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July 26, 2011
Shower Strike update
As some of you may know, I’m on strike.
This week, as an experiment in extreme philanthropy, I’m an honorary member of Well Aware’s Shower Strike. That means that I’ve joined 80-plus people who have vowed not to shower for one week or until they raise $1,000 for Well Aware, an Austin-based nonprofit that helps build wells in Africa.
Strikers can take sponge baths and wash their hair in the sink. We can go swimming, wear deodorant, use dry shampoo and douse ourselves in all the talcum powder we want.
I’m not raising money. But after hearing about this event for the last two years, I thought I’d check out how extreme this fundraiser really is. So here I am, stinking it up for my own entertainment. Except it’s not very entertaining.
No, I didn’t think it would be. I’m not that deluded. But I didn’t realize how time consuming it is to keep yourself fresh as a daisy without hitting the showers.
Typically, I take a 10 minute shower. My new cleaning ritual — including washing my hair in the sink — took me 40 minutes last night. I got my shirt all wet and cut myself shaving.
At the end, however, I have to say, I felt pretty clean. Not super-duper, shriveled-like-a-raisin clean. But the heat-induced skank I’d collected over the course of the day was long gone. My husband and 9-year-old-son gave me a quick whiff and confirmed my cleanliness.
Three independent investigators at work announced that I am still fresh today. And yes, I have been walking around asking “Do I stink?”
Why? Because, as I mentioned in this weekend’s column, I was born without a sense of smell. You’d think that would be a good thing for an experiment like this. Instead, it has triggered full-on paranoia. Never have I cared so much about my personal fragrance.
But I’m learning a lot about water conservation, a topic that has never really resonated with me until now. I’ll tell you more about that later in the week. Stay tuned.
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June 8, 2011
Be Leia, meet Carrie
Princess Leia (Organa Solo) was the bomb. That face, that attitude, that fantastic hair - who else could make earmuff head look hot?
Now you can pay tribute to the Princess of Alderaan and raise money for the New Milestones Foundation at the same time. The foundation — which raises money for Austin Travis County Integral Care — is holding a Leia look-alike contest. The winner gets to meet Carrie Fisher in November during the foundation’s annual fundraiser.
Get the details in the press release below. Leia would approve.
Princess Leia had a style all her own. And on June 16, Leia wannabes can get coiffed and made up for a great cause! Blo (blow dry bar) and evie evan (makeup salon) are hosting a party from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. as part of the Princess Leia Look-a-Like Photo Contest for New Milestones Foundation (NMF). The nonprofit’s November 7 fundraiser “Bridging the Gap for Children with Mental Illness,” features the original Princess Leia, actress and author Carrie Fisher who is the evening’s guest speaker.
The photo contest is being held on NMF’s Facebook page from now through September 12 with a $20 entry fee going to support the programs of Austin Travis County Integral Care. Funds from the June 16 and November 7 events will help provide mental health services for children and teens.
Blo (1611 W. 5th Street) offers complimentary hair styling, while evie evan donates makeup services for those on a quest for that “Leia Look.” Have someone snap a photo, which can later be submitted digitally online for the competition. If you can’t make the June 16 event, appointments can be made up until noon on September 12. The five contestants (human or animal!) with the most Facebook votes will be announced September 21 at a Star Wars viewing party at Roppolo’s Pizza downtown. The audience selects three finalists, while a panel of judges votes on the winner. That person and a guest will meet Carrie Fisher at a VIP party and attend the November 7th NMF fund raiser.
To join in the fun on June 16, call Blo at 512-355-1256, or check out the New Milestones Foundation Facebook page for more information. Anyone in the Universe can request an online application at austinprincessleia@gmail.com.
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May 16, 2011
What did the Badgerdog book look like?
So this weekend I did a column on my efforts to decorate a book for Badgerdog Literary Publishing.
A few people have asked my what the final product looks like, so here’s some pictures of my grand masterpiece. I also include Sara Hickman’s book, which I mention in the column.
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April 25, 2011
Lessons in humility aka How my pug raised $4k
A couple of years ago, after years of watching other people put themselves on the line for causes they support, I decided to give fundraising a shot.
My charity of choice: The Hill Country Ride for AIDS. I liked the fact that the event supports 10 local nonprofits, that it involved a physical challenge and that I knew several people that had done it already. Since 2009, I’ve done the ride twice, plus the Mamma Jamma, another cycling event that raises money for breast cancer nonprofits.
Raising money the first time was a breeze. But oddly, the more I did it, the harder it seemed to get. By the time I started pushing the Mamma Jamma in late 2010, I was burned out, my friends were sick of me and I just couldn’t get any traction. At the last minute, I managed to scrape together the minimum fundraising requirement of $500 — but just barely.
A few months later, it was time to sign up for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS and I just wasn’t feeling it. More begging? Ugh, no thank you.
Then I learned about Kenneth Blair, an Austin doctor who contracted AIDS while treating an infected patient. Despite his illness, Blair continued to work with the AIDS community until a few years before his October 2010 death.
I was inspired. And so, despite my fundraising fatigue, I vowed to try again. And this is where it gets weird.
I set my goal at $5,000.
I know, it makes no sense whatsoever. But I’m a Go Big or Go Home kind of gal and that’s the best explanation I have for it.
I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to sell this. My friends aren’t rolling in cash. I don’t have the kind of personal connections to get those coveted $1,000 donations. Plus, everyone has their own causes to support: autism, cancer, multiple sclerosis, leukemia. AIDS isn’t on the top of everyone’s list. I needed to get their attention. But how?
After toying with a few ideas, inspiration suddenly hit: my pug Boris.
Boris is adorable. He’s obese. He’s peppy. He snores like an asthmatic elephant and is the center of attention wherever we go.
Boris, I decided, would be the core of my fundraising efforts. I threw a red ribbon on him, took a bunch of pictures and created his persona.
He got his own Facebook page; his own Twitter page; and his own Twitpic account.
Once, Boris had his photo taken with a celebrity. Sort of.
The idea was to get people invested in the cause through an artificial star. Boris, I declared, was an “international philanthropug” devoted to AIDS awareness. He even showed up at a downtown happy hour to pose for photos with the guests. His grunting and panting and general pug-ness was, of course, a hit.
Meanwhile, Boris sent out multiple emails to potential donors. A few “news stories” — such as how Boris was accused of donor tampering — made their way to my friends. Another cyclist jumped on the bandwagon with her dog Bodhi, creating a false rivalry between the two charitable canines on a Twitter page called Bodhi vs. Boris.
I knew Boris couldn’t do it alone, so I did what I could to supplement his efforts. I shelled and sold hundreds of nuts from the three pecan trees in my yard. That brought in about $150.
I made $380 in a bake sale with goodies provided by my coworkers. I brought in some cash writing oddly popular haikus on Facebook for donors.
Little by little, the money piled up.After four months of working it, I’ve raised $4,400 - far more than I’d ever imagined I’d get. The ride is this Saturday and the donations are still coming in.
I’m not the top fundraiser, not by a long shot. As we speak, HCRA rider Blake Miller has raised almost $11,000. That’s an astounding feat.
How did he do it? Through the kindness of others.
That’s what’s touched me most about this whole experience. This isn’t something I did. This isn’t about a fun marketing campaign or a testament to one woman’s personal obsession. This is about an outpouring of generosity I never expected.
More than 80 individuals donated on my fundraising page. Some people gave me $10, some several hundred. One coworker walked up to my desk today and gave me $400 in $5 bills he’d been saving since the beginning of my fundraising campaign.
Meanwhile, one supporter matched donations up to $100. Another donated a photo shoot for a raffle and someone else baked giant cookies for those who gave $25 or more.
This has been a humbling experience that comes with a unique challenge. How do you thank so many people for doing so much? How do you express gratitude without coming off like a sappy sob queen wailing about how “it takes a village?” I guess you just write a blog, post it on your Facebook page and hope everyone knows how grateful you really are.
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February 25, 2011
Luke Wilson, First Tee and Facebook
It’s almost 11 a.m. on Friday and I’m feeling cynical.
Actor Luke Wilson is supposed to call me in a couple of minutes to talk about his work with First Tee of Greater Austin, a nonprofit that teaches kids life skills through golf. But I’m not buying it.
We’ve already had a little trouble connecting this week because of our schedules and I figure I’m going to end up with a rain check. I’m insecure that way. And, of course, this is all about me.
So at 10:58 a.m., I post this Facebook status update:
Luke Wilson allegedly calling in two minutes. We’ll see if celebrity time is the same as human time.
Ha, I think. Take that, Movie Man.
Six minutes later, my phone rings.
“Hey Andrea, it’s Luke,” he says in that distinct voice we’ve come to know in movies such as Legally Blonde, Old School and Vacancy.
Gulp. My Catholic guilt suddenly kicks in and I immediately confess my Facebook jibe.
“You profiled me!” he jokes. “You racially profiled me!”
Thus begins a 40-minute conversation that covers everything from sports and Guero’s to Hollywood and philanthropy.
Let’s put it out there: Talking to celebrities and heavy-hitters can be annoying. Sometimes they sound bored or hurried. Sometimes they sound rehearsed, like they’ve said all this 100 times and would much rather be watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
But then there are the others, the ones who seem grounded and fun. Luke Wilson definitely fell into that category.
So why is Luke Wilson calling me? To talk charity, of course. The 39-year-old actor, who originally hails from Dallas, will be in town Tuesday to speak at a luncheon for First Tee of Greater Austin. (For event information, go here)
Luke — who was first introduced to golf as a child when he caddied for his father — is a big fan of the sport. He plays regularly and participates in charity events. Last year he was the celebrity host for the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation’s annual golf tournament.
As someone who’s never played golf, I have yet to experience the allure of the sport. So what’s so great about it? For Luke, the appeal is that golf is a mentally and physically challenging game that takes a lifetime to perfect — if that’s even possible.
“I’ve learned to be more patient,” he said. “You just kind of stay within yourself and realize not to get down on yourself if you’ve made a bad shot. You can practice and get better.”
I want to learn how to play golf, I tell him. I also randomly mention that want to learn how to shoot a gun. Because, you know, it’s relevant.
“I think you could knock it all out in one afternoon,” he deadpans.
And that’s the great thing about interviewing Luke Wilson: he laughs at my jokes. Either he’s an astounding actor or I am absolutely hilarious. Either way, one of us is very talented.
It’s interesting listening to him. He thinks Entourage is scarily true to Hollywood life. He likes the beans at Guero’s. He lives near a veterans hospital. He agrees that Samuel L. Jackson has a great voice. He’s written a movie about baseball. And he enjoyed making the thriller Vacancy, even if it did require him to act terrified first thing in the morning.
“It’s one of those movies I’m really proud of,” he said. “It was a workout.”
He’s also got an evolving view of philanthropy. As he grows older, he says, he finds himself wanting to do more for the community. Working with First Tee is a way to do that.
“You never know how handing a kid a golf club could change their life,” Luke says.
As the conversation winds down, we get back to important matters: my Facebook status. He wants the record to reflect that he called me at 11:04 a.m. — 9:04 a.m. his time — and that the four minutes was for my benefit in case I was down the hall or wrapping up something important. (I think I was eating a cheese stick at my desk when he called.)
Of course I agree to do this, mostly because I want to brag to my friends about my new faux friend. So as soon as we hang up, I click to FB and type this:
Luke Wilson says I racially profiled him (are actors their own race?) and have to change my FB status to reflect that he called me at 11:04 and that was “just to give you some cushion.” We are now besties. Feel the burn.
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January 27, 2011
Creative fundraiser takes the cake(gram)
Fundraising can be a serious chore — especially when you take it too seriously.
So I’ve got to give a shout-out to a lady I’ve never even met: Bronwyn Blake.
Blake, a lawyer at the Texas Advocacy Project, is getting hard-core with her fundraising for the Young Women’s Alliance. She’s using cake, compliments and volunteerism to meet her goal. And it’s working.
Check out what Blake has to say on her fundraising page.
“WHEW! I met my goal of $500 in 24 hours by matching your generous donations dollar for dollar AND met my next goal of $1,000 in less than a week by: 1.) matching $5 or 50%, whichever was more, 2.) giving you a FREE compliment, AND 3.) volunteering one hour of my time for every $25 donated!
NOW its all icing on the cake…literally! For $30 I will deliver a HOMEMADE CAKEGRAM anywhere in the Austin area…and for an extra $10, I will make it a SINGING CAKEGRAM! I am NOT KIDDING! After donating on this page, just email me at BronwynBlake@gmail.com with your request details and phone number. Order must be placed by 4pm the day before delivery at the latest!”
I love it. Getting creative makes fundraising a whole lot less onerous. I’ve written songs and poems, crocheted and sold candy. This year, I’m pimping my pug for a cause.
Blake, you’ve taken fundraising to the next level. I salute you!
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January 10, 2011
Nonprofit kitchen health inspection scores
The other day, a man sent me an email about a local nonprofit that serves food to its clients.
He was annoyed, he said, because the food is bad, the portions small and facility seemingly unclean. I couldn’t offer him much comfort on the quality and quantity of the food. Perception of food is highly dependent on the chef, personal taste and budget.
But kitchens that serve food to the public are inspected by the city, so I thought I’d check out how nonprofit facilities are faring.
The city reviews health and safety procedures such as food handling procedures, water temperature, rodent control and the use of sanitizers. According to the city website, “If no violations are found a score of 100 is achieved. If more than 30 points are lost, a reinspection is required and corrections must be made to bring the score above 70, in accordance with the Texas Food Establishment Rules. If subsequent inspections are below 70, compliance actions will be taken.”
So how did local charities do? The following information was taken from the City of Austin website.
Name: Salvation Army
Address: 501 E 8TH ST
Inspection date: 11/09/2010
Score: 97
Name: Caritas
Address: 501 E 7TH ST.
Inspection date: 04/06/2010
Score: 89
Name: Meals On Wheels and More
Address: 3227 E 5TH ST
Inspection date: 08/09/2010
Score: 96
Name: Mobile Loaves & Fishes- Downtown Alliance of Churches
Address: 1201 LAVACA ST
Inspection date: 06/30/2010
Score: 97
Name: Austin Childrens Shelter
Address: 4800 MANOR RD
Inspection date: 08/17/2010
Score: 92
Name: The Settlement Home for Children
Address: 1600 PAYTON GIN RD
Inspection date: 10/18/2010
Score: 88
Name: Helping Hand Home For Children
Address: 3804 AVENUE B
Inspection date: 11/08/2010
Score: 100
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January 4, 2011
Homeless tire slasher: scapegoat or perpetrator?
Statesman reporter Isadora Vail has an interesting article today about a frustrating situation in Hyde Park.
For more than decade, someone has been running around puncturing the tires on parked cars. It may not be a big-time crime, but it’s certainly infuriating, pricey and seriously inconvenient. It’s an offense sure to raise anyone’s blood pressure.
