When he brought his sons together to speak about it, he told them, “The farm will go to

How to Get Started on Being an Intentional Donor
Is time your friend or foe? One moment it crawls at a snail’s pace and the next minute rushes by like a rabbit in a race with a dog. In my experience, the rabbit always wins the race and my snail-paced moments are rare. As I write today the year

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
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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SPEAKER REQUEST
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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