Always remember those
who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and
sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in
front of him.
'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked.
'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and
studied the coins in it.
'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the
waitress was growing impatient.
'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
the table and walked away The boy finished the ice
cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress
came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had
to have enough left to leave her a tip.
Showing posts with label give. Show all posts
Showing posts with label give. Show all posts
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
The Gift of Giving
A CanadaHelps charity gift card is a unique way to send a gift to the person who has everything! Simply pick an amount, choose a card, fill out your gift options, then checkout and pay for the gift card. Your gift recipient will receive an email notification about your gift. He/she can then visit the website to spend the gift card on the charity he/she chooses.
Its simple, fun and an innovative gift idea!
You may want to let them know that you support Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids (search keyword brown)
Monday, August 13, 2007
Three Questions
With slight modification from Philanthropy 2173
1. What do I care about enough to dedicate my time and money to?
2. Who can help me do it?
3. How do I know if they are doing a good job?
Simple but not easy.
1. What do I care about enough to dedicate my time and money to?
2. Who can help me do it?
3. How do I know if they are doing a good job?
Simple but not easy.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Thursday, September 14th, 2006
The following was sent to me by a reader.
Philanthropy Google’s Way: Not the Usual
By KATIE HAFNER
Published: September 14, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13 — The ambitious founders of Google, the popular search engine company, have set up a philanthropy, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming.
Google’s Charity
Will Google.org’s new form of philanthropy change the way traditional nonprofit charities work?
But unlike most charities, this one will be for-profit, allowing it to fund start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists and even lobby Congress. It will also pay taxes.
One of its maiden projects reflects the philanthropy’s nontraditional approach. According to people briefed on the program, the organization, called Google.org, plans to develop an ultra-fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid car engine that runs on ethanol, electricity and gasoline.
The philanthropy is consulting with hybrid-engine scientists and automakers, and has arranged for the purchase of a small fleet of cars with plans to convert the engines so that their gas mileage exceeds 100 miles per gallon. The goal of the project is to reduce dependence on oil while alleviating the effects of global warming.
Google.org is drawing skeptics for both its structure and its ambitions. It is a slingshot compared with the artillery of charities established by older captains of industry. Its financing pales next to the tens of billions that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will have at its disposal, especially with the coming infusion of some $3 billion a year from Warren E. Buffett, the founder of Berkshire Hathaway.
The following was sent to me by a reader.
Philanthropy Google’s Way: Not the Usual
By KATIE HAFNER
Published: September 14, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13 — The ambitious founders of Google, the popular search engine company, have set up a philanthropy, giving it seed money of about $1 billion and a mandate to tackle poverty, disease and global warming.
Google’s Charity
Will Google.org’s new form of philanthropy change the way traditional nonprofit charities work?
But unlike most charities, this one will be for-profit, allowing it to fund start-up companies, form partnerships with venture capitalists and even lobby Congress. It will also pay taxes.
One of its maiden projects reflects the philanthropy’s nontraditional approach. According to people briefed on the program, the organization, called Google.org, plans to develop an ultra-fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid car engine that runs on ethanol, electricity and gasoline.
The philanthropy is consulting with hybrid-engine scientists and automakers, and has arranged for the purchase of a small fleet of cars with plans to convert the engines so that their gas mileage exceeds 100 miles per gallon. The goal of the project is to reduce dependence on oil while alleviating the effects of global warming.
Google.org is drawing skeptics for both its structure and its ambitions. It is a slingshot compared with the artillery of charities established by older captains of industry. Its financing pales next to the tens of billions that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will have at its disposal, especially with the coming infusion of some $3 billion a year from Warren E. Buffett, the founder of Berkshire Hathaway.
Charitable Child
Monday, September 11th, 2006
After podcasting a piece from Raising Charitable Children By Carol Weisman, MSW, CSP, MOM, I went back and started rereading her work. I would recommend that all parents that are looking for ideas to help their kids grow into generous caring adults find themselves a copy. I purchased the eBook version for $10 from http://www.energizeinc.com/store/5-223-E-1 and you can read a saample chapter for free at www.boardbuilders.com/pdfs/rccsamplechapter.pdf.
I can include a short intro as well based on the permission I received with my purchase.
Last year, while I was sitting in my friend Michelle Kornberg’s kitchen in Melbourne, Australia—which really is one of the best places on earth to visit—she told me about something her 15-year-old son Daniel had recently done. I’ll always remember the look of pride on her face when she recounted how Daniel and two of his buddies had saved up their money for a charity auction benefiting the hospital where Daniel’s father worked. Display tables were set out with all kinds of luxurious, snazzy items up for bid: trips, autographed athletic memorabilia, etc. But Daniel and his friends bypassed all that and went to a table showcasing, of all things, medical supplies. Actually, they were just photos of medical supplies, mostly high-tech, huge pieces of equipment the hospital needed. Daniel and his friends placed the highest bid of the night on a high-end electrothermometer. They were thrilled to donate such a cool piece of equipment to the hospital and only wished it could have been something larger and more elaborate. I can just imagine these boys getting together year after year to buy more and more significant gifts for the hospital, enjoying every minute of it.
