Life & Planning
Choose Happy
It was Monday. Some dread it. Some love it. Some wait around to see what the day delivers before they decide what kind of day it will be. There are others who decide what kind of day it will be from the start. As I stood in the kitchen on Monday morning grabbing my breakfast,…
Read MoreThree Donor Questions
“But dad what do I say?” This is the question my kids ask me when faced with a challenge in their studies and they don’t even know what to ask their teacher in order to get help. Everyone can freeze up and get tongue twisted when there are challenges or tensions are high. We’ve been…
Read MoreThe Business We Are In
The role of the development professional is to raise money for the organization in order for it to fulfill its mission. But the real business we’re in is story-telling. Donors are human, and humans connect with story. There is the story of another. Their personal story. And the story they can see themselves in. In fact, more…
Read MoreNew Donor Motivation Program National Insights
The one thing that can pay multiples in a pandemic and coming out of any challenges is to focus on learning and growth. Learning is the information and wisdom you acquire. And growth is what you do with it. This past week, the Donor Motivation Program consultants from across United States and Canada gathered for…
Read MoreInvestments that Matter
There are few investments in life that are “sure” things. The investment of time, energy, and money in a relationship with a son or daughter is one of them. This past weekend was my annual father/son weekend at Camp Highland in Elijay. The investment made in a son or daughter is a priceless investment of…
Read MoreWhat Are Your Prints On?
You’ve heard it said, “You can’t take it with you. There are no U-Haul’s behind hearses.” Yet, we forget the incredible legacy we can leave. We call them life-prints. Fingerprints are used to find out who was here when they are no longer here. If they identify you through fingerprints, it’s usually not a good…
Read MoreRoy Disney & Ted Turner Used This
How did Roy Disney sell $100 million in Disney stock and pay no up-front capital gains taxes on the sale? How did Ted Turner sell around $20 million of AOL stock and not pay a dime in up-front capital gains taxes, receive a substantial income tax deduction, and an income for life? For over four…
Read MoreEveryone Needs This
When times are tough and people are worn down by the uncertainty of life, what do you do? One of the easiest pick-me-ups and gifts to give, and the most appreciated, is your praise. An affirmation of a job well done. A hearty thanks for a gift given… time and energy invested. It is a…
Read MoreMake Your Neighborhood Safer
The heroes in the midst of a pandemic, market downturn, and economic upheaval are the charities. Nonprofits serve when communities need to be served the most. And they do so while many tend to give less for all the same reasons. Charities are the very backbone of hope in the midst of hopelessness. They serve,…
Read MoreYou Must Have This…
Optimism This weekend marked the end of my son Hudson’s 13U travel baseball season. A real bummer, but he did finish with a bang! Baseball has a lot to teach us about life because it is a game of failure. Getting a hit 3 out of 10 times is massively good. That means 7 out…
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