The Hyde Park Homeowners Association is now going to spend $10,000 on high-definition camera equipment to catch the perpetrator in the act.
Neighbors say the main suspect is a local homeless man who has been seen near cars with a sharp object in his hand. According to the story, “Austin police said they have also been tracking a man for 15 years and arresting him on petty misdemeanors in the area, but no one can catch him in the act of puncturing tires.”
When I read the online version of the story, I expected readers to launch a virtual lynch mob, railing against the alleged vandal and attacking the city’s efforts to tackle homelessness. After all, based on the evidence, it certainly sounds like this man could be responsible.
Interestingly, however, quite a few commenters blew off this theory.
“An unnamed “homeless guy” over a 15 year period really sounds (bogus),” one reader wrote.
“He’s a suspect NOT because he is suspicious. He’s a suspect because the cops say he is, because the citizens of Hyde Park assume such a person would do that sort of thing - while ignoring how cunning someone has to be to avoid being caught for 15 years,” another added.
“15 YEARS? A homeless guy?” said another writer. “Sounds unlikely. You have a vendetta and a deranged soul on your hands. Track the guy down—-even homeless people go somewhere at night.”
What’s intriguing about this is the fact that readers are posing the idea that the homeless man might be a scapegoat for this hard-to-solve crime. That’s striking to me. These kinds of stories usually attract vitriolic comments about how lazy, drug-addled homeless people are animals and deserve what they get.
Not so in this case. And, to me, that’s pretty refreshing.
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December 8, 2010
"People Zoning" and the Homeless
Statesman reporter Sarah Coppola has an intriguing story today about reaction surrounding proposed changes to a low-income apartment complex on East 12th Street.
Here’s the plan. Developers want to take Marshall Apartments — a 42-year-old Section 8 apartment complex — renovate them. The apartments would stay Section 8, but 20 of the 100 units would be rented to homeless people that work with Caritas. The nonprofit, which helps low-income and homeless people, would provide on-site services to those clients. Those apartments would would not be rented to sex offenders or people with violent histories.
According to Coppola’s story, some neighbors object. They’re fine with the complex staying Section 8. They are not, however, fine with homeless people moving in because neighbors are afraid they will have histories of crime, drug abuse or mental illness.
“The Robertson Hill Neighborhood Association, in which some of the Marshall apartments are located, supports Marshall remaining low-income housing but opposes the inclusion of homeless residents because of safety concerns,” the story reads. “And placing them so close to the corner of East 12th and Chicon, with its history of crime and drug-dealing, ‘could set them up for failure, taunting their vulnerabilities and creating repercussions for everyone else,’ association President Stanton Strickland said.”
So basically, we’re talking about people zoning.
I get it. I really do. We all want to protect our neighborhoods from things we consider undesirable. Remember the stink over the the Northcross Mall Walmart?
The Marshall Apartments situation, however, is different. It’s about shunning people neighbors deem unworthy of living in their area.
This is fantastic. If I’d realized we were allowed to pick and choose our neighbors, I would have banned plenty of people over the years. My top choices include:
*The neighbors who had a party where people started shooting at each other.
*The neighbors who had sex in their car in front of my house in broad daylight.
*The neighbors who routinely engaged in domestic violence.
*The neighbors who played their music so loud, you could hear it coming up the driveway.
*The neighbors who left their howling dog on the porch all night.
*The neighbors who left their howling dog in their yard all year.
*The neighbors whose front yard looked like a junk yard fire sale.
I can only imagine what others would like to ban. Perhaps neighbors of an undesired color, nationality or sexual orientation? Would that be alright? Would we even be allowed to have that conversation without starting a full-blown riot in this town?
Of course not. But we can talk about shunning the homeless because they’re poor and troubled and don’t have powerful advocates backing their desire to live in an apartment instead of a car.
Residents have the right to protect their neighborhoods. In fact, they should. But they might want to think about what they’re really saying when they oppose this project.
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December 1, 2010
Ode to an unrestricted gift
At first blush, the email didn’t seem particularly interesting.
“Kinnser Software Contributes $150,000 to Austin Children’s Shelter,” the subject line of the press release read.
Typical stuff. Sure, $150,000 over three years is great news, but it’s not wildly surprising, either. I mean, this is the Austin Children’s Shelter, a nonprofit with big name recognition and an easy sell to anyone who cares about protecting kids from abuse and neglect.
But then I read the press release more closely.
“Kinnser Software, Inc., a leading home health software firm based in Austin, Texas, announces its charitable donation of $150,000 in unrestricted funds to the Austin Children’s Shelter (ACS) to deliver services to children and young adults in Central Texas.”
Wait, what? Unrestricted funds? As in, you can spend this money however you want? As in, you could use it to fix the roof, hire a secretary or buy 200,000 cans of corn if you so desired?
Yep, ACS spokeswoman Julie Burch assured me. It’s unrestricted money to be used to support the agency.
Large, unrestricted gifts are the holy grail of nonprofit funding. Everyone wants them, but they’re hard to get. Generally, big donors want their money to go toward programs that directly touch clients: staffers, materials, etc. And they request that their money be spent that way, thus the “restricted” gift.
That means the money can’t be used on expenses such as legal services, fundraising, executive salaries and things of that nature.
Clearly, that’s the donor’s right. Nonprofits absolutely should put as much money as possible toward helping the people they serve. And charities should also be able to specifically account for how they spend all donated money, not just program-specific grants.
But as all nonprofit leaders will tell you, it costs money to run a business. Unrestricted money helps with that.
None of this to say that the Austin Children’s Shelter is going to spend the Kinnser gift on overhead - not at all. But an unrestricted gift gifts them to flexibility to do that, and that’s a good thing.
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November 24, 2010
Guest blog: Thankful for Capital IDEA
Recently, I asked local nonprofits to share with me personal stories about their clients. Among those I received was a touching essay by a woman named Jacqueline Sinkes. Her story illustrates how help from a nonprofit — in this case, Capital IDEA — can change lives.
Sinkes writes:
It‘s never easy to share the intimate details of one’s personal circumstances with strangers. But sometimes, a mission statement needs a face for its strength to truly be told. So it is with tremendous gratitude, humility, and pride that I share who I am. I am the face of the good that Capital IDEA is doing in this community.
I came to Capital IDEA in the summer of 2006, at one of the toughest moments I had faced in my then 24 years of life. I had recently fled (my marriage). I desperately wanted to go back to school, to rebuild my life, and to acquire an education that would lead to economic self-sufficiency. In spite of my circumstances, I knew that I could “make it” in school if I were just given the chance. I knew that I couldn’t help my severely autistic child develop language or teach my four year old how to write his name, if I were working three jobs just to pay for sub-par childcare. And realistically, that’s where I was in life. I had no money, no skills, and a shattered support system. I wanted and needed, then and now, to “do” and “be” more; for myself, and for them. But with so many barriers, my hopes and dreams for a better future seemed out of reach. And then I heard about Capital IDEA.
I learned that they were assisting families like mine with educational expenses like tuition and books, transportation, and my then-number-one-barrier child care. They warned that it wouldn’t be easy, and made it clear that they weren’t there to do the work for us. Rather, their role was to alleviate barriers for those who were ready to do the hard work themselves, and I was. The day that I was accepted into the Capital IDEA program was one of the most joyful and hopeful moments I have known. That day truly marked the beginning of the rest of my life.
Just three years later, I graduated with Honors, among the top of my class with a 3.8 GPA, from Austin Community College. Today, I have stable housing, a violence-free life, two thriving children, a college education, and an emerging career as a Registered Nurse at a state supported living center. From the shelter to a home, and from dependence to self-sufficiency, my quality of life has improved in ways I can’t put into words. I came to this organization as a victim, and with Capital IDEA by my side every step of the way, have emerged a champion; a champion for my children, a champion for my dreams, and a champion for everyone else who dares to believe in second chances.
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November 18, 2010
Fun Facts from the Turkey Trot
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving in Austin without the annual ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot.
In case you haven’t heard of it, the annual five-mile run is held downtown and raises money for Caritas, a nonprofit that helps needy families with food, rent, utility bills and services.
Today, the Turkey Trot folks sent me some fun facts about the run and Thanksgiving itself.
Here’s a scary one: The average Thanksgiving dinner has around 4,575 calories. Apparently you’d have to run 8.5 hours (at 5 mph) to burn that off. I can’t even think about it. Or the fact that one piece of pecan pie (with whipped cream) has 555 calories.
((shudder))
So let’s try this one: The biggest pumpkin pie recorded (in 2007) was 2,020 lbs made by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers from New Bremen, OH.
And when it comes to the run itself, there’s this: It takes 450 Volunteers to run the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot. Many of these are ThunderCloud Subs employees.
The first event 20 years ago registered 600 people. About 17,000 people are expected to run in this year’s event.
The ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot is the largest five mile run in Texas
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November 12, 2010
Food bank map shows poverty areas
The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas has a nifty new tool on its website.
The recently launched hunger relief map — developed in conjunction with Hungermaps.org — details areas in Central Texas where residents live at 185 percent of poverty.
Yeah, 185 percent. Most people have no idea what the heck that means. Luckily, the food bank breaks down that stat for us. Some examples:
The federal poverty level for one person is $10,830; 185 percent of poverty for one person is $20,035.
Poverty level for a family of four is $22,050; 185 percent is $40,792.
The map doesn’t offer too many surprises. The biggest concentration of people living in poverty appears to be in Central Austin, north of Lady Bird Lake and just east of I-35.
But the map does offer a glimpse of low-income pockets in areas most Austinites don’t pay attention to: Killeen, Marlin, Temple, San Saba and so on. As with all online maps, it takes some maneuvering to zoom in on the areas in which you’re most interested, but it’s pretty intuitive.
If you’ve got a few minutes, take a look. It’s definitely interesting.
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November 10, 2010
Goodwill calculator shows impact of donations
It’s always great when you can see exactly how your donations help a nonprofit.
Over the years, many charities have become much more specific about how giving impact clients. The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, for example, posts on its website that “for every $5 you give, the food bank can provide $25 worth of nutritious food for hungry Central Texans.”
That kind of information makes donors feel like their donations are making a real difference.
Now Goodwill Industries of Central Texas has a great calculator on its website. It shows you how your donations of goods translates into help for clients. Using a drop-down menu, you can enter which kind and how many items you’ve donated. Then it shows you what that donation buys for Goodwill.
For example, donating one coat pays for 17 minutes of job training; 10 dvds equal 58 minutes; one computer pays for 8.1 hours.
“Cleaning out your closet can make a real difference,” said Goodwill spokeswoman Amy Rames.
Pretty neat stuff.
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September 20, 2010
What should overhead be?
This weekend, I wrote a column on how I’ve had trouble raising money for the Mamma Jamma.
Readers weighed in with a few comments about what it’s like to be hit up for donations. They also took a few hits on what they perceive to be high overhead. As one reader wrote:
“Besides, having once tried to put on a charity ride I know how much it costs to do and that the majority of what I donate will go to the event team (Like Red Licorice) then to the charity.”
That comment prompted David Smith — executive director of the Mamma Jamma, a charity bike ride for breast cancer — to weigh in.
“The Mamma Jamma is run mostly by a group of volunteers, which keeps the overhead so low that we are able to return at least 75% of the money raised back to the people who need the care,” he wrote.
Nonprofit experts say that at least 75 cents out of every dollar should go to services. Those same experts, such as Charity Navigator, say it’s acceptable to use the remaining 25 cents on fundraising and administrative costs.
Well, Smith’s comment brought this response from a reader:
“For me being a simple person when I see you quote that ‘75%’ of the proceeds is used locally, it raises a big flag. Because when I see the goal is $600K that means that $150K is not going as directed or rather 300 people with charitable pledges of $500 is not going towards the cause. That is an lot of charity not going towards the intended use.”
These comments pretty much exemplify the debate over nonprofit overhead. Nonprofits say they’re spending what’s necessary to keep their programs alive. But many people criticize that spending, even when it’s within the generally accepted guidelines set by nonprofit watchdog groups.
So I have a question: What is an acceptable amount of overhead? What do you gain by cutting it? What do you lose?
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September 2, 2010
A tale of two strangers
Driving without air conditioning opens you up to a whole new world.
Last fall, the air conditioning in my 1997 Saturn broke. It’s a big problem, one that will cost about $1,000 to repair, and, frankly, I have better things to spend my money on. So against my better judgment, I haven’t fixed it.
It’s been hellishly hot at times this summer, but I’ve found ways to cope. I keep my windows down all day. I drink water in the car. I stay off the highways, where the high speeds blow the painfully hot wind in my face.
Driving with the windows down exposes you to more than the weather. It exposes you to people. You hear them talking in their cars and on the sidewalks. You hear them yelling for the bus and playing music on the streets. You hear the booming bass from their cars as they yell along to their favorite tunes.
Windows may be just thin panes of glass, but they insulate us from each other. When they’re gone, you’re more connected to the world around you.
This morning, that exposure to my environment made me reach out to two strangers — and their reactions were strikingly different.
My first interaction came with another driver at a stoplight. I was waiting for the light to turn when I heard two loud sneezes. Realizing that someone had his windows open, I looked around and found that the sneezer was sitting in the car next to me.
“Bless you,” I said.
He looked at me, startled.
“Bless you,” I repeated, smiling.
“Thank you,” he said, still surprised.
The man was perfectly pleasant in his reaction. But something about the moment made me feel like a total idiot.
We soon drove away and when he passed me two minutes later, his truck windows were shut.
After a few minutes, I approached a busy downtown intersection. A tall, worn-looking woman missing several teeth stood panhandling on the corner.
I pulled up and immediately felt awkward. Yeah, I know a lot about homelessness and I try to be compassionate, but let’s be honest: confronting such blatant poverty first thing is the morning isn’t fun.
I’d seen this woman before and never talked to her. In fact, a couple of times I hurried through the traffic light just to ensure I wouldn’t have to. There’s a weird guilt and defensiveness that fills you when you know you’re about to be put on the spot and sometimes I go out of my way to avoid it.
Today, however, was different. I stopped my car right next to the woman.
“I don’t have any money to give you,” I told her.
“That’s OK,” she said.
“But how are you?” I asked.
Well,” she answered, “I have to go in for a lot of medical tests today.”
“Oh no,” I replied. “What kind?”
“I have to have a colonoscopy, a mammogram, some blood tests,” she said. “They think I might have diabetes.”
“That’s serious,” I said. “You have to take care of that.”
It was a long light, so we had a lengthy conversation. She hadn’t eaten or had anything to drink since midnight, just as the doctor had instructed her. Her tests weren’t until 1 p.m. She’d get off the corner when it got too hot so she didn’t get dehydrated.
Her husband would accompany her to the hospital, she said. They live on the streets together, which helps protect her from rape and assaults.
“It’s hard on the streets for a woman,” the lady told me.
Then the light changed. I had to go.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said.