When I started to write this book, dozens and dozens of people called or e-mailed me to tell me stories like this— charitable deeds their kids had done, or their neighbor’s kids had done, or their sister’s kids or their parish’s kids or their local preschool’s kids. As I started collecting all these stories, I also started to wonder: How did these kids manage to pull off these acts of charity and volunteerism? Certainly the seven-year-old didn’t drive the truck of donated canned goods to the soup kitchen himself. Surely the nine-year-old who wanted to start her own foundation did not singlehandedly apply for 501(c)3 status from the Secretary of State.How did they get to this place, and what did the adults in their lives do to make it happen? I realized that it’s the parents and other caring adults that facilitate a lot of this do-gooding, and so I decided to write Raising Charitable Children as a how-to guide for them. Each chapter in this book begins with a true (and quite inspiring, I must say) story of a child or group of children who have made a difference in the world, big or small. (And speaking of small, do remember that small is not a bad way to help. Not every child is supposed to raise a million dollars or head up his or her own non-profit board of directors.) These stories address many of the Big Questions, indicated at the start of each chapter, about introducing charity and philanthropy to kids of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. The how-to questions that follow break down these projects into manageable steps for the adults in charge. endeavors will always need to be approached with caution and respect, and so I do have a few words of warning. Some people volunteer because they want what I call “emotional access to the frontlines.” They believe they can help others by sharing in their emotional burdens, by being front-and-center with them when tragedy or adversity unfolds. You really have to be careful with this.Charity isn’t about voyeurism. When I worked as a medical social worker in a pediatric hospital, I came across many, many volunteers who wanted mostly to talk to the children with cancer and their families. They really wanted to help, but also, they wanted to be part of the experience. Families fighting a foe like cancer, though, deserve their privacy. The same is true with the beneficiaries of your work. They deserve their privacy, and it’s important to teach this respect to children.
As you approach volunteerism, keep in mind the humanity of those you are attempting to help. Sometimes your work will be best done from afar. When introducing philanthropy into a child’s life, demonstrate that there are many, many ways to help, and that while not all volunteer and charity opportunities can prove thrilling or visceral, all are necessary, even when carried out from a distance. To respect the privacy of some of the individuals whose stories I’ve shared in this book, I’ve referred to them by a changed first name only. Where I’ve referred to somebody by a first and last name, the name is real.
When researching and trying out new charity opportunities, always remember that the relationship has to work for all the parties involved. That means you, the other grown-ups involved, the kids, and the charitable organization. Some nonprofits simply may not be established enough, or have their act together enough, to handle you and your fellow volunteers. They may not have the physical space for you to work on-site, or their staff won’t know what to do with you, or there aren’t enough staff members to work with you. Such shortcomings are more common than you might think. A charity has never turned down my money, but more than a few have turned down gifts of my time and expertise.
As you begin your family’s journey into charity and philanthropy, it can be tricky to predict how much responsibility will fall on you and how much will fall on your child (or grandchild, godchild, etc.). We’ve all eaten far too many Girl Scout cookies that have never been touched by a child’s hand, but rather sold to us through a co-worker whose daughter just happens to be a Girl Scout. But since kids don’t drive, schedule their own agendas or enjoy secretarial support at the office, their projects often wind up becoming our projects. It’s like getting a puppy: Despite a child’s passionate promises to take full responsibility for Scruffy, Mom and Dad still find themselves scooping poop off the neighbor’s lawn at one o’clock in the morning—not necessarily because the child is shirking his or her duties, but because the doggie’s gotta go, and the kid’s already in bed.
Sharing the load without owning your child’s project can prove to be one of the trickiest parts of taking on volunteer work. You have to be truly honest about what the child is mature enough to handle and what you have the time to commit to. If you ever reach a point where it feels like your kid is taking credit for the work you’re doing, then something is off-balance! Your role is to do the adult things that your children need you to do so that they can pursue the charitable goals they’ve set for themselves, or that you’ve collectively set together. This means you chaperone, supervise, and do a little literal and figurative heavy lifting.
Lastly, don’t get discouraged. Sometimes kids would rather play video games than stack cans in a food pantry— just as there are days when I’d rather watch reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond than go to another board meeting.
This is where you have to be both wise and tenacious. It can be really frustrating to work with a charity or a child who isn’t into what you have to offer. Don’t get discouraged. It may take some time to find a philanthropic project that’s a good fit, but once you do, trust me—you and your kids will feel great about it.
After podcasting a piece from Raising Charitable Children By Carol Weisman, MSW, CSP, MOM, I went back and started rereading her work. I would recommend that all parents that are looking for ideas to help their kids grow into generous caring adults find themselves a copy. I purchased the eBook version for $10 from http://www.energizeinc.com/store/5-223-E-1 and you can read a saample chapter for free at www.boardbuilders.com/pdfs/rccsamplechapter.pdf.
I can include a short intro as well based on the permission I received with my purchase.
