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executive directors

Strong Executive Directors Lead Healthy Nonprofits

Henry sits patiently at the back door every night. He parks in the middle of the metal threshold, so it’s hard to avoid stepping on him in the dim porch lights. He’s consistent, every night, from dark till, well, whenever he gives it up, which is after I’ve gone on

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humble

The How of Humble Inquiry–Dawn Style          

When a reader takes the time to comment on something I’ve written it gets my attention. Did I hit my target or miss it all together?  Then there are comments like the one Phedra Johnson recently left on “The Benefits of Humble Inquiry between Donors and Nonprofits.” “You gave great

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Charity Alarms Troubled Charity

Best Donor Responses to Charity Alarms

The alarm, blinking lights and a voice loudly announcing we should vacate the building immediately interrupted what had up to that moment been a productive morning.  The unwelcome interruption to my work flow caused all manner of mental acrobatics. My first reaction was to go to the hallway to see

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Discovering Your Giving Calling

3 Clues to Discover Your Giving Calling

I read a blog post by Jeff Goins and reflected on his challenge to find my calling.  It’s a big challenge for sure, and after thinking about it for a while I drifted toward finding my calling in giving. In essence, my giving calling is the “one big thing” I want to

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Donor Joy

The Donor Joy Recipe

Donor joy is elusive. If there’s a recipe for donor joy it is hard to find. In my experience the donor tries to get there by throwing a little of this and a little of that into the bowl, leaves out critical ingredients, and doesn’t bake it long enough. The

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Cares a Whole Awful Lot

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” That’s sage advice from one of the most popular children’s authors of all time, Dr. Seuss. Giving to the causes you care “a whole awful lot about” should be easy. It should feel

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No Secret Recipe

Wouldn’t it be great if you could go online and find a recipe for effective philanthropy that resulted in the perfect gift every time? It would be wonderful to do away with the anxiety of not knowing if your gift accomplished what you hoped for – or even worse –

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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

Some of us are great story tellers, and then some of us are better on paper. But for most of us, our stories play out on a never-ending tape stuck in our heads. Sometimes we feel them in our heart or gut. Author Don Miguel Ruiz says it this way, “You create an entire picture or movie in your mind, and in that picture you are the director, you are the producer, you’re the main actor or actress. Everyone else is a secondary actor or actress. It’s your movie. Every movie has a script. That script is your life story."
FROM
THE GIFT OF GIVING

One Story Across Generations

Golda, matriarch of a generous family, modeled a legacy story for her granddaughter, Sharon, and her community. Sharon learned about giving, watching and talking to her grandmother. When the young and curious Sharon asked Golda why wheelchairs were hanging from the basement rafters, she learned that her grandmother believed it was a community’s responsibility to care for those in need. As a result, Golda had prepared with wheelchairs, walkers, and dressing rolls ready for the future.
FROM
THE GIFT OF GIVING

Take a peek inside.

See what’s inside The Gift of Giving on book2look.

Kindle Edition

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Gift of Giving Book

Giving Fingerprints

Sign up to receive Dawn’s FREE e-book, Giving Fingerprints, designed to help you be the unique giver you were meant to be.

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SPEAKER REQUEST

Request A Speaker

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