“I’ll be here if I’m not in the hospital,” she answered.
I drove away intrigued by the vast difference the two interactions I’d just had.
Obviously, I don’t really know anything about these people I met. Superficially, I had more in common with the guy in the truck. Chances are pretty good that he has his own home, a vehicle and job. Still, I probably won’t be blessing any of my fellow drivers in the future.
On the other hand, I’m looking forward to chatting with my new street corner acquaintance.
Maybe I’ll never get my AC fixed.
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September 1, 2010
Nonprofits need to drop the jargon
The Chronicle of Philanthropy has a good article today on how nonprofits need to dump the jargon and communicate their message in a language that people actually understand.
Words like “transformative” and “impactful” are meaningless to the general public, the story states. And the word “innovative” is just an effort to pump up existing efforts.
According to the author of the story:
I am not negative on innovation—who would ever bash creative, entrepreneurial programs?
However, it is the need to make everything we do sound “new” and “path-breaking” that consistently undervalues the hard day-to-day work—particularly in low-income communities—of providing quality day care, teaching kids to read, providing basic health care, and ensuring that the social fabric of a neighborhood isn’t torn to shreds. I, for one, would like to celebrate that continuous work for a change. And I might even call it impactful.
Last year, I did a column on this very thing. In that story, I wrote about how we are constantly bombarded with phrases that make absolutely no sense to people outside the sector. To prove my point, I conducted a little test.
Here’s what I wrote:
So how much of this is getting through to regular folks? Last week, I e-mailed a bunch of friends and asked them to describe a few nonprofit terms. Here are some of their answers.
Food insecurity: Nervous disorder involving food. (Actual definition: limited or uncertain access to nutritious food.)
At-risk youth: “Never have gotten it and banned reporters from using it when I was running a newsroom.” (Actual definition: youths exposed to factors — poverty, broken families — that make them more likely to commit illegal acts, drop out of school or endanger themselves.)
Fifty percent of poverty level: “You lost me at percent.” (Actual definition: people who earn half of what the federal government defines as poverty.)
The devotion to gobbledygook (and, yeah, I had to Google that) can affect the kind of media coverage nonprofits get. I’ll use myself as an example.
Every day, I get several dozen calls, emails, and press releases from local nonprofits asking for coverage of some sort. That doesn’t include the queries from national charities, corporations, etc.
Each request gets about 10 seconds to either hook or bore me.
One of the first things that usually turns me off is incomprehensible language. So what happens? Delete. There goes the email and a chance at some kind of coverage.
So think twice about using jargon. If you’re not sure that you’re using it, ask someone who doesn’t work in nonprofits. They’ll definitely know
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August 26, 2010
High overhead is good?
The Chronicle of Philanthropy has an article today about the debate over nonprofit overhead.
According to the story, nonprofit expert Dan Pallotta recently told a group of charity fundraisers that donors need to focus on effectiveness, not operating expenses. That means backing off the idea that nonprofit leaders should be paid less than their counterparts in the for-profit world.
According to the story:
“Nonprofit compensation should match or at least correspond to the salaries in the for-profit world, he says. For one thing, nonprofit salaries at the moment don’t attract the best and brightest. Why work as a chief executive for a medical charity at $230,000, he says, when others with the same MBA have salaries of $400,000 or greater?”
The story also says that “Mr. Pallotta also suggested setting up an organization for nonprofits to defend their practices, create public awareness, spur a legislative force. and establish legal strategies against municipalities that require charities to meet a low overhead standard. The name he proposed for such an entity: the International Charity Defense Council.”
Defense Council? That sounds a little scary to me, but I see his point.
I’ve talked about this overhead issue before and can see it both ways.
Donors have a hard time swallowing big salaries for nonprofit leaders because every dollar spent on staffers means a dollar less that goes toward services. But philanthropy leaders see good salaries as an investment. If more money attracts the best talent, won’t that pay off? Won’t the nonprofit become more effective, raise more money and provide more services?
Not necessarily. Big money is not always associated with integrity, honesty and compassion — things we’ve come to demand from nonprofits. But charity experts say big money widens the pool of applicants willing to work in the charity world.
It’s an intriguing debate and it’s good to hear the conversation evolving.
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July 30, 2010
All gussied up and somewhere to go
The last time I seriously dressed up was in the winter of 2004.
I was new to the philanthropy beat back then and was looking forward to attending lots of fancy galas. But I couldn’t go wearing my typical jeans and Converse sneakers, right? So I hit the mall, bought a floor-length formal skirt, a matching top and filmy shawl and showed up for the event in style.
But then I realized that Austin is a pretty flexible town when it comes to gala clothes. Men in jeans and cowboy boots often accompany ladies that look like Cinderella.
So I stuffed my dress in the closet and never wore it again. It wasn’t exactly something I could wear to work. And when I go to events, I generally wear a work skirt or pants.
But lately, I’ve been bitten by the fashion bug. Sort of.
You see, the air conditioning in my 1997 Saturn has been out for a year and I refuse to fix it because it’s too expensive. So what’s the coolest thing to wear in a sweltering car? A skirt.
My new love of skirts has encouraged me to try and dress up for the upcoming Ice Ball Gala, which will be held at the Hilton Downtown Saturday on Saturday, Aug. 14. The event — whose tickets are $75 online and $100 at the door — benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas.
But I needed a new dress. The 2004 number is more of a winter garment and, as we all know, it ain’t exactly winter here. I needed something feminine, but not frilly. Something colorful, but not clownish.
So this weekend, I enlisted shopping help from Victoria Gutierrez of Apex Auction, who has conducted more than 230 charity auctions and raised more than $15 million for nonprofits.
Hitting all those events means that Gutierrez — who also serves as the development director for Southwest Key — has loads of glamorous gowns hanging in her closet. Who better to help me spruce up for the ball?
On Saturday, Gutierrez and I hit Nordstrom Rack off 183 North to search for great dresses at even better prices. (If I won’t fix my car’s AC, I’m certainly not going to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress, right?)
Gutierrez was a machine. She scoured the racks with the focus of an air traffic controller, tearing through the options as she considered my specifications.
Gutierrez dragged me into the dressing room with 11 dresses, probably more than I’ve tried on in the last five years combined. Some were OK, some very pretty. Some made me look like I’d been in a tragic sausage-packing accident.
But nothing really grabbed me. So we went to T.J. Maxx. At first, it seemed like the trip would be a bust. I’m not into animal prints, jumpsuits, sequins or anything that has been brutalized by a BeDazzler. Thus, my choices were limited.
Then we found a simple violet dress. It was kind of a sleeper, nothing fabulous on the rack. But when I tried it on, I was delighted. The color, the cut and the soft material felt just right. And it was on sale for $30!
But was it too plain? Did this dress offer enough glam?
No worries, Gutierrez said. Accessories are everything. She outfitted me with one of her glorious sparkly necklaces that could have walked straight out of Dynasty and I felt transformed.
So what did I take away from this experience? Here are a few lessons I learned that might help some of you who have trouble dressing for big events.
Just try it. That dress you see on the hanger may look a little boring, but if you like it, try it on. It could turn out to be a winner.
Know your body. Don’t try squeezing into something two sizes too small. It looks awful and will make you cry. Wearing a tent won’t work either. Pick something that will accentuate your assets.
Be comfortable. Do you really want to be trapped in something you can’t sit in without cringing? Or readjusting spaghetti straps all night? Or tripping on the dance floor because you couldn’t get to the tailor in time? Not fun.
Just say no. Yeah, there were a few dresses I could have lived with, but why bother? I have plenty of mediocre clothes in my closet. In my case, a little patience paid off.
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May 26, 2010
A thank you to Charity Chat commenters
Story comments can be a reporter’s worst nightmare.
It’s not because readers offer feedback. Any journalist will tell you they love to hear from people because it means someone actually read their story. At a time where readers have endless choices on where to find their news, that means a lot.
Meanwhile, comments can be incredibly helpful. They give us insight and elevate the conversation in often unexpected ways. We’ve also gotten some great tips from readers. (And thanks a lot for that, by the way.)
And then, there are other commenters. The ones who hide behind ridiculous screen names, hurling obnoxious remarks fueled by anger, frustration and a lack of something better to do. These are the ones who look at story on antique dolls and start ripping on immigration reform, the ones who leave the same comments under different screen names to make it look like everyone agrees with them.
These are the commenters who like to get personal with the reporter. We get called stupid, biased and bush-league. I’ve been called “retarded” and told to go on a diet. (That last one stung a little.)
But Charity Chat commenters are different. Most comments left here are thoughtful, intelligent and provocative. Readers of this blog usually know how to get their point across without getting nasty. A recent comment exemplifies this.
In this recent Charity Chat blog, I looked at the reaction to a recent Wall Street Journal article about prospect research. In sharing my opinion, I used a lot of loaded words. As a reporter, I’m allowed to do that in my blog. It’s one of the things I love about it.
In response to that post, a reader named Martin called me to task on my language and my general premise. Here’s a portion of what he said:
Andrea, you said those that disagreed with the article were “defensive,” “in a froth,” “awfully uptight,” and “whining.” This is how you present the position expressed by those that disagree—not with with facts, but with imprecise generalizations. The actual facts tell a different story. You quote a portion of the article that did not contain inaccuracies. And then you quote the response by APRA which states that the article was misleading, in an attempt to make the APRA response seem irrational. This is poor argumentation.
Martin goes on to make his arguments in a factual, reasoned manner and I responded. We still disagree, but I walked away from the encounter (and a personal email exchange with him) feeling invigorated and appreciative of the kind of conversation that can come from the comments section.
This morning, I walked up to Statesman Social Media Jedi Robert Quigley and posed a question: Do all niche blogs get this kind of feedback? Or are Charity Chat readers truly exceptional?
Quigley’s response: Stateman staffers have found that niche blogs across the board get better quality comments than the general-interest articles found on the rest of our site. That, Quigley says, is because those readers are interested in and informed on the topics those blogs cover.
I wonder if something else is also at work. In blogs, reporters often talk back in the comment section. Generally, in stories, we don’t. We can. The newspaper allows that. But most of us don’t.
I don’t and I’m not sure why. Maybe it just seems too daunting to get into the middle of all that venom. That’s something I might want to change.
All of this is my way of thanking you, readers.
Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you for commenting. Thank you for your thought-provoking insights. Thank you for your suggestions. We don’t always agree, but we don’t have to. I’m just glad we’re talking.
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May 25, 2010
WSJ article: Why so defensive?
About a week ago, the Wall Street Journal wrote an article that has some nonprofits in a froth.
The story — called “Is Your Favorite Charity Spying On You?” — talks about how nonprofits use technology to target donors. According to the story:
“Donor research isn’t new, of course, but its reach has grown while the cost has dropped. For as little as $3,000 a year, even small nonprofits can tap into detailed databases. Data-diving practices expanded during the recession, as charities faced pressure to raise money more efficiently.”
The story goes on to talk about how this data-diving reveals donor information such as career history, education, stock holdings, charitable-giving history and campaign contributions. It also lets them know when donors who are officers at public companies buy or sell stock.
None of this bothers me one bit. Businesses do it all the time. And as someone who regularly scours the web for information for my stories, it would be hypocritical of me to take a stand against using publicly available information.
But some prospect researchers/nonprofits got awfully uptight about this story. They called the article sensational and biased. The Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement wrote that the story “misrepresents the scope and purpose of donor research, and as a result misleads Journal readers about its nature and use.”
It goes on to talk about the group’s “deep concern for and sensitivity to personal privacy and identity security” and how everything they do is legal and guided by ethical guidelines. The authors don’t specifically dispute any of the information in the story.
Then came the predictable, go-to line charities use when they don’t like how they’re being portrayed.
“I think it is time for publications like WSJ to stop writing sensational headlines and start writing about how organizations are working to do good better,” one blogger wrote on http://workingphilanthropy.com/
Oh, come on. Really? Is that where we’re going with this? Of course it is.
Nonprofits routinely talk about wanting to be treated like businesses. They want to be taken seriously.
Well, part of being taken seriously is being subject to public scrutiny. And with public scrutiny comes all kinds of public conversation. It’s not just about praising nonprofits for their good work and powerful role in the country’s economic engine. It’s about looking all all parts of nonprofits: the good, the bad and the just plain interesting.
The defensive reaction to this story is puzzling. I’ll agree that the WSJ’s headline was pretty obnoxious. But the rest of the article was educational. And, frankly, it makes nonprofits look like what they are: agencies using all means at their disposal to fund their work.
Whining about how the Wall Street Journal never writes anything nice about nonprofits is not only flat out-wrong, it’s juvenile. And it makes nonprofits seem silly instead of like the sophisticated, business-minded organizations that most of them are.
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May 6, 2010
Spontaneous charity
I love impromptu acts of kindness.
A couple of weekends ago, my friend and cycling inspiration Carri Crowe participated in the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, a charity bike ride that benefits people living with AIDS and HIV.
Carri was riding along when she noticed a random driver stuck behind a bunch of cyclists resting at a pit stop. Then the driver did something pretty cool. I thought I’d share part of Carri’s email you.
“This man, inconvenienced by our presence in the road, slows to a crawl, carefully drives around the riders in the road, and pulls over to talk to a couple of women who were just getting back onto their bikes. I watch from a distance, wondering what exactly he is doing. Drivers always slow down, but they don’t ever stop. I have no idea what will happen next.
“From what I can tell, he’s not berating anyone; he’s not even complaining. He’s stopping to ask about the ride. I overhear bits of the explanation the women are giving about the ride…. how it benefits HIV/AIDs service providers in the Austin and central Texas community… how we’re out there riding to raise money to save lives.
“Then he pulls out his wallet and makes a generous cash donation right there on the spot. Then he gets out of his truck and this dusty, sun-dried, smalltown Texas rancher has his photo taken arm in arm with the riders he was talking to. And just like that he’s back in the truck waving back to us and wishing us well on his way down the road.”
How awesome is that?
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April 7, 2010
Melanie Chasteen: Office Baking Champion
Here at the Statesman, we believe in cookies. We believe they should be rich, buttery, tasty and possibly smothered in frosting.
We also believe that bakers of said cookies should win fame, fortune and public accolades from reputable experts.
Sadly, Melanie Chasteen from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas — who won her office’s cookie contest today — will have to settle for a mention in Charity Chat.
(Why should the public-at-large care about this? I don’t know. I just like writing about cookies. And no, it is NOT a slow news day. I just make time for important matters such as these.)
Chasteen, who is the nonprofit’s spokeswoman, won bragging rights (and that’s all) today by taking first place with her chocolate toffee masterpiece. According to Chasteen, “the winning cookie involved a pound of melted chocolate and six Heath bars.”
I’m going to guess she didn’t put all that in a single cookie, but, then again, I don’t bake.
The Snickerdoodle cookies took honorable mention. The remaining entry, Chocolate Chip, did not place and rolled out of the building in a rage. A lawsuit is pending.