Last year, while I was sitting in my friend Michelle Kornberg’s kitchen in Melbourne, Australia—which really is one of the best places on earth to visit—she told me about something her 15-year-old son Daniel had recently done. I’ll always remember the look of pride on her face when she recounted how Daniel and two of his buddies had saved up their money for a charity auction benefiting the hospital where Daniel’s father worked. Display tables were set out with all kinds of luxurious, snazzy items up for bid: trips, autographed athletic memorabilia, etc. But Daniel and his friends bypassed all that and went to a table showcasing, of all things, medical supplies. Actually, they were just photos of medical supplies, mostly high-tech, huge pieces of equipment the hospital needed. Daniel and his friends placed the highest bid of the night on a high-end electrothermometer. They were thrilled to donate such a cool piece of equipment to the hospital and only wished it could have been something larger and more elaborate. I can just imagine these boys getting together year after year to buy more and more significant gifts for the hospital, enjoying every minute of it.
When I started to write this book, dozens and dozens of people called or e-mailed me to tell me stories like this— charitable deeds their kids had done, or their neighbor’s kids had done, or their sister’s kids or their parish’s kids or their local preschool’s kids. As I started collecting all these stories, I also started to wonder: How did these kids manage to pull off these acts of charity and volunteerism? Certainly the seven-year-old didn’t drive the truck of donated canned goods to the soup kitchen himself. Surely the nine-year-old who wanted to start her own foundation did not singlehandedly apply for 501(c)3 status from the Secretary of State.How did they get to this place, and what did the adults in their lives do to make it happen? I realized that it’s the parents and other caring adults that facilitate a lot of this do-gooding, and so I decided to write Raising Charitable Children as a how-to guide for them. Each chapter in this book begins with a true (and quite inspiring, I must say) story of a child or group of children who have made a difference in the world, big or small. (And speaking of small, do remember that small is not a bad way to help. Not every child is supposed to raise a million dollars or head up his or her own non-profit board of directors.) These stories address many of the Big Questions, indicated at the start of each chapter, about introducing charity and philanthropy to kids of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. The how-to questions that follow break down these projects into manageable steps for the adults in charge. endeavors will always need to be approached with caution and respect, and so I do have a few words of warning. Some people volunteer because they want what I call “emotional access to the frontlines.” They believe they can help others by sharing in their emotional burdens, by being front-and-center with them when tragedy or adversity unfolds. You really have to be careful with this.Charity isn’t about voyeurism. When I worked as a medical social worker in a pediatric hospital, I came across many, many volunteers who wanted mostly to talk to the children with cancer and their families. They really wanted to help, but also, they wanted to be part of the experience. Families fighting a foe like cancer, though, deserve their privacy. The same is true with the beneficiaries of your work. They deserve their privacy, and it’s important to teach this respect to children.
As you approach volunteerism, keep in mind the humanity of those you are attempting to help. Sometimes your work will be best done from afar. When introducing philanthropy into a child’s life, demonstrate that there are many, many ways to help, and that while not all volunteer and charity opportunities can prove thrilling or visceral, all are necessary, even when carried out from a distance. To respect the privacy of some of the individuals whose stories I’ve shared in this book, I’ve referred to them by a changed first name only. Where I’ve referred to somebody by a first and last name, the name is real.
When researching and trying out new charity opportunities, always remember that the relationship has to work for all the parties involved. That means you, the other grown-ups involved, the kids, and the charitable organization. Some nonprofits simply may not be established enough, or have their act together enough, to handle you and your fellow volunteers. They may not have the physical space for you to work on-site, or their staff won’t know what to do with you, or there aren’t enough staff members to work with you. Such shortcomings are more common than you might think. A charity has never turned down my money, but more than a few have turned down gifts of my time and expertise.
As you begin your family’s journey into charity and philanthropy, it can be tricky to predict how much responsibility will fall on you and how much will fall on your child (or grandchild, godchild, etc.). We’ve all eaten far too many Girl Scout cookies that have never been touched by a child’s hand, but rather sold to us through a co-worker whose daughter just happens to be a Girl Scout. But since kids don’t drive, schedule their own agendas or enjoy secretarial support at the office, their projects often wind up becoming our projects. It’s like getting a puppy: Despite a child’s passionate promises to take full responsibility for Scruffy, Mom and Dad still find themselves scooping poop off the neighbor’s lawn at one o’clock in the morning—not necessarily because the child is shirking his or her duties, but because the doggie’s gotta go, and the kid’s already in bed.
Sharing the load without owning your child’s project can prove to be one of the trickiest parts of taking on volunteer work. You have to be truly honest about what the child is mature enough to handle and what you have the time to commit to. If you ever reach a point where it feels like your kid is taking credit for the work you’re doing, then something is off-balance! Your role is to do the adult things that your children need you to do so that they can pursue the charitable goals they’ve set for themselves, or that you’ve collectively set together. This means you chaperone, supervise, and do a little literal and figurative heavy lifting.
Lastly, don’t get discouraged. Sometimes kids would rather play video games than stack cans in a food pantry— just as there are days when I’d rather watch reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond than go to another board meeting.
This is where you have to be both wise and tenacious. It can be really frustrating to work with a charity or a child who isn’t into what you have to offer. Don’t get discouraged. It may take some time to find a philanthropic project that’s a good fit, but once you do, trust me—you and your kids will feel great about it.
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