Filanthropy: Join the Crowd

The newest trend in philanthropy is called Crowdfunding. It marries a mission (non profit, political or for profit) with a "crowd" of supporters from the same neighborhood or supporters from all over the world. The crowd uses some type of online or social media platform to learn about the mission and subsequently offer financial support.  The key is how compelling is the story, how well can it be promoted, and can it be a proven mission worthy of support over the long haul? While crowdfunding may help generate support for one-off efforts or focused project-based endeavors, the brains behind the mission should remember not to put all it's fundraising eggs in one basket. Use of other more traditional forms of fundraising vehicles may be the perfect addition to crowdfunding or vice versa. What will be the next new thing in our industry? Hmmmm....

Family: Double Digit Milestone

I can only remember a few of my birthdays, 10, 21, 30 and 40….the rest are a blur! For my son, Timothy, we are only a month away from helping him celebrate his 10th birthday, double digit milestone. I remember my 10th birthday so well, a great family friend, Eric and his wife, hosted a dinner party in my honor and he gave a memorable toast to me emphasizing my new status in the double-digit club. I thought I was pretty special, cool and wise beyond my years. Jack, my husband and I have been speaking with Timothy about how special his upcoming birthday is but I am not sure he fully comprehends the concept. He is still most interested in whether he will get an XBox or dog! Hmmm…that is a tough one. I am trying to figure out which is the lesser evil. I think for now, the XBox may win. Nonetheless, the 10th birthday milestone for Timothy is a valuable reminder that even as I age and attempt to stop "celebrating" my birthday, particularly as the years accrue into larger double digit numbers, or when I think of my birthday as just another day, it truly is a special occasion. It honors ones parents, grandparents and all those who have come before. Double digit 10 years on the 11th day of May, it will be an exciting day for Timothy and for me!