Apparently, cooking contests are the norm over there at BBBS.
“It all started a few months ago when we did a guac contest,” Chasteen wrote in an exclusive email to the Austin American-Statesman. “A few staff liked to brag that theirs was the best so we had a contest. So, we did cookies. We have decided that next month will be salsa.”
Stay tuned.
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March 23, 2010
Salvation Army: Real estate moguls
A story by the Los Angeles Times recently generated some criticism toward the Salvation Army because of its vast real estate holdings.
According to the article, the Salvation Army — which serves meals to the needy, houses homeless people and provides disaster response — owns about $4 billion worth of real estate across the country. That includes commercial properties.
Many of the properties are provided to the nonprofit’s officers rent-free in lieu of higher pay, the story states. The married couple interviewed for the LA Times story, both of whom work for the nonprofit, make a combined $25,000.
And some of those Salvation Army homes are worth a lot of money.
“The group owns three Santa Monica houses worth $1.1 million to $1.6 million and eight properties in wealthy Rancho Palos Verdes — all used by officers,” the article states.”
The article also says that, “Some charity analysts said these homes conflict with the image of sacrifice and service that the Salvation Army markets to donors. The organization reported receiving $1.7 billion in support from the public in 2008.”
The idea of Salvation Army leaders living in lavish homes rubs some people the wrong way.
As one commenter on this blog said:
“Well, maybe if the Salvation Army was supported by a church congregation like most churches are and not the American public, it wouldn’t be a big deal…
Fact is that $25,000 is SPENDING money. The so called officers live and all expenses paid lifestyle, complements of the red kettle donors! Home, health ins, dental ins, vision ins, vehicles, gas, heating, electric, phone, cell phones, Internet, cable, uniforms, daycare, trips, computers, retirement, cash salaries, money to pay taxes & all those reimbursed expense that go unreported.”
But another commenter here said:
“I don’t see anything inherently wrong with the arrangement. In fact, if someone offered my partner and I $25,000 a year plus free use of a house and car in Santa Monica, I’d turn them down flat. Lots of charities pay their officers outrageous salaries, and it seems to me that the Salvation Army is not one of them.”
I don’t know. I’m not feeling the outrage. What do you think?
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March 19, 2010
Nonprofit board members: Step up or step down
Not long ago, I was looking into a local nonprofit’s finances.
While scouring its 990s and audits, I noticed that the organization hadn’t met its budget in five years. Specifically, it was spending more than it was earning and paying its bills with cash from its reserves.
That’s OK. That’s what reserves are for. Grants don’t come through, fundraisers flop, expenses increase. There are plenty of reasons a nonprofit can be in the hole. Reserves keep them going until the leaky boat starts to float.
Obviously you can’t do that forever or you won’t have any money left, but I wasn’t particularly alarmed at the numbers. Still, it was worth asking about.
I talked to the executive director. But since he was relatively new in town, I figured the board of directors would have a better handle on things.
I called and emailed the board chairman. He didn’t respond.
So I sent emails out to the finance committee and other board members. Several wrote to say they no longer worked with the nonprofit. Others did not respond at all. I did, however, manage to get one guy on the phone.
When I asked him about the nonprofit’s deficit, he said, “I never knew we were in a deficit. No one told me that.”
Then I got an email from another board member who had recently left the organization. She, too, said she had no idea there was a deficit. In fact, she said, she was always kind of fuzzy on the numbers. The finance committee did all that.
Great.
It goes without saying (but I’d better say it or suffer the consequences) that some board members are absolute gems. They don’t just volunteer their time. They help organize fundraisers, get their friends to donate, spearhead capital campaigns and provide whatever support the organization needs.
Those kind of folks are priceless. They’re the engine behind every good nonprofit.
And then there are others. Those are the ones who show up to meetings, nod their heads, leave and feel darn good about themselves for “contributing” to the cause.
But if they’re not minding the store, who is? Board members are the protector of donors’ trust and money. They’re supposed to ask executive directors hard questions, make sure that the mission is being followed, help shape the future. If the E.D. is good, their job will be easy. But if it’s a bad E.D. and the board is asleep, that nonprofit can find itself in serious trouble.
In some cases, other board members will pick up the slack. That’s no good either. Not only because it’s a burden, but because it concentrates the power on a few people. You generate fewer ideas, accomplish less, frankly, put the organization at risk of falling prey to the agenda of one or two people.
Being on a nonprofit board isn’t a game. It’s a responsibility. It’s work and can be a pain. But that’s what you sign up for when you take your seat at the table.
I know of several local nonprofits who are currently trying to ditch some dead weight and build engaged, energetic boards of directors to carry them into the future.
Good for them. The first step to solving a problem is acknowledging that it exists.
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February 1, 2010
David Bradley and the "r-word"
There’s a interesting bit in this Texas Tribune article this morning.
The story discusses the fact that State Board of Education members, who are elected, control a $23 billion endowment that pays for textbooks, salaries and other such things. But board members are elected and most of them don’t have any experience in handling that kind of money , the article states.
According to the story:
None of this bothers (David) Bradley, who chairs the board’s School Finance Committee. He insists that throughout public policy, people make decisions on issues about which they have no direct expertise.
“If you sit on the mental health commission, do you have to be retarded?” he asks. “If you sit on the [Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission], do you have to be a drunk?”
I don’t know how alcoholics feel about being called “drunks,” but I know the “r-word” has been a very big issue for advocates of people with disabilities.
Advocates such as the Special Olympics and Arc of Texas have been fighting for government, media and the general public to stop using the word and start saying “intellectual disabilities.”
And it’s worked, to an extent.
Austin Travis County Integral Care — which cares for people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities — recently changed its name to remove the word “retardation” from its moniker.
Last year, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, pushed a bill that would have banned terms including “mental retardation” in all state statutes and resolutions and replaced them with phrases such as “intellectual disabilities.” (That bill died in committee)
Should be interesting to see if anyone takes issue with Bradley’s choice of words.
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January 28, 2010
One charity's take on Obama's speech
I know I’m just asking for it by posting on this subject, but what the heck. We’re all adults here, right? We can have a discussion about the State of the Union speech without turning into cavemen, RIGHT?
I got this email from the folks at Livestrong, Lance Armstrong’s cancer foundation. It’s their take on what Obama’s speech means in their world. I thought it was worth posting.
Doug Ulman, president and CEO of LIVESTRONG and three-time cancer survivor:
“Tonight, President Obama renewed the drive for comprehensive health care reform, calling for a reexamination of the plan on the table but opening the door for other options.
The cancer community doesn’t care about the method, whether it’s piece by piece or in an omnibus bill. What we care about is change that creates affordable care and an end to unethical practices by insurers that wreak havoc on our lives.
The President made clear that he’s heard our call for reform and will continue to make a just, affordable system a priority.”
Let the brawling begin.
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January 26, 2010
Judging each other's charity: Why do we do it?
The recent story about the logistical challenges involved in delivering $1 million in donated medical supplies from Austin to Haiti generated some critical comments. And I think that’s worth exploring.
Annie Carr is an Austin paramedic who responded to the Haiti earthquake with a big effort to help. She and other volunteers hosted a medical supply drive and people ponied up big. With just a few days, Carr had collected tons of critical items that will undoubtedly save lives.
But Carr quickly found out that the best laid plans can fall apart attempting to ship thousands of pounds of cargo across the world for free. This story has a happy ending, as the items took off for Miami yesterday.
I wrote about the issue for several reasons. First off, I wanted to keep people updated on a huge local supply drive. Second, I felt the story illustrated the complications that regular folks face when launching such a large undertaking.
But what happened in the ever-volatile comments section was puzzling. While most people had constructive ideas on how to solve the problem or thoughtful insights as to why this might have happened, others took the opportunity to slam Carr. I had to get rid of a few of the comments because they were just inappropriate.
Why do we judge each other so harshly in such situations? Is it because we think such a thing could never happen to us? Or that self-directed charity has no place in our world? That everyone should just give their money to a nonprofit and go on with their lives?
Critical thinkng is great. We should be very careful about what and how we donate. We can’t substitute emotions for common sense.
On the other hand, one person’s troubles should not be our folly. And, yes, Carr learned a hard lesson about how difficult such enterprises can be. But there is always a place for the entrepreneurial spirit in philanthropy. That’s something that we as a community must try to cultivate — not criticize.
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December 31, 2009
What the Hill Country Ride Did for Me
So it’s the last day of the year and I, like most people, am reflecting upon the last 12 months with a combination of disappointment and pleasure.
I didn’t lose 30 pounds. I didn’t win the Pulitzer. I didn’t travel to Redwood National Park or the Grand Canyon. I wasn’t the perfect wife or mother — not even close.
But I did do one significant thing with my year: I rode 43 miles in the Hill Country Ride for AIDS.
The annual charity cycling event, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS services in Austin, was the first monumentally challenging thing I have done in years. I never imagined I could ever do anything like that and completing the ride was a huge accomplishment.
But it’s what happened after the ride that made a big difference in my life.
I believed in myself in a way I hadn’t before. I suddenly saw the world as full of possibilities, not impossibilities. I wondered what I could do that I’d never done before.
So I decided to learn how to play the guitar. I’d always wanted to play an instrument, but there’s a certain amount of finger coordination that comes with doing so. I thought it was impossible, so I never even bothered trying.
After the ride I thought, “Well, I never thought I could ride 43 miles of hills but I did. Maybe I can do this too.”
I’ve been playing the guitar since July and I love it. I’m certainly not taking the Austin music scene by storm. I can’t play bar chords. F and B are conspicuously missing from any song I play.
But I’m having a great time — and that’s before of the Hill Country Ride for AIDS.
I’m doing the ride again this year. If you’re interested, you can sign up here
And get THIS: If you go to the kickoff party on Jan. 14, you’re eligible to win a $1,000 gift certificate to Bicycle Sport Shop. You can sign up for that right here.
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December 10, 2009
What does Green Doors' name mean?
Many of you are probably aware that Community Partnership for the Homeless changed its name a while ago to Green Doors.
(Nice name, right? Very fresh. Makes me think of a cottage in a Thomas Kinkade painting. Don’t ask me why.)
Apparently part of the meaning refers to the fact that the organization uses environmentally sustainable building practices in its housing projects for the homeless.
But there’s a deeper meaning, executive director Frank Fernandez explained to me yesterday. The best description is on the group’s website.
“During the Great Depression, men and women were forced to ride train cars across the country because they had no home and little opportunity. These hobos, as they were called, would stop in different towns, looking for work. Many encountered hostility and alienation. Yet, not all people treated them badly. Some individuals and families would open up their homes and provide these folks with a safe place to stay and treat them with human dignity. One symbol used to let the train riders know that they had a safe place to stay was a Green Door. Men and women, brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues would paint their doors green to signal that they were willing to provide a safe haven for the less fortunate.”
Love it.
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December 8, 2009
Stillerstrong?
A firestorm is raging through the nonprofit world as Ben Stiller blatantly rips off cycling god Lance Armstrong in an effort to raise money for charity.
OK, I lied. There’s no firestorm. Read on anyway.
Stiller, an actor best known for comedies such as Dodgeball, has launched a fundraising campaign to expand a school in Haiti and dig a drinking water well there. He’s named his effort Stillerstrong. His website is all yellow. He’s selling yellow headbands.
As we all know, Armstrong — who established the Lance Armstrong Foundation” to fight cancer — discovered the color yellow during a cycling trip through the Amazon five years ago. He also invented rubber and launched the popularity of yellow wristbands around the galaxy.
But Stiller (who, by the way, is buddies with the seven-time Tour de France winner and cast Lance as himself in Dodgeball) is using his humor for a serious cause.
“So what’s with the yellow headbands? Well, besides my homage to the great Lance Armstrong… I had this opportunity to visit Haiti this summer. It’s an incredible country, with amazing people and a vibrant culture. It is also one of the most impoverished places in the western hemisphere. When I was there I visited a school in Ceverine, which is in the Central Plateau region.”
And Lance apparently supports the effort.
In a video posted on Stillerstrong’s home page, Armstrong and the board of directors of his foundation jokingly (?) vote to take legal action against Stiller.
“We can’t tolerate what you’re doing at Stillerstrong,” says Armstrong, sitting at a conference table at his foundation. “We’ve gone after a lot of people for trying to use the name, anything Strong. There are people with the name Armstrong that we’ve gone after. The army is actually using Army Strong. We’re gonna sue the army.”
Muffled laughs can be heard on the video.
Armstrong ends his response with on this: “Well, I think it’s pretty clear. Appreciate all the work you’re doing down there, but you can’t make Stillerstrong headbands. Not to mention, they’re not that cool.”
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December 7, 2009
The Power of E-mail
So yesterday, I got an e-mail from a nice woman who wanted to go Christmas caroling with her friends. She wanted to go to a nursing home or somewhere people might really enjoy some holiday cheer.
But everywhere she called was booked up. They didn’t have room for another group. So the woman wrote to me asking for help.
I sent her e-mail to the 100 or so folks on my e-mail list and within an hour, she’d gotten eight responses. Now the group is going to sing at Safe Haven, a residential facility for people with mental illnesses.
One of the things I love about having a big e-mail list is being able to connect volunteers with nonprofits. A lot of times people want to help, but can’t find the right opportunities for what they have to offer.
If you want to be on my e-mail list, I’d love to add you. Just send an e-mail to aball@statesman.com.
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December 1, 2009
Not Raul Munoz
For 16 years, Raul Munoz — the longtime public relations director for Austin’s Salvation Army — had the same cell phone number. Friends, relatives, coworkers, nonprofit staffers, media — everyone had Raul’s number. It was as constant as the sea and as comforting as a Hobby Lobby yarn sale.
Well, earlier this year, Raul (for reasons to convoluted to get into here) had to change his phone number. It was heartbreaking, of course, but what could he do?
This has been bad news for Raul’s successor. Apparently the new owner of said cell phone number — a man only known to callers as Not Raul — has gotten plenty of calls for Raul. And obviously he’s had enough because his voice mail message says:
“Hi. This is not Raul. This is not Raul’s phone. If you are calling for Raul, don’t leave a message because Raul will not call you back because this is not Raul’s phone.”
All of this is delivered in a sing-songy, slightly irritated, slightly amused tone of voice. Some of Raul’s friends have gotten a big kick out of this message, calling it multiple times just for laughs. It’s pretty dang funny.
I’d give you the number, too, but really? I don’t want to mess with Not Raul. He kind of scares me.
Anyway. If you are trying to call Raul Munoz and you don’t have the new cell, just call him at the office: 476-1111.
Not Raul would greatly appreciate it.
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November 23, 2009
Everybody Loves Betty
In case you missed it, my regular Sunday column was written this week by Betty Sanders, an 82-year-old woman who wanted to thank her friends and neighbors for taking such good care of her.
