Philanthropy Day! (Month) - Day 19 November 19, 2012 By D Murphy

Philanthropy Day is November 15th, but GiftWorks would like to honor and highlight a nonprofit each weekday in November! There are not enough days in November to thank every nonprofit in the world doing great things, but we are happy to bring to you one nonprofit each weekday in November, that is making a difference!

Today, let's meet:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County

Vision:
All children achieve success in life.

 Mission:
Provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

Accountability:
We partner with parents/guardians, volunteers and others in the community and holdourselves accountable for each child in our program achieving: 

Higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships

Avoidance of risky behaviors

Educational success

Since 1995, we have created more than 1,400 mentor relationships. In 2011 we served over 350 children in San Luis Obispo County.

Philanthropy Day is an opportunity to recognize and pay tribute to the contributions individuals and organizations give to charitable organizations around the world. We are able to serve others due to the generosity of people that care enough to give time and money to better our world.

Thank you. 

Patty Carpenter
Development Directory
Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County

Thank you Patty and Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County for all your hard work! Happy Philanthropy Day (Month)!

Elevate Your Elevator Speech! November 19, 2012 By Ewlacasse

In your “development” as a development professional, no doubt you have mastered the  elevator speech—“the quick, succinct summation of the unique aspects of your organization presented  in a way that excites others.”  It’s called the elevator speech because it should take no longer than the average elevator ride to work its magic.

Are others in your organization---staff, board, volunteers—prepared with a quality elevator speech to use when they are “front and center”?  You have a lot to gain by helping them to hone this skill; they’ll be more effective surrogates for you—and the training process will help them understand what the most important points are.

Include these particulars in your session:

1.  Your mission, not in corporate gobbledly-gook, but in real speak (language they’ll be comfortable with and that will be vivid to their audiences).   “Finding a cure, so our daughters won’t have to” (Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition).

2.  Here’s where a really memorable tagline provides a shorthand mission statement that’s easy to remember and to include.  “Only you can prevent forest fires” (Smokey the Bear).  “A mind is a terrible thing to waste (United Negro College Fund).  “Making the Connection” (Center for Autism).

3. Keep your “surrogates” supplied with firsthand stories and statistics that bring your mission to life.  Keep generating and distributing fresh ones.

The more comfortably and naturally your “ambassadors” can speak about your organization, the more likely they are to do it, the more often they’ll do it, and the better results they’ll generate! You’ll be creating opportunities for even novice communicators to share: "I was just at nonprofit for a meeting, and you won't believe what I heard ..."

Prime the pumps and don’t forget to do it regularly.   As you add to what your ambassadors know and can articulate about you, you’re “growing” them into ever more valuable spokespeople.

Philanthropy Day! (Month) - Day 16 November 16, 2012 By D Murphy

Philanthropy Day is November 15th, but GiftWorks would like to honor and highlight a nonprofit each weekday in November! There are not enough days in November to thank every nonprofit in the world doing great things, but we are happy to bring to you one nonprofit each weekday in November, that is making a difference!

Today, let's meet:

The Children Heritage Foundation 

The Children Heritage Foundation, Inc. (tCHF) is a 501 c3 non-profit organization, located in Holmdel, New Jersey, concentrating its efforts to the betterment of people living in Haiti

www.childrenheritage.org. TCHF was founded in December 2006 by a Haitian-American couple, Jose & Bernadette Pierre.  The Pierre’s established and have directed Marketware 

International, Inc, a Software Development Company since 1995.  

To properly address Haiti’s economic and social inequality with the rest of the world requires measures that account for the important role of education. “Haiti stands alone in the Caribbean as a country with the highest rates of illiteracy and absolute poverty. The two statistics are closely linked: About half the country lives with under $1.25 USD a day and can't read or write” Paul Franz, Executive Producer and Photographer of Haiti’s Lost Children, A crisis in Education after the earthquake.

TCHF has initiated the Education & Enrichment Program which provides assistance in the education of elementary school students in Haiti by making available the following tools and resources: Tuition Assistance, Digital Literacy,  School & Art Supplies as well as Health Education materials. To participate in the program, students in need are identified  by school directors who ask the parents to complete the “tCHF Application for Support”. Tuition for approved students is paid directly to the school that has a signed Letter of Understanding with tCHF. Sponsors make a deductible contribution of $20 per month to help the students achieve their education. Each sponsor receives a picture of their sponsored student, tCHF Newsletter and a copy of the student’s annual report card. A tCHF t-shirt is also given to each sponsor as a token of appreciation.

To sponsor a student, write to info@childrenheritage.com.

Thank you. 

Bernadette Pierre
The Children Heritage Foundation

Thank you Bernadette and The Children Heritage Foundation for all your hard work! Happy Philanthropy Day (Month)!

Philanthropy Day! (Month) - Day 15 November 15, 2012 By D Murphy

Philanthropy Day is November 15th (today!), but GiftWorks would like to honor and highlight a nonprofit each weekday in November! There are not enough days in November to thank every nonprofit in the world doing great things, but we are happy to bring to you one nonprofit each weekday in November, that is making a difference!

Today, let's meet:

Aphasia Center of West Texas

Finding a Voice at the Aphasia Center of West Texas A Dire Situation

Imagine, knowing exactly what you want to say, yet being unable to get the words out. When stroke or other brain injury damages the ability to express or understand language, so much more is lost than words and sentences. A person with aphasia may have difficulty expressing themselves, yet people with aphasia are intelligent, competent adults trapped by a condition that leaves them isolated and misjudged. The most devastating impact comes from a reduced opportunity for self-expression and the social interaction that makes life meaningful.

A Silver Lining
 

When regional philanthropists understood that a large population was falling through the cracks, community leaders stepped forward with their time and their money to back an innovative program where individuals with aphasia join a network of peers who have adapted to living with a chronic communication challenge. In 2002, the Aphasia Center of West Texas became the second independent aphasia center to open its doors. Here, people with aphasia learn strategies to join in conversation, book clubs, computer lab, art, music and more – all made possible within an adaptive environment with specially trained conversation partners.

The outcome is that the people we serve find friendship, engage in hobbies and get back to living life in spite of aphasia. National Philanthropy Day means we get the chance to say ‘Thank You’ to all the people who for make life so much better for people with aphasia.

Thank you. 

Kathryn Shelley
Aphasia Center of West Texas

Thank you Kathryn and Asphasia Center of West Texas for all you do! Happy Philanthropy Day (Month)!

Philanthropy Day! (Month) - Day 14 November 14, 2012 By D Murphy

Philanthropy Day is November 15th, but GiftWorks would like to honor and highlight a nonprofit each weekday in November! There are not enough days in November to thank every nonprofit in the world doing great things, but we are happy to bring to you one nonprofit each weekday in November, that is making a difference!

Today, let's meet:

St. Frances Cabrini Academy

St. Frances Cabrini Academy, located in St. Louis, Missouri , is a Catholic elementary school that educates by nurturing the growth of each childs mind, body and spirit. We celebrate our diversity while acting together to proclaim the Gospel. We commit ourselves to the justice, the value of a quality education for all and the vibrancy of the city of St. Louis.

National Philanthropy Day allows compassionate and caring supporters to come together with not-for profits to celebrate the virtue of giving.

Rich Fanning

St. Frances Cabrini Academy

Thank you Rich and the St. Frances Cabrini Academy for all your hard work! Happy Philanthropy Day (Month)!