pic by gettingrealnow@Yahoo.com

Stop thinking of just getting money from a company.  Stress a way for the company to have its employees to do volunteer work for your nonprofit and get paid by the company to do it.  Have a list of projects that a company can work on and see completed.  Satisfaction will always bring people back for more and they just might bring more friends or be a great source for referring more companies to you.

The charity work alternative to a party does not have to be centered around the holidays.  It might be during a slow time for the company or a specific day that represents something to the company.  It just might be a great tool for the company promoting itself in the community it serves.

Building these relationships takes time, but that slow building ultimately will bring the organization across the finish line a winner every time.  Consistency pays out.

My birthday was this weekend and I got something I really wanted. But I had to show that my imagination did not get out of control. I had to show that I could balance make believe and playing with my brother and friends. No one wants to be the bad guy, everyone wants to be the good guy. The magazines call them heros. I just call it acting like them.

From Papa:

There is one hero I would like to point, Robert Lappin. He and his family donated $5 million to restore the retirement savings of their 60 employees and the Robert Lappin Charitable Foundation. They were all adversely affected by the Madoff fraud. This is one story where dreams evaporated overnight only to be restored overnight.

It is stories like this that allow people to dream and wish for a future of fair play and that their dedication to their work means something. A few more individuals and companies should be as generous and philanthropic.

Ones imagination and reality can cross paths in ones life. Nonprofits create that environment all of the time.

From Papa:

A successful nonprofit makes new friends and knows how to keep old ones.

I write to family, visit family and play with my friends.

From Papa:

Too often nonprofits only contact individuals to ask for money.  It is important to understand that people like to be part of something and providing information is one part of that.  The other part is to make the individual feel like they have the most recent information about the organization.  It is natural for people to reach out to each other and let one another know what is going on as well as reestablish the connection.  Nonprofits should do the same.

pic by HandmadeSay Debbie

Making the most of your strengths.

Many foundations give out the approximately 5% of their assets each year.  If one was to review the purpose of the foundation set by its founder to its mission of today in most cases it has changed if the organization is older than 25 years. 

So there are two question to ask yourself when deciding to establish a foundation.

• Do I want to make the impact while as the donor I am alive or leave the impact to others to make on my behalf?
• Do I want to set a family legacy of philanthropic giving that lasts forever? 

Depending on your answer preserving cash or giving cash will be the key objective of the foundation that is established. 

According to the Foundation Center 2004 study limited-life foundations represent just over 10 % of the family foundations and has been growing.  I would agree with the likes of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates that today’s pressing issues should be ones focus.  Each year new family foundations are created with their own mission, vision and priorities that meet the concerns of the time. 

Is letting the Philanthropists of tomorrow resolve the problems of tomorrow and have the Philanthropists of today resolve the problems of today such a bad idea?

The economic crises of today has caused many foundations to cut back their issuing of grants or stop giving any grants to conserve cash.  This action provides clear evidence that a foundation is more interested in preserving itself than resolving the problems of today.  I would suggest that a Family Foundation close and move its funds to a Community Foundation.  Community Foundations are much better at keeping in touch with the pressing issues of the day and bringing new Philanthropist to the act of giving. 

pic by PBS Hawaii

When the money comes easy an organization assumes that everything being done is within reason and acceptable to the donor.  When money becomes hard to come by the organizations practices and actions are reviewed.  The reality of which almost always results in finding gaps in communication and flaws in an organization.

An annual review of practices, processes, programs and the strategic plan is a must to keep strong and improve.

pic by lisashort staff 333

Check out the Kindle by Amazon as a solution to increase the accessing of knowledge by students.  It is also a resource to create a reduction in the budget of the cost of textbooks for schools, it has an ability to search content, it has an ability for students to write notes in the margin and no back pain for the students from being loaded down with textbooks.  As an electronic instrument set up for individual needs and interests the IT unit of the school can ensure the tools for each student is one step away from them.

Great idea for businesses and foundations to support their local public schools and see an immediate result.

cartoon by moranga

Education requires teamwork from multiple people and institutions.  A good example is a recent fund raiser I was part of for my sons school.  Businesses donated goods and services for the auction, more partnerships were formed board members were responsible to bring 10 people to the party, parents donated their time and money, neighbors and friends attended a party.  Everyone was entertained, fed and made at least one new connection.  The result is money to enrich the education of students.

This is the fifth year the nonprofit group created to support a particular public school has built upon previous connections to improve.  The results show that even in a down economy, the strength of the past connections and building blocks helped to weather an expected decrease in giving.
Every public school should have a 501c 3 organization supporting their efforts because support for education starts locally.

Every one  says that school is boring but it’s not. It’s where you learn to do what you think is right. Be a Police man,  A dancer, a Football player or anything you want.  Well all that stuff you can do and anything else but you have to finish school .  If YOU learn about it, your wishes will come true. Don’t listen to your friends.  Telling you school is dumb, stupid and boring means they are not a smart person. It is not about how well you do.  The smart move and cool thing is staying in school.

If you are thinking school is not for you, make your own home school.  But I think you should go to school so you can learn new things.

Heh adults support us kids to learn more.  Consider helping your neighborhood school.

Write me and tell me what you did to help.

 pic by jessamyn

No you cannot have housing if you abandoned public housing without good cause.
No you cannot have housing if your not meeting the 30 hour a week work requirement.
No you cannot have housing if you have not saved 30 % of your income.
No you cannot have housing if you have been evicted from public or subsidized housing.
No you cannot have housing if your household has someone with an outstanding default or arrest warrant.
No you cannot have housing if you rejected one offer of housing without a good reason.
So what if there is a 5-8 year wait list for section 8 housing vouchers.
So what that you are waiting for a section 8 voucher that is worth thousands of dollars.
So what that the minimum wage of $8 at forty hours a week provides at 30% income only $416 to use towards rent.
So what that public housing area crime statistics are higher than most other locations.
So what that you feel your life is at risk in public housing.
So what that your child must experience a life cycle that includes gang recruitment.
So what that the economy is in a recession, no one hires you while in a shelter and you do not know where your going to live in order to know how you will get to the job.
So what that you did not know that someone in your household has an outstanding warrant.
So what that you cannot understand the definition of without good cause.
So what that you cannot understand the definition of a good reason.
So what that the interpretation of life consequences can be random.

Your homelessness is not about measuring the fact that your attaining the goals jointly agreed upon.

Your homelessness is necessary so that government can serve as many as possible knowing that the majority will succeed just by the fact that human nature drives people to overcome obstacles.

Nonprofits need to balance what the government will pay for and what their private funders will pay for.

The strategy to overhaul the Homeless Shelter system by more quickly moving the homeless into more permanent housing only works if there is sufficient subsidized housing or housing within 30% of a persons income will fail unless there is a large increase in subsidize and truly affordable housing. The traditional service model of serving long-term needy families and individuals in emergency housing is evolving to separate the chronic families/individuals from short term needy families/individuals. I question whether a more medical services model is necessary to better target those whom want treatment and those whom refuse treatment.

Maybe the new government motto should be “Be an Active Participant or Get Lost”

If you want real answers check your local nonprofits since they are usually available even when the government is not.