It was such a sweet essay and I’ve been getting some nice feedback about Mrs. Sanders herself. Here’s one of several emails I received today from fan Jean Green:
“I’d like to add a note to your article about Betty Sanders - she is truly a servant angel herself, she does SOOO much for others with so little fanfare. We attend church with her - Westover Hills Church of Christ - and have known her for years and she rates very high in my book for caring and concern for others. Our son recently passed away with cancer of the liver and who should come to our driveway with a delicious pound cake but Betty. Thanks for your article about her.”
Another reader wrote: “While your story from Betty Sanders was interesting, I believe you would find a great life story in Mrs. Sanders herself. She is a retired teacher/principal and a tireless worker at her Church. Probably no one will ever know of all of her good deeds.”
Way to go, Mrs. Sanders. Apparently you are well loved!
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November 17, 2009
Photo gallery for World Diabetes Day
On Saturday, several Austin buildings were bathed in blue light in honor of World Diabetes Day.
You can check out the Statesman’s photo gallery of the buildings and a related ceremony right here
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November 5, 2009
Boys eschew b-day presents for dog food
When I first started covering philanthropy in 2002, I occasionally heard about young do-gooders.
One girl put together a calendar for an animal rescue group. Another held a canned food drive.
Now I hear about that stuff so much, it’s barely news. Today’s kids are startlingly generous, in my opinion. (Calm down, Baby Boomers. I’m sure there will soon be another Time/NY Times/WP article heralding you as the kindest, smartest, most musically advanced and socially conscious generation to hit the earth since the Stone Age.)
Case in point: Tarrytown friends Hayden Baker and Sam Shepherd.
These two boys recently celebrated their 11th birthday together and asked their friends to bring donations for the Town Lake Animal Shelter instead of birthday presents.
So they did. About 30 kids brought dog and cat food, cat toys, chew toys and all kinds of treats.
Hayden’s mom was, understandably, rather proud.
“All of the boys were excited to donate to the Town Lake Animal shelter,” Missy Baker wrote in an email to me. “They agreed it felt much better to give than receive.”
So here’s your chance, proud parents and impressed nonprofit folks. Tell me about the kids who have done great things for charity. Maybe I’ll make a column out of it.
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October 14, 2009
Panhandling ordinance won't work, Graham says
By now, many of you have heard that the Downtown Austin Alliance, as well as many businesses and homeless assistance groups, wants to expand the current 7 p.m.-7 a.m. ban on panhandling in a portion of downtown to cover 24 hours a day.
Yesterday, our editorial board essentially told the city council to think hard before passing anything that curtails freedom of speech. Today I got an email on the topic from Alan Graham, founder of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, a nonprofit that delivers food to the homeless.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
(Please remember that I have to moderate the comments. If yours does not show up right away, I am not censoring you; I just have not gotten to it.)
Graham’s statement:
“Yesterday’s Austin American-Statesman’s editorial asking the City Council to think long and hard before expanding the ban on panhandling downtown was right on target. While the editorial couched the issue, very laudably, as one of free speech, I would like to remind the Council and the public that there is also a very pragmatic angle to take when opposing the criminalization of panhandling.
It doesn’t work.
Expanding the ban on panhandling downtown will simply consume more of the City’s law enforcement resources, push panhandling into other neighborhoods and give the perception that the problem is solved, or at least getting better.
That is a dangerous perception for our community.
Panhandling is a symptom of homelessness. Criminalizing panhandling does nothing to address the state of homelessness. Study after study supports that. The answer to homelessness is long-term, affordable, sustainable housing. Mobile Loaves and Fishes’ Habitat on Wheels project has a five year track record of lifting people off the streets and into affordable, permanent housing, in refurbished recreational vehicles (RVs) that we acquire.
Currently, Mobile Loaves and Fishes’ Habitat on Wheels is seeking a permanent location for our RVs. It is as shovel ready as a project can be and the Austin City Council’s time would be better spent approving that project than debating, yet again, an expanded ban on panhandling downtown.”
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October 8, 2009
Austin Children's Shelter: From the mouths of babes
I admit it: I wasn’t exactly in the mood to go the grand opening of the Austin Children’s Shelter last night.
I’d just finished work, so I was tired, sweaty … and feeling really fat. Plus I’d already seen the 13-acre facility on Manor Road, which will eventually be able to house 78 children from the foster care system.
I just wanted to go home and put on sweatpants.
But when I arrived home, I got to thinking: Maybe I should bring my 7-year-old son to see the shelter. It would be a good opportunity to show him that many kids need a safe place to go.
So we went.
“What is this place?” Josh asked as we pulled up to the campus.
“It’s a place for kids who have problems at home,” I said. “Sometimes their parents ignore them or don’t feed them or hit them too much.”
“Oh,” he answered. He didn’t care a whole lot. He was more interested in the golf carts transporting guests from the parking lot to the main building.
I didn’t want this to be some big Teaching Moment complete with an annoying lecture and a moral to the story. So we just started walking around the buildings.
We saw the gym, the classroom, and the bathrooms. We wandered through the grassy courtyard and watched shelter supporters Dick and Sara Rathgeber (who donated the land on which the shelter is built) entertain a legion of admirers.
Then we strolled into one of the cottages where the children will sleep.
Immediately, Josh — who has seen too many episodes of House Hunters — started offering his opinions on the building. He liked the high ceilings, the kitchen and the colorful art. He admired the common area.
“I wish we had furniture like this,” he said.
(Whatever, I thought. You’ll take our faded green, dog hair-laden couch and you’ll like it.)
As Josh inspected the bedrooms, he nodded his head in approval.
“If I was going to stay in a shelter, I’d want it to be this one,” he said.
“Why?” I asked, slightly taken aback. Was he planning on moving out?
“It’s really colorful and nice,” he said.
It was a pretty simple statement. Nothing deep about it. He liked the shelter because it made him feel happy.
A little while later, we ran into Gena VanOsselaer, the shelter’s executive director. I thought she might like to hear Josh’s thoughts, so I told her. She looked touched.
“That’s what we want people to think when they come here,” VanOsselaer told Josh.
She looked like she was going to cry. I was proud of my clearly brilliant son.
Josh, of course, was done with us. He was ready for the Play Doh station across the yard.
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September 18, 2009
Executive director exodus
Over the last six months or so, quite a few charities have announced that their longtime leaders are hitting the road.
Already out the door: Charlotte Hale of Project Transitions and Rachel Muir of GirlStart.
Leaving soon: Gete Attal of Seton Foundations, Lee Manford of AIDS Services of Austin and Karen Langley of Family Eldercare.
So what’s the deal? Well, you never really know why people resign. Everyone’s reasons are personal. Some say they want to travel or spend more time with their grandkids. Others just hate their jobs.
The latter isn’t likely in any of these cases. All of the recent announcements came from folks either who either founded their nonprofits or have led them for about 20 years. In their emails to supporters, several said they just felt it was the right time for them to move on.
Wonder who else will be moving on soon…
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August 28, 2009
Forbes lists billion-dollar donors
A recent Forbes report listed everyone in the world who has donated $1 billion or more.
(I can’t even imagine having a billion dollars, but that’s beside the point.)
So who’s on the list? The big givers include Bill Gates, who has doled out $28 billion in his lifetime; hedge fund manager George Soros, who handed out $7.2 billion; and Intel founder Gordon Moore, who donated $6.8 billion
Interestingly, of the 793 billionaires on earth, only 11 made the list. I wonder what that says?
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July 17, 2009
David in the box - not so sincere?
I’m loving this article in the University of Georgia’s school newspaper The Red and Black.
Opinions editor Megan Otto recently wrote about actor David Arquette’s attempt to bring awareness to hunger by living in a wonderfully furnished plastic box on top of Madison Square Garden. She wrote:
Perhaps, as the Arquettes are one of Hollywood’s oldest families, they could have donated the money out of pocket. Or maybe gone and volunteered at a soup kitchen. Contributing a portion of each paycheck to charity would also be sincere contributions.
Instead, Arquette has decided to put himself on display.
Wow, what a tremendous effort.
She later goes on to say:
Celebrities have been involved with charities for ages and that’s wonderful.
But it seems as though many of them are using this involvement as nothing more than a way to boost their public image. It seems as though they are only sincere about using their vast resources if a camera is in the vicinity.
Amen to that, sister.
But does sincerity really matter? Let’s face it: people will pony up cash to hang out with celebrities at golf tournaments and softball games and parties. Charities benefit from that.
Who cares if David Arquette really gives a hoot about starving children? Maybe because of his efforts, a few people won’t be so hungry tonight. That’s a good thing.
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July 1, 2009
Does your nonprofit's Web site make the cut?
A bad Web site is bad news for a nonprofit.
These days Web sites are the charity’s public face, reflecting its mission, finances, professionalism, tenor and so on.
I should know. I look at these sites all the time and there are some things that just make me nuts. So while it’s on my mind, I thought I’d share a few thoughts on the good, bad and ugly of nonprofit Web sites.
The Bad:
1) Lack of easily accessible information. Where is your e-mail? Your phone number? Are you really going to make me look for that? It should be right on the front page for the world to see.
2) No financial information. It is so easy to post 990s and audits on Web sites these days, there’s no excuse not to do it. It projects transparency. Attaching your annual report doesn’t count.
3) Visually confusing. I have to say, some nonprofits have gotten quite sophisticated with their presentation and that’s great. But others are too busy and hard to navigate, which is just frustrating to the user.
4) Dead links. Really, that’s just awful.
The Good:
1) Any site that avoids all of the above.
2) Contact information for staffers, including e-mails and phone numbers. I love this. It makes life easier for your supporters and it makes you look accessible.
3) Biographies and photos for key employees. It lets me know the people I’m talking to.
4) Links to like-minded organizations. Sometimes the nonprofit you think you need to talk to actually isn’t. It’s nice to have other resources.
5) Recent news. It’s helpful to see what other people are saying about you. Obviously you’re not going to post articles in which you are trashed, but readers can judge for themselves whether the source of the news is reliable.
6) Easily accessible information on upcoming events. One of the most irritating things is having to go to three pages to find out details about the time, date and ticket prices for an event. Put it all in one place and make it so people only have to click once, if at all.
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June 26, 2009
The Philanthropist: Good or Bad?
Anyone out there watching The Philanthropist?
Essentially, this is a show about a rich playboy who has a near-death experience and decides that his mission in life is to do good. I haven’t watched it myself, so I can only go by what I’ve read.
The New York Times seems suitably impressed and says that “it’s the hero’s duality — he’s a good Samaritan with a flawed personality — that helps make “The Philanthropist” an unusual and exhilarating network series.
The Chicago Sun Times isn’t quite so breathless. The paper’s reviewer wrote:
“If you can get past the patronizing only-a-white-man-can-save-the-needy concept, the series could be an illuminating look at what’s going on in the rest of the world. It’s too educational and earnest for me to consider it “entertainment,” but other viewers might be better people than me.”
The next episode airs on Wednesday, July 1 at 10 p.m. on KXAN
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May 19, 2009
Got $5? The United Way wants it
If you’ve got a fiver just burning a hole in your pocket, United Way Capital Area wants it.
The nonprofit recently launched “Give5,” a fundraising campaign that asks people to donate $5 to the United Way. The idea is that lots of little donations can make a big impact.
That’s a different message than we’ve heard in the past.
Several years ago, the United Way started funding only nonprofits focused on education, health and financial stability. It also began its own initiatives, such as Success By 6, which targets improvements to early childhood education.
That change meant the United Way had to raise more money for its own efforts.
Then-executive director David Balch said the organization would, among other things, focus on recruiting donors who give $10,000 or more.
That was 2007. Welcome to 2009. The economy is crummy. The United Way is still rebranding itself. And a pitch for $5 is a whole lot easier to sell than a $10K commitment.
Of course, if you’ve got an extra $10,000 lying around, I’m sure they (and about 4,000 other local nonprofits) would be happy to take it off your hands.
Incidentally, this weekend there’s another way to give to the United Way. Between Saturday and Monday, local businesses such as Barnes and Noble and P. Terry’s Burger Stand will donate at least 5 percent of their proceeds to United Way Capital Area.
For the complete list of participating merchants go here.
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May 14, 2009
Corporate caring in bad economy?
Economist.com has an interesting story today on how the country’s economy is affecting corporate philanthropy.
There have indeed been cuts to (corporate social responsibility) budgets. A survey conducted late last year on behalf of Business for Social Responsibility, a global network of firms with an interest in CSR, showed that almost a third expected their spending on sustainability to fall as a result of the crisis. Yet so far the recession has not produced a wholesale retreat from corporate do-gooding. Instead it has led firms to cut things that were at best peripheral to their business interests and, at worst, a waste of time and money.
Companies say they are still committed to the idea of giving back, but some aren’t doling out as much as they were. According to the story, Citigroup’s charitable foundation plans to make $63 million in grants this year, down from $90 million in 2008.
Over the last year, I’ve heard the same thing from local charities. Big donors have now either cut back or decided to focus on fewer issues.
What are you seeing?
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April 30, 2009
Recession = anonymous giving
Apparently anonymous giving is hot these days.
According to this story in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, more donors are refusing to allow charities to release their names to the public.
The story says:
“Eighty gifts worth $1-million or more were made anonymously from June 2008 to April 2009, nearly 19 percent of the 422 total during that period.
Over the past decade, according to data compiled by the Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy, the proportion of large gifts that were made anonymously has ranged from 3 to 5 percent.”
I think we can guess their motives here. Donors who reveal their names are just asking to be hit on by tons of other charities hoping to land the big score.
Anonymous versus public giving is an interesting debate.
Some people say anonymous giving is the truest form of philanthropy because it comes without fanfare or accolades. But others believe that donors who smile for cameras serve as an inspiration for other people because they are leading by example.
What do you think?
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March 26, 2009
Andrea + AIDS Ride = Concussion
This is a public service announcement from the Andrea Hit Her Head While Riding Her Bike Association of America: WEAR A HELMET.
By now, everyone knows I am doing the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, a 10, 50 or 100-mile cycling event that benefits local nonprofits that help people with AIDS or HIV. (And YES, despite making these blogs/columns all about me, I do realize that this event is about helping people with the disease. But I can’t laugh at them, so I’ll laugh at me.)
Earlier this week, I was out training by myself for the ride. I’d gone about 8 miles when I decided to stop by the home of fellow reporter Mary Ann Roser. As I very slowly took the sharp right-hand turn into her driveway, I leaned over to swat a bug off my leg.
Big mistake.
The front wheel of my bike twisted sharply. The cycle pretty much stopped and tipped over. I fell backwards and, unable to brace myself, hit the concrete flat on my back. As my head slammed into the driveway, all I could think was, “That helmet just saved my life.”
OK, that was probably a little dramatic, but still. It certainly saved me a lot of pain.
I don’t have a fancy helmet. It’s a $20 Mongoose. It pretty much looks like a black egg carton.
When I took it off to inspect it, I saw that it had some pretty serious cracks in it. Yikes.
I’m not the only Statesman employee to take a fall lately. Road Rash blogger Jason Whaley recently reported his fall here.
Bottom line: Whether you’re riding for charity and just for fun, please wear a helmet.
Public service announcement over.
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March 10, 2009
Crisis hot line calls increase
The Virginian-Pilot ran an interesting article this weekend.
According to the story, more people are calling crisis hot lines. Callers are apparently saying that the economy is causing them great stress and that they need help.
Here’s a portion of that story:
People say the economy is pushing them to the edge - and some are contemplating going over.
Widespread financial stress has long been linked to an increase in suicides. Job loss is at the heart of it, kick-starting a “chain of adversity” that feels too heavy for some to bear.
No one can say yet if the current recession is causing people to kill themselves; suicide statistics usually lag by at least a year.
What is clear is that layoffs, foreclosures and tanking investments are battering our psyches. Even those not directly affected feel the strain. They worry about friends or family, and wonder if or when their own time will come.
“Callers are talking about stress and depression and relating that directly to the economic conditions,” said Calvin Nunnally of the state’s health department. “We’re hearing that a lot.”
Unfortunately, that’s no surprise. In October, I wrote an article about the local situation. In part, that story said:
In August - a month before the worst of the economic turmoil began - calls to the Austin-based National Domestic Violence Hotline jumped 10 percent compared with the same month last year. From July to September, Samaritan Counseling Center, a nonprofit group that provides low-cost therapy to anyone who needs it, had a 68 percent increase in new clients compared with the same period last year.
Officials at Psychiatric Emergency Services - operated by Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center - say more people are citing economic pressures as factors in their emotional distress.
It’s a sad situation and one that I hope will end soon. But I wouldn’t count on it.
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March 2, 2009
Wanted: Fabulous Pets and People
I have three dogs: Bessie, Boris and Pooh. They have never saved anyone’s life. They’ve never helped anyone survive an avalanche or discovered illegal drugs at the airport.
In fact, I think Bessie is still mad at me for accidentally dropping her in the toilet the first day I got her. Whatever.
But if you’ve got a fabulous animal with a talent for helping people — or know a person who has helped animals — you may want to check out the following press release.
“The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is inviting the public to nominate extraordinary pets and people for its 2009 Humane Awards.
If you know a fabulous feline or precocious pooch with a knack for saving lives, or a heroic human being who has improved the lives of animals, the ASPCA wants to hear from you. Nominations are being accepted here until July l5
Last year’s winners included a guide cat to a blind pooch; a black Labrador mix who helped a 10-year-old boy battling cerebral palsy through his road to recovery; a 12-year-old girl who launched a web site to help provide food to dogs and cats at shelters across the country; a law enforcement officer who works tirelessly to prosecute animal abusers; and a firefighter who saved an injured bear cub from a wildfire.
Categories open for nomination include:
ASPCA Dog of the Year: for a dog who has performed a heroic act in the past year;
ASPCA Cat of the Year: for a cat who has performed a heroic act in the past year;
ASPCA “Tommy P. Monahan” Kid of the Year: for a child under 14 who has helped make the world a kinder place for animals;
ASPCA Public Service Award: for a member of the municipal police force, a firefighter, or other public service officer who has made a heroic effort to save an animal in the past year; and
*Other Nominations: any other nomination that does not fit into any of the above categories.
All submissions must include the following: the nominee’s name, street address, email address; telephone number; the category for which he/she is being nominated; and a short statement (400 words or less) of why this person or pet deserves the award.”
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February 16, 2009
AIDS ride training: Weird? Inspiring? Discouraging?
It’s been six weeks since I kicked off my official training for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS and it’s been … I don’t know.
Weird? Inspiring? Discouraging?
In late December, I signed up for the AIDS ride, a charity bike ride that raises money for 10 local nonprofits that help people living with the disease. I volunteered to do the 50-mile portion of event, of course, to help the cause. But I also wanted a personal challenge.
Four or five times a week, I climb on my $60 mountain bike and hit the streets of my North Central Austin neighborhood. Sometimes I ride along Shoal Creek, sometimes right around my house. Now and then I’ll cross Lamar and roll around Hyde Park.
It’s relaxing, invigorating and fun. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that I fall or nearly fall pretty regularly. You’d be surprised how easy it is for me to take a dive while sitting at a traffic light.
I’m slow. I ride about eight miles an hour, which is a crawl compared to most cyclists I know.
It hurts. There is always one point in every ride when I wish I could catch a bus back home.
And then there are training rides with other people, which have generally left me feeling pretty lame. I’m really not a very competitive person, but turning up last (or nearly last) in the three rides in which I’ve participated has gotten pretty old.
I know, I know. It’s a ride, not a race. (You know who says that? The fast riders.)
BUT — and this is a big but — my frustration is vastly outweighed by inspiration.
Over the last six weeks, I’ve raised $975 for charity. I’ve gotten donations from friends, co-workers and people I barely know. Everyone has been so encouraging, and they have continued to remind me that so many people benefit from the ride.
I’m exercising regularly and I actually like it. It’s weird and so unlike me. I’m not sure I’d be doing that if I didn’t have the ride to egg me on.
So that’s it. That’s where I am. I’ve got about two months until the ride.
I’ll keep you posted….
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February 10, 2009
A-Rod, charity and steriods: Does the good trump the bad?
So big-deal Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez has admitted to using steroids.
Yawn.
I don’t care about baseball or highly paid sports stars or Gee-What-A-Shock revelations of steroid use, drug abuse, bad behavior, blah blah blah blah blah. Does this kind of stuff really surprise anyone anymore?
A-Rod’s unwelcome media splash, however, got me thinking about his charitable giving.
The Yankees star has been linked to philanthropy for years, giving substantial donations such as $3.9 million to the University of Miami, $500,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Miami and $200,000 to the Children’s Aid Society.
And yes, it’s all tax-deductible stuff, but let’s just give A-Rod the benefit of the doubt and say he supports charities out of the goodness of his heart.
Does that trump the fact that he publicly lied about his steroid use? Should the world give him a break since he’s given a lot of money to good causes?
Here’s my prediction: When the hoopla dies down, A-Rod The Big Donor will be out loud and proud. He’ll try to redeem himself by giving big money to charity. We’ll see pictures of him reading to illiterate children or posing for pictures with some kid with cancer.
And that’s just fine. There are plenty of needy people out there who are more than willing to forgive and forget in return for a little help.
PHOTO: Seth Wenig/2008 ASSOCIATED PRESS
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February 6, 2009
Austin woman, 36, gets adopted
Stuffed animals lined the judge’s bench. Boxes of tissues rested on courtroom chairs. “It’s a Girl” balloons drifted toward the ceiling.
This morning in an Austin courtroom, Alice Jones — who spent 16 years in the foster care system — finally saw her life-long wish come true. She was adopted.
She is 36 years old.
“I gave up hope when I was 18 years old,” Jones said. “I didn’t think it was possible.
Eighteen years ago, Jones became one of the thousands of children to leave foster care each year without having been adopted. Her biological mother abandoned her at birth. Her father gave her up when she was two. Her foster care family refused to adopt her.
Jones could have ended up homeless or in jail. That’s what happens to 50 percent of foster children, said Tracy Eilers, executive director of the Adoption Coalition of Central Texas.
Jones took another path, one that took her through college and to a successful career as a computer programmer. But Jones said her years as a foster child continued to haunt her.
“You feel like you never have a safety net,” she said. “So if anything bad should happen in your life, the only person you can rely on is yourself. I can’t tell you how scary that is.”
Jones’ journey to adoption began last spring at a fundraiser for a local charity that helps low-income children.
During the event, event organizers asked guests to pair up and talk about their lives for one minute. Jones partnered up with a woman she’d never met: Eilers.
Jones told Eilers she’d been in the foster care system. And Eilers quickly started plotting to find Jones a family.
Adult adoptions aren’t uncommon. Some people do it to bequeath money or an estate. But others do it for emotional reasons.
Author Regina Louise, for example, was adopted at age 41 by a long-lost foster mother after Louise wrote “Somebody’s Someone,” a book about flourishing despite years in abusive foster homes.
Jones didn’t immediately say she wanted to be adopted, Eilers said. Her recitation of the facts was emotionally guarded. But Eilers knew what lay behind the facade.
“She was still like every child that we work with,” she said. “It was very hurtful to her. The pain doesn’t go away at some miraculous age.”
Despite her reservations, Jones warmed up to the idea. One day, she talked about it with her friend Kate Held, a 50-something mother figure with whom Jones had worked years earlier.
Is this weird? Jones asked.
Held assured her it was not. And soon the pair agreed they should officially become mother and daughter.
On Friday morning, more than a dozen friends and new family members crowded into Travis County District Judge Rhonda Hurley’s courtroom to watch Jones become an official part of the Held family.
“I never thought I could be this happy,” Jones said.
“All you had to do was ask,” Held answered.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Categories: Interesting
January 6, 2009
Quan Cosby, charitable soul
You know Quan Cosby? The Longhorn wide receiver who’s basking in his Wheaties today after catching 14 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns — including the game-winner with 16 seconds left in the game — during last night’s Fiesta Bowl?
Well, Quan and I are very close friends.
OK fine. We’re not. I only talked to him once. But after Quan’s ridiculously good game last night, can you blame me for trying to cling onto his coattails?
Anyway, while every UT fan knows that Quan is a great athlete, they may not know that he’s also interested in charity.
Almost three years ago, I interviewed the football player about an event he and a friend put together for people with disabilities. Quan — who volunteered for the Arc of the Capital Area — helped 130 people with developmental disabilities meet the UT football team.
Anyway, in case you missed the column, here it is again.
By Andrea Ball AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Sunday, April 23, 2006
Andy Holloman loves University of Texas football.
He loves the players, especially former quarterback Vince Young. He loves the coaches (does anyone NOT adore Mack Brown?). And he loves wearing his burnt orange Longhorn duds while watching televised games.
Now Holloman will get to meet his heroes in person.
“I can meet the players, meet the coach, go in the locker room and see the trophies,” he said.
Holloman, 25, is among 130 people with developmental disabilities who will meet the UT football team Monday.
Clients of the Arc of the Capital Area and the Rise School of Austin will mingle with the players, run out of the stadium tunnel and onto the field. They’ll hear their names announced and displayed on the big screen. They’ll chat with the coaches and receive signed footballs.
It all started with Quan Cosby, Rachel Arena and something called service learning.
The UT students — he a Longhorn football player, she a Texas Angel — had to perform 45 hours of volunteer work in the community for their social work class.
The requirement is a classic example of service learning, an experience in which students combine their classroom studies with real-life work.
Cosby and Arena started volunteering for the Arc of the Capital Area, an Austin nonprofit that helps people with developmental disabilities such as mental retardation, Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. Soon, the pair was cooking up an event for the nonprofit’s clients.
At first, they planned to ask a few football players to come to the Arc and sign autographs. But once they talked to Coach Brown and his wife, Sally, the event took off.
University Co-op President George Mitchell donated collectible footballs to the event. The school marching band agreed to play. Athletes from other sports — such as golf and baseball — also wanted to attend.
“I have just been so overwhelmed at how helpful people have been,” Arena said.
Service learning has been around for decades but has taken off over the past five to 10 years, said Barry Silverberg, director of the Austin Community College Center for Community-Based and Nonprofit Organizations.
“I think there’s a growing awareness that knowing stuff isn’t enough,” Silverberg said. “You have to take what you know and put it to use. That’s the whole point.”
But the nonprofits and their clients aren’t the only ones excited about Monday’s event.
Cosby and Arena say their service learning experience has changed their lives.
“It’s one of those feelings you can’t describe,” Cosby said. “To be able to bring such joy to their lives … it’s amazing.”
aball@statesman.com; 912-2506
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January 2, 2009
Biking for Bucks, Part 1
So, as I recently mentioned, my husband Todd and I are doing a bike ride for charity.
We’ll be pedaling 50 miles for the Hill County Ride for AIDS, a group that raises money for 10 local nonprofits who help people with the disease.
The race is in April. That leaves me four months to get this lazy bod into shape.
Yesterday, Todd and I met up with a bunch of other people for a practice ride. It was a nine mile trek and I thought, “Hey, I can do that. I’m already doing 8.”
The group was diverse: a senior gentleman, a little kid, accomplished cyclists, a lady in corduroys. I figured some people would be off like a shot and others would be there to enjoy the ride with.
Ummm…no.
The kid kicked our butts. The senior kicked our butts. The entire group kicked our butts.
When I say “kicked our butts,” I mean, we lost sight of them after about 2 minutes and never saw them again.
And my 6, 7, 8 miles of training? Ha. I was miserable for the first 5 miles.
I have no idea why everything hurt so much, but it really killed. Most of the ride was relatively flat, but there a bunch of hills bigger than anything I’ve ever done (which doesn’t mean they were big, but you know…).
All I can say is that if I hadn’t been riding the last three months, there is no way I would have been able to do that that.
At first, I was so embarrassed at being dead last. I don’t know why it bothered me so much. I’m really not a competitive person in that way. I guess I just thought I would be able to keep up with somebody. Even Todd was holding back for me.
Half the time I was gasping for air. The other half I was griping about my achy legs.
Somewhere around the fifth mile, I started to get into the groove of things. My legs stopped hurting so much, I figured out the best way for me to approach hills and I discovered which gear was most comfortable to me.
Unfortunately, things started falling apart for Todd right around the same time. His bike was making this horrible clicking noise and we had no idea what was wrong. Turns out that the wheel was not only loose, but bent, too.
Todd walked his bike and I rode ahead, hoping one of our fellow riders would be waiting and able to help us out.
Great luck — one very sweet lady was on her way back home! She got her car and picked up Todd.
Meanwhile, I rode to the finish line (if you will) where some of the other folks were hanging around, waiting to see if we were dead. They cheered when I came in. It was nice.
So, what’s the lesson of all this? Well, the ride reinforced the fact that I can’t compare myself to other people. I also realized that it doesn’t matter how long it takes you to finish as long as you complete the ride.
But mostly, what I walked away with was this:
This is a challenge. A serious, concrete, hard-core challenge. I’m not a natural athlete and never will be.
But I am going to do this. And when I do, I am going to be so proud of myself because I’ll have accomplished something I never thought I could.
And if I drop 50 pounds in the process, all the better.
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December 31, 2008
The publicity-shy philanthropist
The San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting story about an elderly woman who is happily giving away her fortune away from the spotlight.
Alba Witkin, 89, is using her husband’s inheritance (he was a legal author) to give out millions of dollars through the Berkeley-based Bernard E. and Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation.
According to the Chronicle story:
“She’s just amazing,” said Joan Graff, director of the Legal Aid Society - Employment Law Center in San Francisco, one of the beneficiaries. “She doesn’t seek publicity or recognition. She operates steadfastly and generously, and quite under the radar for most people.”
Apparently Witkin only did the Chronicle interview at the request of her son.
What’s interesting about this to me is the fact that Witkin keeps such a low profile. It’s not unusual. Many philanthropists choose to give anonymously so they don’t get hit up by every charity under the sun.
But others boldly donate in the public eye. And while some of them may be doing it to feed their egos, others feel like public giving is a way to lead by example and encourage others to give.
I wonder which of these approaches is more palatable to the public. Are you more inspired by the behind-the-scenes donors or the ones that allow their names to be used for promotional purposes?
On a side note, here’s a very interesting fact about the Wikin foundation:
Although the 26-year-old foundation is relatively small, its ratio of donations to expenses is enormous. It paid $13,392 in expenses in 2006, meaning that 98.2 percent of that year’s distributions consisted of charitable contributions. The three officers — Witkin as president, Kuchman as secretary and Laurence Lange as treasurer — took no salary.
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December 30, 2008
Hill Country Ride for AIDS
Newsflash!
I, Andrea Ball, Queen of the Lazy and the Damned, am participating in the Hill Country Ride for AIDS.
The ride, which raises money for 10 nonprofits that help people with the disease, offers several ride options: 10, 50, 70 or 100 miles.
I’m going for the 50.
Yeah, that’s right. So what if it’s ridiculous? Ride director David Smith says I can do it. Ride training coach Kathy Jacobs says I can do it. But they’re nice people and they might not realize how athletically lame I truly am.
But I’m excited! I can do this, right?
Right?
To learn more about the race, go here.
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December 10, 2008
Changing face of corporate philanthropy
BusinessWeek has an interesting story about the future of corporate philanthropy.
In essence, author Alyson Warhurst says some companies are backing off the old “good for the community” model that has ruled for decades and turning to more strategic giving.
Specifically, donations/partnerships must be cost-efficient and fit the company’s mission.
According to Warhurst’s article:
How will the downturn affect the nascent field of corporate social responsibility? Jeffrey Immelt, the chairman and chief executive of General Electric (GE), provided a hint at the recent Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) conference in New York. “The most important part of corporate social responsibility is ‘corporate,’” Immelt said. “You have to make money. The economic crisis doesn’t represent a cycle; it represents a fundamental reset.”
It’s not surprising. How that will play out in Austin remains to be seen, but I’ve heard a few nonprofits say they’ve lost some corporate grants.
You folks hearing anything?
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December 2, 2008
Smoking and charity
I used to smoke a pack of Marlboro Reds a day. At least.
Ever hear smoker’s cough on a 23-year-old? Very sad. And gross.
While I’ve pretty much dumped the stupid habit, I still smoke one every now and then — despite the fact that even light smokers are more likely to develop cancer than those who don’t puff at all.
What can I say. I’m just that bright.
So this morning I had a visit from the American Lung Association. It turns out that they have a smoking cessation class that teaches people how to quit the habit. I thought it’d be interesting to profile someone who’s gone through the class and see how successful they were.
This Sunday’s column will focus on Theophilus Scales, a 43-year-old Cedar Creek resident who recently kicked the habit with the Lung Association’s help. You should read it. He’s a cool guy and I think you’ll find him inspiring.
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October 6, 2008
In bad times, transparency matters
In today’s Statesman, I wrote this story about Central Texas charities feeling the pinch of the sinking economy.
Some nonprofits have had layoffs or are thinking seriously about them. One nonprofit closed down (then reopened when funders came to the rescue) after money troubles crippled its work.
The most interesting part of that story, I think, was the comment offered by Barry Silverberg of the Center for Community-Based and Nonprofit Organizations at Austin Community College.
Here’s what Silverberg said:
“It really is incumbent upon all organizations to reflect on the way they’re being perceived and what the perceived value of their services is to the public. It can’t just be ‘We’re doing good stuff, and we’re important, so give us money.’ “
That comment hit home for me.
Let me say right now, most of the charities I come in contact with are wonderful. They have good leaders. They believe in transparency. They are devoted to staying on mission while remaining flexible.
Then there are others.
One charity I spoke with recently seemed to have trouble answering exactly why they were cutting back. They would not, for example, discuss how much foundation money they had lost because it would be “awkward” for the funder.
Another freaked out when asked to discuss layoffs. Another hedged on the annual budget question.
These are basic questions, basic information that donors deserve to know.
And yet, there’s the other side. Nonprofits are always desperate for money. Their livelihood depends on sustaining strong relationships with donors, foundations, etc. How would they get money otherwise?
They also know image matters. Will people withhold money when they find out a charity has money problems? Or will full disclosure trigger widespread support and an influx of cash?
It’s unpredictable. What would you do?
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September 26, 2008
Help for needy cyclists?
Alright, this is going to sound ridiculous, but I’m just throwing it out there.
This town needs a charity to help bad bicyclists. I can say this because I am among them.
I just bought a bike. I am terrible. A menace, actually.
I wobble. I fall down. I can’t brake without the threat of tumbling over.
I stay on my small, neighborhood roads to save myself and drivers a whole lot of pain. And, if I’m being honest, I’ve seen a lot of other terrible other bicyclists out there who could use some help with their “technique.”
But what are we do to? We can’t practice in our driveways. How do you get good on the road if you never go on them?
We need a charity to help us.
I know there are nonprofits that help groups train for rides and races. But I am seriously too embarrassed to show my face to other bicyclists.
There needs to a cycling charity that provides one-on-one tutoring for bad riders. It’s a matter of public safety! They’d be saving lives and children and the future of humanity!
Or something.
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September 20, 2008
Ike Charity: What kind and for how long?
Ever since Hurricane Ike evacuees hit town, readers have had some pretty strong opinions on how we should handle our guests.
Some people think people on the receiving end of charity should be grateful what they have, take it with a smile and move along. Others say Austin should give the evacuees the very best we have from the minute they arrive to the minute they leave.
When Ike evacuees first arrived, the City of Austin, the American Red Cross of Central Texas and the Austin Independent School District did exactly what their emergency disaster plan calls for: safety, security, food, shelter. Cots were provided to the frail and elderly.
Now that some folks will be here several weeks, the city and Red Cross are giving evacuees everything they can think of: hot meals, cots and bedding, computers, phones, mental health help, spritual care, fresh clothing, play areas for children, medical care and so on.
But should Austin continue trying to be hostess with the mostest? Should we be giving storm victims a plethora of services? Or should we just give them a roof over their heads until it’s time to go home?
It depends on your definition of charity. What are the limits of philanthropy? How long do you keep giving? What’s the difference between helping and enabling?
I’m curious what you think.
(P.S. If you comment and it doesn’t show up right away, don’t worry. We haven’t blocked you. It’s Saturrday and I’m at home, so I’ll only be publishing them periodically)
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August 21, 2008
Bye bye, Easter Seals
Today was Dylan’s last day at Easter Seals.
For those of you who don’t know: three years ago, I had an extremely premature baby. Since then, Dylan has been getting all sorts of therapies from Easter Seals, a nonprofit that helps children with disabilities.
Because of Dylan’s issues (he has a speech delay, for one thing), he’s eligible for services until age three.
Tomorrow is his third birthday.
It’s sad to see our physical and occupational therapists go: Dixie, Emily and Connie have become a part of our family. But now Dylan is old enough to attend an AISD preschool program for children with special needs. He starts next week.
So goodbye Easter Seals. And thanks for everything.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Interesting
July 29, 2008
Gates and friends launch anti-smoking efforts
I’ll admit it. I’ve smoked before.
OK, I smoked a lot. Back in the day, I smoked a pack of Marlboro Reds a day. I also dabbled in Camel Lights, Marlboro Lights, Kool and generic cigs.
My 20s were a lung-trashing time.
Then I quit — mostly. Now and then, I’ll puff on a cancer stick to soothe my nerves or anger or both. But 99 percent of the time, I’m off the junk. It feels good.
One of the reasons I quit, of course, was the constant anti-smoking efforts of advocacy groups across the country. And if that wasn’t enough to stop me, the cancer websites made the ravages of smoking so unpalatable that I’d have been really stupid to keep it up.
Now, Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are tackling smoking in many low and middle income countries.
This opinion piece in the New York Times provides the details.
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July 7, 2008
Be nice, be recognized
Don’t ya just love nice people?
Every once in a while, I write about “everyday charity,” which basically focuses on random acts on kindness. Now I’d like to focus on the not-so-random acts of kindness.
Every Sunday, the Statesman runs my philanthropy column on page two of the Metro section. I’m looking for a special person to feature, someone who helps people for no reason at all, volunteers for charity or just helps out his elderly neighbors.
I’m looking for someone with a story. I want to hear about someone who really goes out of her way because that’s how she was raised or because she was once a recipient of great kindness.
If you’ve got some suggestions on who I should feature, email me at aball@statesman.com
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July 2, 2008
How philanthropy comments work
Dear Column Spammers -
Let’s get something straight: I don’t like you.
I could pretend to care about your lawn care products, your personal enhancement pills or your nonsensical list of links and html coding. But I don’t. And you’ll never end up in my comments section.
To make sure you fully understand my process of destroying your Spammy communications, allow me to explain this column’s comments policy.
Unlike like the procedure in other parts of the newspaper, comments submitted to this column have to be moderated. By me. And you’ll never get past my eagle-eyed (though somewhat nearsighted) scrutiny.
A pox on you, spammers!
Love always, Andrea
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June 27, 2008
Bill Gates goes bye bye
After years of running Microsoft — a powerhouse software company that made him one of the richest men in the world — Bill Gates is leaving the business world to become a full-time philanthropist.
It’s not the magnate’s first foray into philanthropy. In 2000, he and his wife Melinda founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which donates large amounts of money to various charitable organizations and scientific research programs.
I wonder how Gates’ emphasized attention on world problems will affect the national charity scene. Any ideas?
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May 14, 2008
Collaboration equals money?
Just got this e-mail from the Arizona-based Lodestar Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on helping nonprofits work together. now the organization is offering big money for that kind of teamwork.
Read on for details in the press release.
The Lodestar Foundation, an organization dedicated to maximizing the growth and impact of philanthropy by efficiently and effectively leveraging philanthropic resources, announced The Collaboration Prize to recognize nonprofit collaborations that achieve exceptional impact and significantly eliminate duplication of efforts. The annual Prize was created and is funded by The Lodestar Foundation in association with the Arizona-Indiana-Michigan (AIM) Alliance.
Designed to inspire cooperation among nonprofits, The Prize will be awarded to one collaboration that demonstrates through quantifiable evidence that it has achieved exceptional impact and significantly eliminated the duplication of efforts through programmatic collaborations, administrative consolidation or other joint activities. The collaboration must be composed of two or more organizations that each would otherwise compete for clients, financial resources and staff.
“A core mission for the Lodestar Foundation is to create financial and programmatic efficiencies among nonprofits - making sure philanthropic dollars achieve their maximum impact,” said Jerry Hirsch, The Lodestar Foundation Chairman. “The Collaboration Prize is an excellent way to reach this goal. We hope to uncover the most successful techniques and business models that will heighten the productivity and effectiveness of the nonprofit world.”
The Prize recipient will be chosen by a Final Selection Panel, which will be chaired by Sterling Speirn, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and will include representatives of both the nonprofit and business worlds, as well as representatives of AIM. All submissions will be reviewed for eligibility by La Piana Associates, the nation’s leading management and consulting firm dedicated to helping nonprofits and foundations become stronger and more effective through collaboration.
“Collaboration has the power to change the way nonprofit organizations function - optimizing human and financial resources to more efficiently conduct business,” said Speirn. “I’m privileged to chair the Final Selection Panel for The Collaboration Prize - rewarding nonprofits that are working together in innovative ways and encouraging others to do the same.”
Finalists and Grand Prize Details The Final Selection Panel will recognize up to eight finalists and The Prize recipient will be announced in March 2009 during the Spring Forum on Nonprofit Effectiveness, held by the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation at Arizona State University. The $250,000 prize must be used for charitable purposes, such as enhancing the winning collaboration’s continued service to its constituents or clients.
The most outstanding models will be compiled for study and use as blueprints by academics, nonprofit leaders and grantmakers in order to advance the practice of nonprofit collaboration.
Eligibility and Nomination Details Eligible collaborations must be among two or more nonprofit organizations that each would otherwise be competitors. The collaboration must have begun at least 18 months prior to nomination and must have been in existence no longer than eight years prior to the date of nomination.
Nominations for The Collaboration Prize will be accepted from June 1, 2008 until 5 p.m. EDT on July 21, 2008. Nominations may be submitted by an individual who is familiar with the collaboration, but is not an employee of any entities involved in the collaboration. Board members may complete nominations in support of organizations they serve.
Please visit www.thecollaborationprize.org for a full list of eligibility requirements, nomination forms, general information and answers to frequently asked questions.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Interesting
May 5, 2008
Everyday Charity, Part 2
Late last year, I wrote a blog about everyday charity.
It was close to Christmas. I’d bought my husband a small, assembly-required desk at Target and was desperately trying to load it into my car. I’d dropped it at least three times when a very nice family helped me stuff it into my 1997 Saturn.
In a world where we usually hear about bad, scary things, it was a relief to see people practicing everyday charity.
Everyday charity, to me, is performing acts of kindness in ordinary situations. It’s the small stuff, like helping your elderly neighbor with her groceries, giving directions to a lost driver or offering a compliment to a stranger.
Just this morning, I was at the intersection of Woodrow Avenue and Koenig Lane when a car broke down. The two young men driving it jumped out to push it out of the road.
One driver blasted his horn at the distressed men. The rest of us kind of maneuvered around them and waited for the light to turn so we could be on our way.
That’s when I saw him: a tall, nicely dressed man at the bus stop across the street. For a moment, he watched the two men struggling with their car. Then he stood up, ran across the street and helped them push the vehicle into a nearby parking lot.
Now that’s class.
The man didn’t have to spend a penny to help out. He probably earned little more than a smile and a thank you for his efforts. But he performed what was, to me, a great act of charity.
Way to go, anonymous Good Samaritan. You’re an inspiration.
Any other such stories out there?
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April 2, 2008
Want to change the world?
Hands on Central Texas — the volunteer arm of United Way Capital Area — has kicked off a blog that focuses on community involvement.
The idea, says UW Volunteer Guru Mando Rayo, is to foster conversation and ideas on how to make the world a better place.
Well that sounds nice.
Want to take a peek? Go to http://communityengagementblog.blogspot.com/
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March 18, 2008
Low-end millionaires looking good to charities...
Hereis a really interesting piece in the New York Times about how nonprofits are hitting up more slightly rich people.
The premise of this story is that charities across the country have spent so much time hitting up the Bill Gates, Warren Buffetts and dot-com bazillionaires that they’ve ignored many low-end millionaires.
I guess $2 million or $3 million isn’t what it used to be.
Now the slowing economy means fundraisers have to hit up every possible philanthropist and millionaires (not just billionaires) are suddenly on the radar again.
Maybe ignoring the slightly rich is just a New York thing? I know tons of local nonprofits that would be happy to have a few minor millionaires filling their pockets.
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February 26, 2008
Leadership void?
Well here’s an interesting tidbit.
According to Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, a group that provides consulting services and training for local charities, two-thirds of Austin’s nonprofit executive directors are planning to retire in the next five years.
Two-thirds? That’s a big number.
For years, we’ve seen many of the same faces on the local charity scene. But new people often bring with them different ideas, leadership styles and approaches to fundraising — which, obviously, can be good and bad. And it could have an interesting effect on the overall direction of Austin’s charities.
We’ll see how it progresses.
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February 25, 2008
Meals on Wheels gets bold
Have you seen the new Meals on Wheels and More newspaper ad?
Pretty hot stuff, I hear. The nonprofit — which provides food and services to local seniors — is raising money for a $5-million, 21,000-square-foot addition to its East Austin headquarters.
But instead of appealing solely to Austin’s conscience, the full-page ad makes a few pointed remarks about arts and sports funding.
“Over the past several years, a handful of our city’s most generous citizens have contributed well over $100 million to the expansion of sports and art facilities in Austin,” the ad reads. “While these important cultural institutions grow, some of our most vulnerable neighbors are being overlooked. Thousands of seniors, disabled persons, and low-income children—many of whom live in isolation—are going hungry every day.”
The point is not to insult sports and arts patrons, said Dan Pruett, president of Meals on Wheels and More.
“God bless them,” he said. “I’m not down on them. I’m just asking where are all the big donors for social services?”
Thoughts?
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February 5, 2008
Kudos to ABJ
Anyone seen the latest version of the Austin Business Journal’s Book of Philanthropy?
So. Nice.
First off, the cover. Blue butterfly against the gold? Fabulous choice.
But really, it’s the substance of the annual book that most impresses me. Between the articles and profiles of local charities, they’ve also listed the top 100 nonprofits in Central Texas, where their money goes and how much they pay their top executives.
According to ABJ, the highest paid local executive is Charles Barnett, president and CEO of Seton Healthcare Network. He makes $840,457.
I really need to go to medical school. Or business school. Or something.
Anyway, the Book of Philanthropy is a must-have for any charity fan. Definitely pick one up.
The publication is available at bookstores and newstands until Friday. After that, copies can be obtained by calling the Austin Business Journal 494-2500.
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January 15, 2008
Homeless survey: What do you think?
A recent survey of Austin’s homeless community showed that 37.8 percent of respondents have jobs.
On Christmas Day, House the Homeless Inc., Keep Austin Housed/AmeriCorps and Austin First Baptist Church conducted a survey of 526 homeless people. The questionnaire probed issues including employment, barriers to work and veterans status.
The questions and answers are listed below. What do you think about the survey?
Do you work?
Yes: 199 (37.8 percent)
No: 327 (62.2)
Do you want to work?
Yes: 472 (89.7 percent)
No: 48 (10.3 percent)
Non-responses: 6
What is keeping you from working? (Top five responses)
- Health issues 62
- Can’t find work 60
- Disabled 56
- No identification 50
- Economics/ low wages 21 (Note: a number of people listed multiple barriers)
Would you work a 40-hour-per-week job if you were sure it would pay you enough for basic food, clothing and shelter?
Yes: 468 (90.7)
No: 48 (9.3)
Non-responses: 10
Do you get disability benefits?
Yes: 100 (19 percent)
No: 426 (81 percent)
Do you have photo ID?
Yes: 360 (69.8 percent)
No: 164 (31.2 percent)
Non-responses: 2
What is keeping you from getting an ID? (top 5 responses)
Need ID documents to get photo ID 39
Costs 38
Application pending 8
No reason (“me”) 8
Criminal record 8
Are you a veteran?
Yes: 121 (23 percent)
No: 401 (77 percent)
Non-responses: 4
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January 14, 2008
A call for art bras
Do you make wild and crazy bras in your spare time? If not, here’s your chance to start. Check out this e-mail from Esther Teller at the Breast Cancer Resource Center.
“Dear Imaginative Friends:
We cordially invite you to fire up those creative neurons to design and donate an art bra for our 2009 Art Bra Calendar and very special second annual art event, GRAPHIC II :Bold lines in art, jewelry, furniture and art bras to benefit the Breast Cancer Resource Center, which will take place Saturday evening, April 26, 2008, at the Design Center at Penn Field.
Last April’s GRAPHIC event was an awesome runaway runway hit, with more than fifty amazingly crafted art bras donated by friends, family and celebs including Willie Nelson, Sara Hickman, Patricia Vonne, Deborah Harry of Blondie, and modeled by the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls, young breast cancer survivors.
The calendar we created from the art bras has also been a huge success, selling more than we could have hoped, and inspiring women from Texas to California, and New Jersey to Montana.
Please note that in order to plan the photo shoot for the calendar, we must have the Art Bras at the BCRC no later than March 1, 2008. After art bras are modeled for the calendar, they will be part of the runway show and auctioned at GRAPHIC II. Events such as GRAPHIC provide the funding for BCRC programs like the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls, a social support network for younger breast cancer survivors, many of whom are young moms, women at the peak of their careers, and others facing issues beyond those shared by other survivors.
Please get stitching, sewing, gluing, pasting, wiring, crafting, and otherwise inventing an Art Bra! Contact me at esther@bcrc.org or 512-544-0903 if you can participate or if you have any questions.”
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January 8, 2008
ARC goes Hollywood (kind of)
Check out the Arc of the Capital Area!
The Austin-based nonprofit — which helps people with developmental disabilities — is now posting its own videos on YouTube. One video features the agency’s art program, including commentary from the participants and their families. I think it’s worth a look.
Interested? Go here.
I’m sure there are plenty of other nonprofits out there on YouTube. Know of any you’d care to share?
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January 2, 2008
Unsung heroes
This weekend, I’ll be writing a column about Betty Coyle, an Austin woman who recently died from a ruptured aneurysm, hemorrhage and stroke.
Betty gave countless hours to charity at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, Austin Museum of Art and Ransom Center. She was just an average gal doing wonderful things with her spare time.
And that got me thinking. There are so many unsung heroes working for nonprofits. I’ll never be able to profile them all. But we can certainly give them a nod here, in this column.
So how about it? Anyone want to mention a great volunteer who deserves some cyber-applause?
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December 31, 2007
Nonprofit salary talk bad?
A few weeks ago, I published the salaries of several nonprofit executives around town.
These salaries were published without comment, without any judgment or conclusions. The reason and context for the blog was made quite clear.
Some people didn’t like that. And I want to know why.
I realize no one likes talking about how much they make. Nothing breeds jealousy and contempt faster than knowing your colleague makes more money than you do.
But the fact is that nonprofits are funded with public money. People have the right to know how much their leaders make. Simple as that.
This newspaper routinely publishes the salaries of public officials, such as City Manager Toby Futrell. Why is it so egregious to publish the salaries of nonprofit leaders? Because they are working for the public good?
Should watchdogs simply mind their own business because these E.D.s are donning the badge of good intentions?
The kind of charity coverage I provide evolves every day as I learn new things and meet new people. If you’ve ever taken the time to look at this blog, you obviously care about charity. And for that, I respect you.
So please, tell me how you feel about this issue. I seriously want to know.
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December 20, 2007
What do nonprofit leaders earn?
When the United Way stories hit the news, readers were quick to weigh in with their opinions.
Some lauded the organization’s new focus on education, financial stability and health programs. Others were angry that the United Way would not give as much money to basic needs such a food and shelter.
Opinions are great. Wrong information passed off as fact? Not so much.
One reader suggested the United Way President David Balch and his administrative staff make millions of dollars. Well … not exactly.
According to staffers — and the latest 990 forms on Guidestar.org — Balch makes $167,000 a year.
How does that compare to other local nonprofit leaders? According to the latest online 990s:
Julia Spann, SafePlace
$110,000
Regina Rogoff, People’s Community Clinic
$107,286
Susan McDowell, Lifeworks
$98,338
Rev. Ed Gomez, El Buen Samaritano
$90,845
Dan Pruett, Meals on Wheels
$89,834
Ellen Balthazar, Any Baby Can
$76,000
Beth Atherton, Caritas
$85,000
Etta Moore, Girl Scouts
$81,611
Gena Van Osselaer, Austin Children’s Shelter
$78,750
Stephen and Susan Ellis, Salvation Army Austin Metropolitan Area Commanders
$57,000 (combined salaries, includes use of car and house)
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November 13, 2007
Remember Lady Bird on your Christmas tree
Keep Texas Beautiful, a statewide environmental nonprofit, dedicated its 2007 holiday ornament to Lady Bird Johnson.
The ornament features a bouquet of wildflowers. Proceeds from sales of the ornament will fund environmental efforts such as litter prevention, waste reduction, and community beautification programs.
Ornaments are $18 each. For more information, go here
Mrs. Johnson was instrumental in the passage of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965 and served on the National Park Service’s advisory board.
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November 12, 2007
All about you
People say working with a nonprofit isn’t a job: It’s a calling.
Some people always knew they wanted to help people. Others had a life-changing experience with a person or event that forever pointed them toward nonprofit work.
What’s your story as a volunteer/employee with a charity? I’d love to hear it for a column running this weekend. Those that don’t fit in the column could end up on this Massively Popular Blog!
Want to play? If so, please send your answers to aball@statesman.com in this format:
Name Job Answer in 60 words or less.
For example: Name: Jenny X Job: Social worker at child abuse center Answer: I knew I wanted to work with abused children when I met Noah, a little boy who lived near me when I was in high school. He wouldn’t tell me where he got his bruises and I never told anyone my suspicions. After a relative was charged with abusing him, I decided I wanted to help children like him.
The deadline is Tuesday, 5 p.m.
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November 8, 2007
Exotic dancers with big ... hearts
Check out this Newsday story.
Apparently a group of women from a New York strip club were invited to pass out candy at a charity carnival for a Brooklyn middle school. The ladies were not planning to wear their dancing duds, according to this source.
But hell hath no fury like a middle school mob. Parents protested and the Ladies of the Limited Cloth were uninvited.
Well, then.
Now the strippers are planning a canned food drive for a local food bank.
And you think … what?
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November 7, 2007
See a penny, pick it up
The messages that end up in my email box never cease to amaze me. I was going to write a little story here about the fundraising efforts of 10-year-old Kyle Gardner, a 5th grader at River Place Elementary School.
But honestly, I think Kyle’s email sums up his work perfectly. Read his words for yourself. He sounds like a pretty cool kid.
“Hi, my name is Kyle Gardner, and I am starting a fundraising campaign for my independent study for my 5th grade Quest class, and I need your help to make it a success.
“Let me tell you how my idea for the ‘Find a Penny, Pick it up’ fundraising campaign started.
“Last summer, my family was at restaurant on the lake and I found a quarter on the ground. I wondered how far I could skip it across the water.
“My mom came along and said ‘STOP - what are you doing?!’, right as I was about to throw it.
“I said, ‘it’s just a quarter, what’s the big deal, I can’t buy anything with it.’
“My mom said, ‘that quarter could keep a poor person, from a poor country, alive for one more day.’
“I looked down at the quarter in my hand and realized how valuable even a small amount of money could be. Then my mom said, “I bet if you picked up every coin you saw on the ground, you could find $1.00 worth of lost change in a month.”
“I realized that meant I could keep a whole family alive for one more day. Sure enough, penny by penny, I found $1.86 in one month.
“My family and I began looking everywhere for lost change (like in the dryer, in parking lots, under car seats, under arcade games, you get the idea). Just from collecting coins that many Americans won’t bother to bend over and pick up, we have been able to donate to a charity called Heifer International, by purchasing a flock of chickens and a flock of ducks for poor families to raise in order to earn a living.
“The more money we raise, the more animals we can help purchase for donation. For example: as little as $20 can buy a flock of chickens, ducks, or geese; $30 can buy 3 rabbits; $120 can buy a goat, sheep, or pig; and $500 can buy a cow.
“My goal for our school is to find $5,000 so we can buy “The Ark” which contains 2 of each category of animal donation available. I challenge each of you to see how much lost money you can find between Thanksgiving and January 1. Bring it to school to place in our collection container, right outside of the main River Place Elementary office.
“If you have a cool story about how or where you found the money, include that too! Watch for more information and have a look at the poster next to the collection container after Thanksgiving.
“This won’t be as hard as it sounds if every student spreads the word. Imagine if everyone in this building found $1.00 in a month, and asked 2 other people to try to find a $1.00, and each of those people asked 2 other people. That would give us $5,000. If everyone keeps spreading the news, who knows how much money could be raised, and how many different charities could benefit from the idea. Our whole country could get involved. Tell your family and friends, and then tell them to pass it on.
“Even small things can add up to make a huge difference. This is the lesson I hope everyone will learn when they hear about “Find a Penny, Pick it up..”.
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November 5, 2007
Canned armadillo and philanthropy
It’s not all pasta and potted pork at the Capital Area Food Bank. The Austin-based nonprofit has received some unique donations — food so unique that employees have created a little display shelf to pay their respects to the Odd Food of Yore.
Cuisine like this:
And this:
And you can never have enough of this:
Actually, the food bank uses the shelf to show volunteers examples of things that don’t make the cut: food with labels they can’t read, unpopular items that would not be in demand and so on.
“We’d be hard pressed to even find a category for most of these things,” said food bank spokeswoman Kerri Qunell.
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October 26, 2007
Gas prices are guzzling giving
High gas prices are a nonprofit’s nemesis.
What does it cost now, $2.77 for a gallon of regular unleaded? Prices might have dipped a bit, but it’s still ugly out there. And it’s especially painful for nonprofit organizations.
Not only do charities have to fill up their own vehicles (think Meals on Wheels), but they also have to pay mileage to their social workers, who often drive hundreds of miles a month visiting clients at their homes.
So how much are nonprofits paying for mileage these days?
The Red Cross of Central Texas pays the standard IRS rate: 48.5 cents a mile. So does the National Association of Social Workers. But does everyone?
What does your nonprofit pay?
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October 24, 2007
Here by popular demand...Good news!
True life scene:
Charity Chick’s uncle (CCU), watching Jerry Springer on television: Oh my God. Unbelievable, these people.
Charity Chick: What?
CCU: This girl is sleeping with her father.
Charity Chick: Uhhhhhh…
CCU: Bad news. That’s all we ever hear from the media. That’s what sells papers — the negative.
Charity Chick: But this is television.
CCU: Same thing. It’s always the bad news.
Well, dear uncle, this is for you: GoodCause Magazine
GoodCause Magazine calls itself “The Guide to Doing Good in Austin.” The site, launched earlier this year by local writer Monica M. Williams, is devoted to raising awareness of community issues, promoting volunteerism, and encouraging charitable giving.
It’s all good. And there’s not a single mention of anyone dating their relatives ANYWHERE on the site. I promise.
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